Nearly 150 students from Meneley and Minden elementary schools participated in Conserve Carson River Work Day along the east fork of the Carson River west of Highway 88 on Tuesday.
Students trudged through muddy rocks and thorny brush to reach the river, which has been low this year due to a dry winter.
"I see fish," one student yelled on the far northern bank of the river, where he and his peers would later be planting trees.
Conserve Carson River Work Day started in 1995 working with businesses, volunteers and students to enhance river habitat.
This year, students split up in groups and rotated between different work stations. One group worked identifying species in the habitat. Another group planted vegetation along the riverbanks to prevent erosion. Another group tested water quality.
"We want to give the students a huge overview of the Carson River watershed," said Meneley teacher Gerdy Hayes.
Fourth-graders Zach Ingrey and Katlyn Uhart of Minden Elementary were analyzing water they'd collected from the river.
"It's not very clear, and that's a good thing for life because it means there's stuff in there to eat," Katlyn said.
The students said water clarity wasn't the only thing they were testing for. They tested temperature, pH balance and levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, among other things.
Zach said healthy water should have a neutral pH reading of 7, not too acidic nor too alkaline. He said the river water they tested showed a pH level of 7.5, a little alkaline but still in the neutral range.
"The water's pretty healthy," Zach said. "The fish will like it."
But Zach said too much moss from low water levels was also affecting water quality.
Douglas High School senior Daniel Gray, a member of the agriculture program FFA, was helping students with the tests and said Ingrey was right about the moss.
"The water's clear, but the moss is making it less healthy," Gray said. "They (the students) are learning how important water quality is."
