The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools

Aaron Olson
A Creek in Need
September 22 nd 2007 is a day that will always hold a place in my mind. On this day, I
went with my Urban Waters class at the University of Louisville to paddle and help clean up
Beargrass Creek, a creek well-known in the Louisville area. The 22 nd was also scheduled as a
clean-up day for the creek, where local volunteers pick up trash and attempt to make a small dent
in the amount of litter cluttering the banks. I knew that the creek was unclean and had seen the
signs stating that it was also unfit for swimming and fishing, but I was unaware of how bad it
actually was.
Upon arrival at the parking lot off Story Avenue where the class was meeting, I was
outfitted by the clean-up organizers with gloves and a large trash bag, as were my classmates.
We went down to the edge of the creek where a small number of volunteers were hard at work
picking up trash that had been carelessly tossed out of windows or not picked up by their fellow
citizens. It was unfortunate to see how few people had sacrificed their Saturday morning to help
remove trash from the waters. We climbed into our canoes and headed up stream to do water
quality analyses and to do our part in cleaning. On our short trip up to where the tests were done,
I saw hundreds of plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups, and plastic bags. I also noted the unbelievable
number of shopping carts; I probably counted close to fifteen. To top all this off, there was even
an upside down Volkswagen Beetle resting in the middle of the creek, where I imagine it had
been for at least most of my lifetime.
The water quality tests showed even more proof that Beargrass creek is suffering. We
found mainly leeches and aquatic worms and none of the invertebrates that signify good water
quality.
After the tests, we stayed at our landing area for about twenty minutes picking up all
kinds of trash, many plastic bags and bottles, clothing, a mannequin, and the biggest item, one of
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