The Stanfield Family!
Lynne Stanfield and her daughters, Allisyn and Julia, run their own River Watch group in Placerville, CO. They have been participating in the River Watch program since 2008. Lynne learned of River Watch through another one of our volunteers, Leigh Sullivan, who also tests in the San Miguel watershed.
Being a part of River Watch has allowed Lynne and her daughters to “gain more of an appreciation for the natural world and how our actions as humans in the past and present affect ecosystems. Also, having a long term commitment and dedication to a project is valuable experience. We feel like we are doing something to benefit our community.”
Lynne says that by experiencing the scientific process, doing the titrations, being responsible for collecting data while being accurate and methodical has influenced both of her daughters. “It has directed and inspired Allisyn’s and Julia’s career paths. Allisyn is passionate about her Watershed Science major at Colorado State University. Julia is planning to study either Hydrology or Environmental Engineering with a focus on developing efficient, sustainable water systems to provide inexpensive and clean water.”
Check out this map of the sites monitored by Lynne and her daughters:
View River Watch Featured Groups in a larger map
Current News
- Congratulations to Katie Kowal on being awarded the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship!
- All low-flow nutrient samples should be collected and sent to River Watch for analysis.
- Congratulations to Tayler Rocha, a student at Monte Vista High School, who recently competed in the 2012 International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh! Her project, Macroinvertebrate and Nutrient Response to Stream Water Quality after a Wildfire in Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, won second place in her category, as well as a Special Award from the Society for Freshwater Science! Congratulations to Tayler for her hard work!
Submit Photos of Your Group!
Do you have photos of your group? We would love to have them! If you have photos, please submit them using the form below and check back to see if your groups is featured - don't forget to include a caption!
Colorado River Watch in the News
Moving the Classroom Outdoors, Colorado Public Radio, Featuring Rocky Mountain High School
Cheyenne Creek Conservation Club, Pikes Peak Parent, Featuring the Cheyenne Creek Conservation Club at Skyway Elementary.
A Reason to Appreciate Nature, Teller County News. Featuring the Woodland Park High School River Watch group!
Colorado: Native minnows return to the Arkansas River, Summit Voice. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Biologists (BIG River Watch supporters!) restored two native minnow species in the Arkansas River.
Watershed Middle-Schoolers Monitor Boulder Creek Water Quality, Daily Camera. Featuring students from the Watershed School River Watch program!
From our volunteers
Kristal Domenico created a survey to assess Coloradoans' water knowledge. Test your knowledge here -- we expect all River Watchers to get 100%!
The students at Animas High School have conducted scientific investigations about the effects of biochar on metals in soils and plants, as well as the effect on water quality. Check out some of their work in these posters:
- Biochar Effectiveness by Metal Reduction in Leachate and Plant Growth Height as Factors of Successful Land Remediation
- The Effects of Bio-char on Concentration of Metals in Leachates of Soil Samples
- Retention of Harmful Metals in the Animas River Basin
Is high, pristine mountain water always clean and pure? The Colorado Geological Survey conducted a study last year that has since received national attention. Read the press report here, or visit the CGS bookstore to purchase "National Acid Rock Drainage Associated with Hydrothermally Altered Terrane in Colorado."
