Fall 2025 - Inaccessible due to Bridge Replacement

Spring 2025 Stream Testing Data

We are studying the health of Crockery Creek at 32nd Ave & Harrisburg Rd. in Conklin, MI.  The Deems Family allows us to access Crockery Creek at this site. Some possible sources of pollution are shoreline residences, farms, and roads.  It was shaded in the fall due to the trees, but over the spring, wind and rain storms knocked down the trees and caused the area to be more exposed to the sun. Due to the trees falling, there is now a significant amount of submerged wood. There is also quite a bit of green vegetation around the water. The creek has been a brownish-yellow color consistently due to the muck on the bottom. However, when we fill our bottles, the water is fairly clear. The creek smells somewhat like decaying plants. We spotted some small fish and birds surrounding the water.  The banks of the creek are undercut, and there is some pollen and oil on the surface of the water. There are a lot of down trees, and it's very rocky in some spots. In others, it was very sandy, even feeling like quicksand. We didn't have a ton of large bugs, but in the rockier areas, there were small bugs. There is currently construction on a bridge overpassing our site. 

We tested the water for pH, conductivity, salinity, and total dissolved solids. We also tested for E. coli and collected macroinvertebrates. The methods we used to collect data were to test the stream water for E. Coli using the left, right, and center method. We gathered our macroinvertebrates by checking leaf packs and moving rocks in the water to gather sample insect populations. The water quality tests were conducted using a PCTS Testr 50. We used a turbidity tube to determine the turbidity levels. We used a GeoPack flow meter to determine the stream flow of the creek. While onsite, we wrote down the data that we collected in our field books, then we returned to the classroom and imported it into a Google form, which filled out a plot chart for us to show our data with both present and past dates. 

To analyze our data, we would plot the data that we had collected into charts to compare it with previous data. We used a chart to compare the acceptable range to our collected data. Our data showed that the conductivity, TDS, and the E. coli samples were within the norm, and safe, or as safe as it could be. The pH and salinity were above the normal and safe levels, which wasn't good. The temperature and turbidity don't have an area of normalcy, so they are fine. 

Questions we still have about the health of our stream site include: 

1. We would like to know if it’s possible to differentiate between human and animal E. coli, so we could better pinpoint the sources of pollution in the creek.

2. Ways to improve the health of the creek enough so it’s at the point where people would never have to worry about coming in contact with it. 

3. Steps we can take to improve the habitat for the wildlife that live in the creek, which may also improve the overall health of the creek. We could consider a green buffer to plant the creek beds.

Fall 2024 Stream Testing Data

The levels of E-coli were not as high as we had predicted, but still higher than the full body contact limit. Within multiple test dates it has been confirmed that the levels of E-coli are higher than the full body max, but the levels are under the partial body max, so you may not want to fully swim in this water but that doesn't mean you can't wade in the water.  Although the E-Coli level is higher, we still have a good macroinvertebrate community within our section of the stream. This is important because the macroinvertebrates are important food resources for the fish populating the stream.  

Our stretch of the creek has some indicators of pollution. Some possible sources of pollution are shoreline residences and roads. The creek has been a brownish-yellow color consistently due to the muck on the bottom. However, when we fill our bottles, the water is fairly clear. The creek smells somewhat like decaying plants. We spotted some small fish and birds surrounding the water.  The banks of the creek are undercut and there is some pollen and oil on the surface of the water. There are a lot of down trees and it's very rocky in some spots. In others, it was very sandy, even feeling like quicksand. We didn't have a ton of large bugs but, in the rockier areas, there were small bugs. There is a drain but it's dry. We believe that the pipe could be a past problem that is no longer causing a threat to the water. 

We would like to thank the GVSU Department of Geology for providing us with equipment to take our measurements; Dr. Amanda Buday for her leadership; Lexi from AWRI's WET Lab for helping us conduct E. Coli tests, the Ravenna Conservation Club for paying for our E. Coli testing, and Swanson Pickle Company for buying our waders and dipnets. 

OUR WHY? -> Our goal is to inform and educate the public on our findings. 

PSA: This is just for educational purposes we are not trained professionals.

What we did was go out to our test sites regularly and take samples as well as measurements like water flow, conductivity, salinity, temperature, pH, and turbidity,  then we went back and turned these samples and info in. The E. coli samples we took were then taken to Grand Valley State University where the samples were examined and the results sent back to us, after receiving the information from them and the measurements we took we were able to calculate the quality and situation of the water.  During our research, we were able to gain more knowledge about our water and understand how many more aspects impact the water that we love and need.

Fall 2023 Stream Testing Data

OUR WHY? -> Our goal is to inform and educate the public on our findings. 

PSA: This is just for educational purposes we are not trained professionals.

What we did was go out to our test sites regularly and take samples as well as measurements like water flow, conductivity, salinity, temperature, pH, and turbidity,  then we went back and turned these samples and info in. The E. coli samples we took were then taken to Grand Valley State University where the samples were examined and the results sent back to us, after receiving the information from them and the measurements we took we were able to calculate the quality and situation of the water.  During our research, we were able to gain more knowledge about our water and understand how many more aspects impact the water that we love and need.