We live in a stage that is well know for its Lakes and Rivers. Monitoring programs are essential for water resource planning and econmic and environmental decision making. In the last five years I have introduced my students to a number of topics about water and water related issues. Environmental geology is an area in which geology does indeed play a major role. The health of the world’s surface and ground water resources is an issue of interest to all concerned citizens, and analysis of natural water samples is an excellent venue for introducing students to a wide variety of scientific skills. In this research I use multidisciplinary approach (Geology, Biology Chemistry) to undergraduate research projects, Watershed Studies of the Cannon River and its tributaries, and provide a brief overview of ion chromatography (IC) instrumentation and show that it can easily be introduced into the undergraduate geology curriculum starting with first year and sophomore students.

The Cannon River is one of only few rivers in Minnesota designated by the state as a wild and scenic. It is a popular canoeing and fishing river and a major tributary to the Upper Mississippi. Many of these activities, both past and present have major impacts on the water quality of the Cannon and its tributaries. Intensive agricultural land use in Rice county and recent demands for urban development has increased non-point pollution sources and the rate of storm water run-off into the tributaries of Cannon River and the Cannon river itself. This storm water run-off may contain many different types of contaminates and could have major impacts on the fragile ecosystem of Cannon River.

The Student and Citizen Monitoring Program focus on non-point source pollution within the Cannon River Watershed. This program examines the water quality of the lakes and streams, sub-basin drainage systems that flow into the Cannon River. So far, Wolf Creek, Rice Creek, Hearth Creak and Prairie Creek, Cannon Lake, Hunt Lake, Rice Lake, Cedar Lake, Kelley-Dudley Lake,Roberds Lake, Circle Lake, Fox Lake, and Union Lake and have been studied.

Data collected will is used to educate students on the potential non-pointsource pollution problems within the watershed and Best Management Practices (BMP's) to help reduce these problems. Students will be able to see the potential we all have to contribute to non-point source pollution in our daily lives.