In an education session last Thursday, ALLARM (Dickinson Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring) examined the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed along with several types of pollution that affect the bay. The organization also highlighted that since more than 54,000 jobs depend on the bay, the regional economy is also threatened by these practices.

While the bay itself received a low grade in many categories in the latest review by the Environmental Protection Agency, its health has been steadily improving for several years, as a result of recent legislation and activism, according to ALLARM.

One major contributor to the bay’s poor state is agriculture. According to ALLARM, runoff from fields, especially in Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River severely impacts the area.

After a slideshow and a brief quiz on facts about the watershed, a demonstration of water quality testing was conducted. Attendees were split up into groups of three and given three different samples of water to test for phosphate and nitrate levels, both of which are measures of pollution in water. The groups were instructed on the procedure for this type of testing, and then had to theorize where the samples came from based on their level of pollution. The water with the lowest levels of nitrates and phosphates came from the LeTort Spring Run, a nearby stream, while the highest levels were found in water coming from Lancaster County, a heavy agricultural region.

Pam Still, a city councilwoman for Mount Holly Springs, attended the event “to gather as much information as possible.” She cautioned that “we have a long way to go in teaching best management practices” for water resources, but that Mount Holly Springs is pursuing both a rain garden, as an educational tool, as well as a conservation park.

Tom O’Donnell, ’19, a Watershed Coordinator at ALLARM, said that working on this program is “very rewarding, very fun to see people get engaged and excited about science… anyone can take it into their own hands.”

This event, which was attended by 14 people from the local area, was the first of a 5-part program to inform the community about water quality issues that impact the bay area. The next event will be held on Thursday, October 26, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the Bosler Memorial Library and will focus on storm water.

Upcoming topics for the Institute for Lifelong Learning collaboration with ALLARM include hydraulic fracturing on November 2, “Streams 101” on November 9, and acid rain on November 16. The courses are free and open to the public.