Student teams along the watershed of the Río Grande from its headwaters in Colorado to Boca Chica Beach at the Gulf of Mexico will work Wednesday, October 11, to measure vital parameters that tell of the river’s health and its water quality.
The 8th annual award-winning Rio Research Roundup is part of the 23st annual Dia del Rio celebration sponsored by the Río Grande International Study Center (RGISC).
U.S. and Mexican student teams will test for bacteria, nitrates, phosphates, pH, salinity, turbidity, and others. They will also create 30-second Public Service Announcement videos, 90-second videos, original artwork, 500-word essays, and field photos to document their experience on the river or its tributaries.
Data results will vary across the 335,000-square mile watershed due to human activity and weather conditions. Data submissions will provide a same-day snapshot of the river along its 1,900-mile course.
Teams are also scheduled to test five smaller Texas river basins that drain into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Rio Grande-Rio Bravo is a dynamic, ever-changing American Heritage River that gives life to millions along the U.S./Mexico border. Sadly, it continues to rank among the 10 Most Endangered Rivers in the world, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
The Roundup is designed as an educational experience to promote watershed unity and awareness. The success of the Rio Research Roundup has garnered numerous awards for the Río Grande International Study Center, including the Galardon Prize, the Environmental Heritage Award, the Community Green Award, and the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award.
Seventeen Laredo schools will participate in the Río Research Roundp.
“The Rio Research Roundup is an ideal project to provide environmental awareness to the new generations,” said Lucia Juarez, RGISC project coordinator. “It is RGISC’s objective to encourage a new generation of river stewards to safeguard the river and to choose environmentally-driven options for its protection.”
(RGISC is a 501c3 nonprofit established in Laredo in 1994 to preserve and protect the Rio Grande-Rio Bravo through research, education, advocacy, and bi-national alliances. For more information, contact Lucia Juarez at (956) 718-1063, or lucia@rgisc.org)
