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Kid's view of a local water-quality problem

Picture of a warning sign about polluted water by a creek. Peachtree Creek is a typical urban stream that meanders through Atlanta, Ga. It drains into the Chattahoochee River, which is a main source of drinking water and recreation for the city. Urban streams have their problems -- trash, construction debris, sewage, chemical runoff from yards and industries, and residues from roads are washed into them.

They are not a good place to explore and play in (yes, I confess... I did play in Peachtree Creek when I was a kid). But isn't exploring and playing just what young kids would like to do in a creek? Do you have any creeks near your home or school that seem sickly and under the weather?

Students in the Atlanta and Columbus, Ga. area formed The River Kids Network, which tests and cleans up local streams (wearing gloves and boots, of course). Is there an organization in your area that does similar work?

Here are some 3rd graders' observations during a recent creek cleanup:

Not safe, even for bugs
"It's not looking so good. Raw sewage is in the Chattahoochee River, and not many critters can survive there. If bugs can't survive in there, what are humans going to do?"

Just a little effort
"I would just like the river to be clean enough so I could splash around and maybe drink some water. It wouldn't be very hard to make a difference."

Had it up to here
"The problem is that there are sewage leaks going to the creek and the creek goes into the big river. Everyone should help. If everyone helped, you could see right down to the bottom of the creek."

Out from under cover
"I want to play in the creek and not have to wear gloves and boots."

Signs of life are few
"On our monthly trips, we've found a lot of trash, including more than 18 tires, a radio, shoes and plastic bags. We've only found a few forms of life. We saw one turtle and a few bugs, but not many fish."

What goes around ...
"We have found as many as six tires at one time in one section of the creek. The people who make the tires should help dispose of them."


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Page Contact Information: Howard Perlman
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 13-Aug-2008 07:20:27 EDT