Protecting Our Water
“People don’t know much about the water that’s all around them and most people don’t understand the impacts they have,” said Jim Ekins, Coeur d’Alene-based University of Idaho Extension educator and IDAH2O Coordinator.
But thanks to the statewide IDAH2O program, that is rapidly changing.
IDAH2O is a program that educates teachers about water quality principles, and equips them with the skills they need to convey that information, and teach water testing and analyzing to students K–12.
The IDAH2O program was inspired by Iowa’s water quality-monitoring program IOWATER and began in 2010. Ekins took over the program two years ago, and with the help of organizations and school districts has brought information to teachers and students statewide.
“Teachers get to practice all these techniques,” Ekins said of those who completed the IDAH2O Master Water Stewards program. Many integrated their findings into classroom instruction and field practices.
“I got to teach an entire high school class in Sandpoint. Now they’re actually testing water quality in local streams.”
Ekins said volunteerism is valuable because the agencies that protect water quality only have limited resources. Agencies often must focus on big water bodies and overlook small streams.
The volunteers can fill the gap, Ekins said. They apply IDAH2O training to properly test and analyze water quality. Volunteers upload their findings to the IDAH2O’s online map, which displays data by site.
Ekins wants to develop a more sophisticated version of the website and go deeper into the information. Ekins plans to create educational videos about storm water and streamside vegetation as he continues working with communities through IDAH2O.
“Everybody can have a role in protecting our beautiful water resources,” said Ekins.
For more information on IDAH2O, visit: http://www.uidaho.edu/cda/idah2o
Find IDAH2O data online at: https://idah2o.nkn.uidaho.edu/client/view_main.php