Great Miami & Loramie Creek By: Dominique Cummings Meg Gulick Elizabeth Stein

Meet the Team Dominique Age: 12 School: Christ The King Home Town: Columbus, Ohio Family: Mom, Dad, and Older Sister Future Goals: To be an Artist, Movie Director, or Videographer Meg Age: 13 School: Lakewood Middle School Home Town: Hebron, Ohio Family: Mom, Dad, and Younger Brother Future Goals: To be Valedictorian and to get a Masters Degree in Music Elizabeth Age: 13 School: Lima West Middle School Home Town: Lima, Ohio Family: Mom, Dad, and Older Brother Future Goals:To be a Musician or Musical Composer or a Middle School Music Teacher

Great Miami & Loramie Watershed Western Ohio Covers 8 Counties Primarily Agriculture Dayton Located at Southern End Lake Loramie Dam 353 Miles of Stream

Elizabeth’s Hypothesis Sewage from urban areas causes high BOD levels which lowers the IBI score. BOD= Biological Oxygen Demand IBI= the total measure of fish

What’s Happening Here?

This Is What’s Happening High BOD Caused Lowest Recorded IBI (fish) Dayton (sewage treatment plant) Visible Proof of Improvements to Sewage Treatment Plant

Meg’s Hypothesis When the quality of substrate increases, the diversity of ICI (macroinvertebrates) and the diversity of IBI (fish) increase. ICI= determines the diversity of macroinvertebrates Macro= seen with naked eye Invertebrates= no back bone Substrate= the bottom of a stream

A quality substrate increases the number of IBI & ICI

Good streams have a rocky bottom or substrate that is "clean". Good streams support a diversity of aquatic life including fish and macroinvertebrates.

Dominique’s Hypothesis When QHEI decreases IBI & ICI decreases. When QHEI increases IBI & ICI increases. QHEI= index to determine habitat quality

QHEI vs.BIO DIVERSITY The trees act as a sponge to soak up waste and other harmful pollutants. The trees help to keep the water cool so the IBI & ICI will be able to survive. When rivers are channeled it removes habitats & results in water running faster causing more erosion.

Current Status of Our Watershed Farmers have worked to improve riparian zones Lockington Dam Habitat and flow alterations are damaging the watershed

Improvement Suggestions Encourage farmers to continue land improvements -building buffer zones -planting crops 90 meters from the water Encourage the planting of new riparian zones around the dam Less channelization This is what we want!

Acknowledgements Thank You to the following people: Marcia Murphy The People at OSC Our Chaperones Any and All Who Made This Possible!

~YWSI is Fun, Fun, Fun!!!~ ~Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!~