By ANN ALLEN
Indiana Correspondent

AKRON, Ind. — The students canoeing down the Tippecanoe River weren’t playing hooky – they were seeing for themselves the impact that farming and communities have on waterways. Along the way, they observed water pollution and pulled out samples of wildlife to trace the circle of life in the aquatic denizens of the river that give their school – Tippecanoe Valley High – its name.

“They studied BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand), a chemical procedure for determining how fast biological organisms use up oxygen,” teacher Lisa Paxton said.

Although it was a new term for them, they quickly learned it is one used in water quality management and assessment, ecology and environmental science as an indication of the quality of a water source. Events such as this are part of the 2008 Clean Water Indiana grants to support local efforts for nutrient and sediment reduction. Eighty-two of the state’s 92 counties are participating in this effort as the result of Indiana’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ educational program to build awareness that We All Live Downstream.

Participants can expect to learn about conservation tillage, nutrient management, pasture and livestock management, buffers and cover crops, among other practices. The initiative has drawn praise from Indiana Agriculture Director Andy Miller.

“With more than 100 events across the state, local Hoosiers have demonstrated their commitment to protecting our waterways,” he said.

The Indiana Corn Marketing Council and the Indiana Soybean Alliance will sponsor many of the field days and will join with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s Divi-sion of Soil Conser-vation (ISDA-DSC) and the State Soil Conservation Board in sponsoring other field days. Interested people can find an event near them by visiting the ISDA website at www.in.gov/isda and clicking on the link under “features.”

“Innovative partnerships with organizations like these give these programs greater reach and impact,” said Tammy Lawson, ISDA-DSC director. “The 82 participating districts leverage more financial resources – not at taxpayer expense – and that gets more conservation on the ground.”

And, it makes more people aware of their rivers.