Mr. Kostbade's Environmental Science class visited the Coal City Area Club on Oct. 2 as part of a unit on aquatic ecosystems. Students were tasked with measuring various aspects of the lake’s water quality, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, water transparency and nitrate levels. Georgette Vota, a member of the Area Club with experience in testing these waters, accompanied the class.
One of the more enjoyable testing procedures, an analysis of water transparency, required a small group to take a boat out to the middle of one of the lakes. Once students return to class, they will analyze all the data they collected. The plan is to return to the same location in the spring and do a comparison study.