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Wetlands Classroom
School Outreach
Mabel Hoggard Math/Science Magnet School Embarks on a Water Quality Monitoring Adventure in the Las Vegas Wash
The Program
Beginning in March 1999, fifth grade students from Mabel Hoggard Math/Science Magnet School have been gaining experience performing water quality monitoring at the Las Vegas Wash through a water quality educational program with the Las Vegas Wash Project Team. Students learn where our drinking water comes from, the relationship of the Wash to our drinking water supply and how our everyday practices affect the water quality of the Wash. The students get hands-on experience taking water samples, performing water quality analysis and hypothesizing how different factors may affect the water quality at the various sites.
Learning About Our Drinking Water
As part of the program, students are given a tour of the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility by scientists working at the facility. The scientists explain, to our "budding" scientists, what it is like to work at a water treatment facility.
For more information about water quality in the valley, visit out water quality database.
Students Collect Water Samples
- Students learn proper sampling techniques
- Students measure pH, temperature and electrical conductivity. Samples are also analyzed for fecal coliform (bacteria).
- Students record the results at the different sites and compare the changes in water quality for the Las Vegas Wash, Lake Mead and our drinking water. (View some student data)
An Ongoing Project
This ongoing project allows students to track the water quality changes throughout the year and make comparisons to previous years. Please visit our site again to track the progress of the Mabel Hoggard students!