Fall 2025 Stream Testing Data

We are studying the health of Crockery Creek, located in Thatcher Park in the town of Ravenna. Thatcher Park is a well-known and popular public park in our community.  At this location, the creek has a mostly sandy bottom with abundant vegetation along its banks. Scattered rocks can be found both on the shore and throughout the creek bed.

Possible sources of pollution in Crockery Creek include suburban runoff, chemicals from the nearby road and vehicles, sediment erosion, and potentially malfunctioning septic systems in the surrounding area. Because the park is located near Ravenna’s small downtown, there may also be remnants of industrial runoff contributing to the creek’s water quality issues.

To assess the creek’s health, we tested the water for pH, conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, E. coli, and macroinvertebrate diversity. We measured E. coli using the left, right, and center sampling method. To collect macroinvertebrates, we used dip nets, stirring up leafy, muddy, and sandy portions of the creekbed, kicking up the insects, and collecting them with the nets. Water quality measurements were taken using a PCTS Testr 50, and turbidity was measured with a turbidity tube. We also used a GeoPack flow meter to determine the creek’s flow rate. While in the field, we recorded our data in field books and later entered it into a Google Form, which automatically generated charts comparing our current results with past data.

We analyzed our results with the help of Dr. Buday, who explained the ideal ranges for each parameter and possible reasons for any changes we observed. Based on our data, our group concluded that E. coli levels tend to be lower in the spring than in the fall because cooler water temperatures slow bacterial growth. The date of testing when E. coli soared beyond the healthy parameter can be explained because of the excessive rain the day before. Conversely, macroinvertebrate populations are higher in the fall, likely because warmer water makes these organisms more active and easier to find.

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

1. Does the amount of rainfall affect the water quality?

2. Does the increase in E. Coli have anything to do with a new, unknown pollution source?

3. Why do we find a lot of Scuds and Mayflies more than anything else?

Spring 2025 Stream Testing Data

We are studying the health of Crockery Creek at Thatcher Park.  Thatcher Park is a public park located in our town of Ravenna.  It is a very popular park in the area.  This creek is mostly sand with a lot of vegetation on the shores.  Rocks are scattered on the shore and throughout the creek.  Potential sources of pollution could be caused by suburban runoff, rain, and sediment runoff, or maybe septic tanks that are not working in the area.  This park is also located in our small downtown, which could have left over industrial runoff. 

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. 

We analyzed the data by having Dr. Buday explain what the good ranges are and some reasons changes could have happened. The claim my group has made is that the reason the E. coli levels are lower in the spring vs the fall is because the water is cooler, and the E. coli grows better in warm water. The reason that we get more macroinvertebrates in the fall is that the water is warmer and the bugs are more active, which makes it easier for us to locate them as they move.

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

1. Are fish and insect populations increasing, decreasing, or staying the same over time?

2. Does the E. coli data have anything to do with the weather and season, or even the temperature around the stream?

3. Why is the population of the scud so high in our stream?

Fall 2024 Stream Testing Data

Takeaways from this data is that the conductivity, turbidity, and pH have all stayed decently similar/the same throughout the three testing seasons. The data we have collected over time shows that our water has been over all of the standard minimums every time, making it unsafe for full-body contact. Finally, the outstanding amounts of salinity in the water during the fall of 2023 testing time, we would like to look into the causes of this more by continuing to review the data during the time of this incident.

Spring 2024 Stream Testing Data

Thatcher Park is a public park located in our town of Ravenna.  It is a very popular park in the area. We have been testing the water in Crockery Creek that runs through this park.  This creek is mostly sand with a lot of vegetation on the shores.  Rocks are scattered on the shore and throughout the creek.  Through our testing, we have learned that this water exceeds the set standards for full-body contact and partial-body contact.  This could be caused by suburban runoff, rain, and sediment runoff, or maybe septic tanks that are not working in the area.  

During October, we went to our test sites regularly to collect samples, as well as measurements like water flow, conductivity, salinity, temperature, pH, and turbidity,  then we went back to our classroom to turn these samples and data in. The E. coli samples were then taken to Grand Valley State University, where they 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 depend on daily.

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; Brendan 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. 

Fall 2023 Stream Testing Data

To look at the rest of the tests and findings click on the small tabs above this text.