Day 2: Yellow Creek, Blackwater Falls, Coketon

Yellow Creek:
This morning we began our field work by testing water at Yellow Creek.  It was the first time that I have ever truly done a science lab (other than Physics).  I went to a small private high school and was able to watch videos of labs but never experienced the labs for myself.  It was really fascinating!  Yellow Creek is a former mine site where nature has "repaired itself."  It is neat to see the diverse vegetation and the blueberries growing there.  The pH test showed 4.4 and the overall water quality was 63.55 which fell in the "Medium or Average water quality" on the scale.

Calibrating probes and preparing for field work

Blackwater Falls:

We ate lunch at Blackwater Falls and got to walk down to see them.  Being a nature girl, I love seeing waterfalls.  It was beautiful!!

Water testing at Yellow River

Blackwater Falls

Coketon:

After lunch we went to see the beehive coke ovens that were used years ago.  They were covered with a weird substance that reminded me of an inch of wood stain that had semi-dried.  We also got to do some water testing there in the Blackwater River.  The water quality was 52 which was at the very bottom of the "Medium or Average" on the scale.  The water was very cloudy and the rocks were a strange orange color.  They also had a slick layer of orange slim covering them.  But there was another pretty waterfall there! :-) 

Testing water in the Blackwater River in Coketon