From the ground up: Donnell students tackle flood control

Erosion and flooding problems along Township Road 89, just west of Findlay, and the effort to fix them have provided sixth graders at Donnell Middle School a chance to apply their studies. Through the project-based learning experience, students are working to determine how runoff at Township Road 89, near Liberty Landing park, affects land and water quality, while also offering solutions and ideas to correct the problem. The 2-acre park, located off County Road 140 on Township Road 89 on the south side of the Blanchard River, provides a launch area for canoeists and kayakers, along with picnic areas. Students have also had the opportunity to compare their research to the findings and recommendations recently made by engineers for the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership, to design a wetland area at the site as a way of controlling erosion. The partnership works to encourage water quality improvements in the northwestern Ohio watershed through sustainable land use, collaboration, conservation and enhancement of natural and manmade resources. Lauren Sandhu, director of the partnership, is a biology teacher at the University of Findlay, and is able to communicate with the engineers. Sandhu, along with Heather Sensel, education manager of the Joseph and Judith Conda STEAM Education Center at the University of Findlay's Mazza Museum, designed the lessons and led them for the sixth grade teams. Ben Dolan, an associate professor of biology at UF, also guided students on a tour of a working rain garden on the campus. The garden, designed to capture water runoff, gave students an opportunity to probe and identify the layers of soil and measure their ability to absorb water. Donnell Middle School teachers Bryan Miller and Jodi Smith have also used the STEAM Center to teach about soils and rocks through experiments. "Students are developing a proposal with various conservation methods from filter strips, windbreaks, grass waterways and carefully chosen plants," said Beth Ann Nissen, project-based learning coach for Findlay City Schools. "Who knows? Maybe the engineers working on this project will use one of the ideas." At the STEAM Center, students are able to examine the root structures of native plants and determine which plant roots absorb the most water and hold soil in place. They can also test soils from the site to determine the current composition. Using an "erosion wall" at the STEAM Center also enables students to test containers of soil and plants to determine what combinations work best. The erosion wall is made of steel, and magnets are used to hang the containers. A water sprinkler simulates rainfall, and students can then observe how well each container is able to retain the most water. Students are also studying a topographical map of the area to investigate the flood problem and work in teams, like the engineers, to propose for the future natural wetland. Grant: 419-427-8412