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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE03-32

June 11, 2003

Contact: Ian Michaels (718) 595-6600

Students To Study Manor Kill Water Quality

Commissioner Christopher O. Ward of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection announced today that 38 seventh grade students from Gilboa-Conesville Central School will visit the Manor Kill on Thursday June 12, to examine water quality in this Catskill stream. The Manor Kill flows into the Schoharie Reservoir, part of the City’s Catskill reservoir system.

Under the guidance of the Arkville-based Catskill Center for Conservation and Development (CCCD), the DEP Stream Management Program, and AmeriCorps members, students will collect Leaf Packs to identify macroinvertebrates, the aquatic biota that feed on leaves and organic matter in streams and ponds, and provide food for trout and other local fish.

“An understanding of the importance of water quality is vital for long-term stewardship of our water resources,” said Commissioner Ward. “The knowledge gained from fieldwork allows students to make connections between the classroom and the real world. Student participation shows the capability of anyone to monitor stream health. It’s rewarding to see the students get excited about finding stoneflies and mayflies, which indicate the good water quality found in our Catskill streams."

Leaf Pack is a hands-on water quality study program developed by the Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale Pennsylvania. A number of science classes and environmental clubs in the Catskills are using Leaf Packs to explore biota and water quality in local streams. Once the macroinvertebrates are sorted, the data will be available at www.stroudcenter.org/lpn. The students will also perform physical and chemical water testing and record their results.

After a brief welcome by the DEP and CCCD, the students will collect the Leaf Packs, physical, and chemical data along the Manor Kill from 8:30 to 2:00PM, including a streamside brown bag lunch.

Directions to the Manor Kill Stream site: NYS Thruway Exit 21 - Catskill. West on Rt 23 into Prattsville. Right on County Rt. 7/Maple Lane. Take Maple Lane to 990V. Stream is next to Little League field near West Conesville, 990V. In case of heavy rain, there will be water quality programming in the classroom.

 

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