— By Bill Ellett (ADEQ, Retired) and Mike Block (Metro Water District, Retired)
On March 12th, AHS, with cooperative funding from the CAP and AHS Foundation, gave awards to deserving hydrologic and water projects at the annual Southern Arizona Science and Engineering Fair. A total of $700 was awarded to deserving K–12 students. This year, 2,200 projects were submitted.
- Kindergarten $25: Group, Chemical Sciences, Elgin School/Sonoita Elementary — Diffusion and Temperature. This group investigated the cause and effect observed when temperature changes affect rates of diffusion. Students learned that not all predictions are correct and that scientists must test and retest in order to come up with enough data to understand what is happening.
- 1st Grade $25: Group, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Innovation AcademyGroup — Olla? Oh Yeah! (pronounced oy-a) These students researched the potential of olla watering. When the class tried Olla stakes and plastic bottles to keep their garden watered over winter break, they were fascinated by how little water they needed to maintain the plants. They plan to share their findings with other classes and gardeners through a public service announcement video, informative t-shirts, and classroom presentations to promote water conservation and happy gardens!
- 2nd Grade $25: Macie Nelson, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Discovery Plus Academy — Why Doesn’t the Ocean Freeze? This student investigated the freezing point of salt water.
- 3rd Grade $50: Sylvan Blake LaRoche, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lineweaver Elementary School — Why Are There Life Zones in Creeks? This student investigated the relationships between food sources and wildlife habitats.
- 4th Grade $50: William Gill, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Richard B. Wilson School — Erosion Stop. This student investigated Riprap and its importance in erosion control. He concluded that the larger types of rock/Riprap help stop erosion better than smaller rocks or layering different sizes of rock.
- 5th Grade (1st Place) $50: Lizzie Faucett, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Senita Valley Elementary School — The Great Wastewater Race. This student investigated which materials cause clogs at wastewater treatment facilities.
- 5th Grade (2nd Place) $25: Eliana Madrigal, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Desert View Academy — Can Our Pigs Make You Sick? As a member of 4-H, this student measured the distances between pig enclosures and crops to determine the risks of EColi contamination.
- 6th Grade (1st Place) $50: Braelynn Barrasso, Earth and Environmental Science, Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School — Acid Rain. This student investigated acid rain and its detrimental effect on plant life and the consequential damage to the environment.
- 6th Grade (2nd Place) $25: Julia Donnelly, Earth and Environmental Science, Casas Christian School — Hard Science. This student investigated hard water and the problems it causes in Tucson.
- 7th Grade $100: Preston J. Stricker, Earth and Environmental Science, Esperero Canyon Middle School — Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature Gradients in Patagonia Lake: Summer vs. Winter. Although Patagonia Lake is the largest lake in southern Arizona, little is known about its physical chemistry. This project was designed to measure the lake’s temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles, its water transparency, and to determine the effect of season (winter vs. summer) on those measurements. The student’s previous SARSEF hydrology projects involved the winter thermocline and oxycline for Chuck Ford Lake, the relationships between stream flow, water temperature and dissolved oxygen in Sabino Creek, and the water transparency (Secchi depth) of Chuck Ford and Silverbell lakes by season.
- 8th Grade $50 : Scarlett Street, Earth and Environmental Science, St. Michael’s School — Not a Drop to Drink. This student tested which consumer-friendly filtration method was the most effective at removing bacteria from water. She chose this project to demonstrate the safest and most effective ways to consume untreated water in situations such as hiking or camping.
- 8th Grade $50 : Rebekah A. Fellinger, Earth and Environmental Science, Immaculate Heart Elementary and Middle School — Wayward Water. This student investigated the angles of a sprinkler heads to determine irrigation efficiency. The conclusion was that a straight sprinkler head had greater irrigation efficiency and would contribute to daily water conservation in a desert environment.
- High School $100: Mia Franks, Earth and Environmental Science, University High School — Microfossils and Monsoons: What Is Their Relationship Across the Deglaciation? This student investigated the relationship between shell morphology in zooplankton fossils and changes in the strength of Indian Monsoon rainfall across the deglaciation from 20,000 to 10,000 years ago. She chose this project to understand how marine ecosystems respond to global warming and found that any drastic change in climate across the millennial time scale cause the plankton stress, shown by their decreased calcification. Past climate patterns and their recorded consequences can predict and anticipate marine ecosystem responses to our current warming Earth.
- High School $75: Abraham Lopez, Jareed Villegas, Earth and Environmental Science, Harvest Preparatory Academy — What’s In Your Water? Analysis of Salinity of Yuma County Water Source. These students analyzed the groundwater content of wells in Yuma County. The students examined if the well’s distance from the river was related to the well’s salinity level.
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