The fourth and tenth grade students get to set their fish FREE! For lab station one students spend time acclimating their salmon to the new environment in which they will live. Upon acclimating the fish students then seek out a location to release their fish where it can be protected from the dangers of predators in the environment. Places like pools or undercut banks with overhanging vegetation are great locations for our salmon to spend the next few months growing before turning down stream and following to call to Lake Michigan. The hope is that our fish will return to the area inwhich we released them to spawn in the future. The odds are against them though as only 1 in 100 fish will survive to adulthood to continue the life-cycle. 

In the water quality lab station students assess the health of our waterways, particularly for our newly released salmon population. In this lab, students will conduct tests for various parameters including ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature. The quality of water is of utmost importance for the well-being of our salmon as they transition into their new habitat. Salmon are highly sensitive to changes in water temperature, tolerating only a narrow range from the mid 30's to a maximum of 72°F. Our hope is that the water temperature falls within the ideal range of 55 to 64°F for salmon. Additionally, monitoring nitrogenous wastes such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate is essential as elevated levels of these compounds can be toxic to aquatic organisms and indicative of water pollution. Dissolved oxygen levels are also critical for the survival of salmon and other aquatic life, as insufficient levels can lead to stress and mortality. Understanding the relationship between water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels is key, as warmer water tends to hold less dissolved oxygen, posing challenges for fish populations during the summer months. Through our water quality assessments, students will gain valuable insights into the factors influencing the habitat suitability for salmon and the overall health of our aquatic ecosystem.

The macroinvertebrate community in both the Grand River and Lake Creek can be an indicator of the water bodies overall health. Students work in their individual groups to collect samples of macroinvertebrates. Each macroinvertebrate is identified down to the Order level. Total numbers of each group of organisms are recorded. The data collected is used by 10th graders in a formal lab report which requires students to build a population graph for each site of collection (Grand River and Lake Creek). The population data is then entered into a sensitivity index to give the tributary a quantified value. Information related to local tributaries and their sensitivity values can be found on the Project CREEKWISE website. 

In the habitat assessment lab students work with their 4th grade partners to assess the habitat along their designated stream. Some groups focus on the Grand River for their assessment, while others focus on Lake Creek. Students search for pools where our juvenile salmon might live after release and riffles where they have the potential of spawning upon their return in the future. A host of other habitat characteristics are observed and identified during this lab station as well. 

During the river clean up lab station student spend time performing a community service of removing trash along the river's corridor. We have removed a substantial amount of "the typical refuse" of fishing line, wrappers, or paper products. The other surprising waste removal has included things like bicycles, chairs, tables, refrigerators, and even an 8' circular air intake grate.