Scott Park Field Investigation: Part 1

Scott Park, Champaign, IL

As a part of the WaterWorks class, students are required to work on a term project that benefits the community in some way. The class was broken into three groups and students were given a topic to use as a guide for their work. The class as a whole decided to work to improve Boneyard Creek and in particular the reach of the creek though Scott Park in Champaign, IL. This section of the creek is one of the last relatively "natural" reaches in the area and yet it is endangered by the urbanization of Champaign-Urbana.

The topics chosen by the students to work on included a study of the the litter in the creek with hopes of linking the litter to a source, a study of the water quality in the creek and comparison with the same creek outside of town, and a study of how to improve water quality and control erosion in Scott Park while maintaining the natural appearance of the creek and not limiting access to the public. To complete their projects, students are working with teachers, civil engineers, city planners, waste management experts, and other professionals.

The first of three planned trips to Scott Park was a scouting trip to introduce the students to the park and allow them to gather preliminary data.

(Left) Scott Park; (Right) Boneyard Creek though Scott Park

(Left) Mr. Jackson points out features of the Healy Street detention basin near Scott Park; (Right) Students work with Carol Knepp of WMRC to survey litter in the park

(Left) Students assess the condition of the stream as it flows underground as it exits Scott Park; (Right) Mr. Jackson organizes the teams

(Left) Students are disgusted by the litter in the creek; (Right) The poor condition of BoneYard Creek

(Left) The water quality group poses for a picture with instruments in hand; (Right) Taking a sample for testing in the classroom

(Left) Students look over the litter survey results; (Right) Logging temperature data at the park entrance

(Left) Mapping erosion; (Right) Measuring stream bank height and slope for comparison to city renovation plans

(Left) Assessing the erosion problem; (Right) Obviously, lateral migration of the river is a problem that wasn't expected when placing these statues

Students reflect on their field investigation with Champaign city engineer Don Archer (left) and Kim Erndt from Prairie Rivers Network (right).