Released: April 15, 2008

Russell County Youth Helps With State Water Quality Project

RUSSELL, Kan. -- The interaction between production agriculture and the environment receives quite a bit of attention these days and will likely get more attention in the future. If the work of a Russell County 4-H member is any indication, the future may be in good hands.

Jeffrey Blundon, 11, has been monitoring water quality on his parents’ property for nearly two years. He adopted what has become a big 4-H project when K-State Research and Extension watershed specialists built a rock channel crossing on Big Creek in July 2006.

When the channel was built, Stacie Minson, watershed specialist for the Smoky Hill River Kanopolis Lake watershed near Hays, mentioned to Glen and Marcia Blundon she could use some help monitoring water quality at the crossing. That, according to Jeffrey, is when his name came up. His parents said he could probably help out.

“You have to blame dad, I guess,” said Glen.

“He has really taken the project and run with it,” said Minson. “He’s had a lot of fun with it.”

Jeffrey helps Minson by taking water samples from the site and testing for bacteria, nitrate, phosphorous and other elements every two weeks and after rainfall events. He sends his results to Minson, who replaces the supplies as needed. The project, Jeffrey said, has been a great learning experience.

“It’s fun to do,” he said. “I have a binder I put the stuff in that I can go through and read some more about. It tells me how to do my sampling.”

Jeffrey, who is a fifth grader at Bickerdyke Elementary School, has learned there are a lot of things in water he didn’t know about. But the education hasn’t stopped with him.

“I think my parents have learned that, too,” he said. “It (the project) helps keep them on track.”

Glen said he has learned how where he feeds and winters cattle can affect water quality. Jeffrey has also shared his new-found knowledge with others in the community. A display outlining his work won grand champion at the county fair and a gold award at a school science fair.

For the fair project, Jeffrey researched the topic of water quality and related what he learned from reading about the subject to what he found through his water quality tests. He has also presented his findings along with other things he’s learned about water quality management to the local Kiwanis club.

Minson said she is impressed by how involved Jeffrey has been with the project, how far he’s taken it and how well he’s kept up.

“He is an amazing youth and has really taken this project on and run with it,” she said.

Of course, the project isn’t the only thing Jeffrey has going on. He is the secretary of the Big Creek 4-H club, enjoys playing baseball, football and just about all sports and helps out on the farm; especially during wheat harvest, which is his favorite time of year on the operation. But even with all the distractions an 11-year-old faces, it only takes some occasional, gentle prodding from Mom and Dad to make sure he stays on top of getting things done.

And, Minson said, he is learning something that could lay an excellent groundwork for the future.

“If he stays as interested in this as he is now and becomes a producer, he’ll know exactly what to do to protect water quality,” she said.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Phil White,
pbwhite@ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News