Drought in Texas is Impacting the Watershed

    The drought that's plagued Texas since January of 2011 is evident in these images taken during the freshwater sampling several weeks ago. Grade 7 students were sampling in areas northwest of the Trinity River and Bay area. Their ClassEco Project compliments the SMORE Project because it gives us information about what's happening in the freshwater systems farther up the watershed.

In areas that are traditionally full of water, students found the profound effects the drought has had on these aquatic systems.  They're sharing their data with the G8 SMORE students to figure out what impact this has on the coastal areas in their study.

Meanwhile, SMORE students in Texas, Alaska and Georgia are holding teleconferences to discuss data from each of their samplings. Our next blog will talk about their ideas!

Ironically, shortly after the G7 sampling, we had our first significant rainfall! Measured 3-5 inches in different parts of the sampling areas. Wish we could have gone right back to see what was washing down! Within a day however, you couldn't tell it had even rained- hasn't since either!

    Cypress Creek behind our school- water level is only ankle deep midway!

     Lake Houston boat ramp and fishing pier- where's the water????

      We're standing where water should be over our heads!!

       Work goes on though....

                                      

The San Jacinto River didn't offer us much more !

                                                               Soil testing for nutrients.