Waters Going On?

There is a misconception among Idahoans that our environment is static.

We are blessed with roaring rapids and
beautiful brooks, but we cannot just
leave them be if we want high quality
water to remain a reality. Maintaining
water quality necessitates consistent
monitoring and care.

Reality Check
Unfortunately, this comes at
a time when very few students are given the opportunity to see the changes
in their local environment.
Public
school
science
courses are simply allotted
the space granted to them on
a limited budget. Teachers are
required to stick to a strict curriculum, which leaves little room
for expansion outside of assigned-textbook material. In addition, the ever-increasing high school enrollment rate
has left schools scrambling to acquire
and conserve the materials necessary
for a students
quality education in the sciIdahoans depend ences. Virtualon streams as their ly no students
are shown the
source of drinking
importance of
water
storm water

250,000

run-off, and the pollutants that it carries

into our local water supplies. Very few
know about the impacts of snowmelt,
and how playing with snow helps us
determine the quality of water that
flows through our rivers and streams.
This lack of inspiration to physically
see for themselves the crucial processes
that go into maintaining water has left
future generations hanging high and
dry (literally and figuratively). Maintaining water quality depends on consistent monitoring and care.

What is IDAH2O?
Idaho has been given a great gift in our
natural environment, but, like all
good things, it will not last unless it is maintained. IdaH2O
has taken on that task. As
both a hub for volunteerism and community education, IdaH2os mission is
to spread the word about
the importance of water
quality.
By supporting
IdaH2O, you will be taking
a step toward a better environmentally educated state
that can secure a future of high
water quality.
IdaH2O has been at this since 2010, but
their passion for their cause extends all
throughout our state. This relatively
new organization has already affected thousands of individuals and only
keeps setting the bar higher. IdaH2O
is conscious of how precious a resource
water is and faces this complicated
problem with knowledge and passion.

Our Solution
Our Cause
Water
quality
needs
to
be
continually evaluated. The problems
that plague water are not one and done.
They are the product of several small
compounding
issues.
IdaH2Os
programs teach citizens how to identify
these problems and create solutions.
Storm water is a significant threat to
stream quality; it originates from rain
or melting snow that is not immediately
absorbed by the ground. Unfortunately,
it runs across parking lots, parks, and
the like, collecting pollutants that are
often carried to rivers, lakes, and
streams. Moreover, storm water is
never cleaned at wastewater treatment plants, meaning that any pollutants that enter storm drains are also
entering drinking water sources.
250,000 Idahoans depend upon streams
as their source of drinking water.
Furthermore, Idahos economy relies
heavily upon agriculture, ranching,
and a variety of other water-based
industries.

IdaH2Os Master Water Stewards are

part of the solution to this problem.
By testing stream sites, Master Water
Stewards can identify pollutants in our
valuable water resources. Furthermore,
they can accomplish this regardless of
previous experience. IdaH2O trains all
volunteers, from students to those who
havent had a science class in twenty
years, in the Master Water Stewards
Program. Not
only does this
contribute
to
a
healthier
environment,
but it educates
the
public
-Leonardo da Vinci
about
vital
water quality
issues.

Water is
the driver of
nature.

Schools in
Northern Idaho are
underfunded
with
poorly
structured STEM programs frequently
leaving teachers unprepared to
effectively teach science. IdaH2O fills
that knowledge gap for many educators and students. IdaH2O provides
teachers with relevant knowledge, so
they can pass it onto students. Twothirds of leaders in STEM professions
cite an inspirational experience as a major factor for their continued interest.
By providing them with opportunities
to learn about water quality issues, IdaH2O is promotes an interest in STEM
programs.

To maximize the environmental education of Idahos youth, IdaH2O needs

to continue to provide test tubes, petri dishes, and other basic educational
tools. New activities are constantly being added to the program to increase
surface water knowledge, which means
the need for equipment is greater than
ever.

Equipment Needs
IdaH2O needs probes capable of specific measurements and other equipment
for volunteers to more effectively assess water quality.

Typical Items Needed

When dealing with water, miniscule

changes can drastically affect quality
assessments. IdaH2O faces an additional problem since their organization
also
focuses
heavily on edof
ucation. Teachstudents in Northern
ing.
Idahos
Idaho qualify for
youth
about
reduced or free lunch
water science programs. Many of these
requires addistudents could never
tional materials afford educational trips
to to the mountains
like test tubes
without IDAH2Os
or microscopes.
assistance.
IdaH2O mainly teaches in areas of Northern Idaho,
where 43% of students qualify for reduced or free lunch programs. These
students are likely unable to afford the
sort of educational opportunities that IdaH2O offers (trips
to the mountains
to study snow
science, examining a variety
of
organisms
from stream ecosystems,
etc.).

43%

250 mL Bottle:
Transparency Tube (60 cm):
Meter Tape (100/30m):
CHEMets DO Kit:
Thermometer (Farenheit):

$4.55
$40.95
$26.50
$50.25
$11.80

How You Can Help

Help educate the youth of
today and the citizens of
tomorrow about the importance of
Idahos quality water resources!
At face value, a twelve-pack of Master
Steward workshop kits runs at $235 per
workshop. This value is dwarfed by the
educational turnover that an individual workshop affords its students and
volunteers. Teachers train students,
students become volunteers, and volunteers become stewards (or certified
authorities) of Idahos precious water
resources. This succinct model provided by IdaH2os programs will contribute to the expansion of the agencys
mission: to educate the public-at-large
about the quality of its water resources.

Contact IDAH2O

1031 N Academic Way

Suite 242 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Phone: 208-667-2588 | Toll-free: 888-208-2268
www.uidaho.edu/cda/idah2o