Biology Students Track the Health of the Wissahickon Creek

For more than 15 years, SCH Upper School biology students have been wading into the Wissahickon Creek to study the health of this vital waterway right in our backyard. The long-running project is part of a study that connects classroom science to real-world environmental monitoring, providing valuable data for local conservation efforts.

Each fall, students test both abiotic (nonliving) and biotic (living) indicators of water quality. Using field kits, they measure dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, temperature, and pH, while also studying aquatic macroinvertebrates, fecal coliform bacteria, and streambank habitat conditions.

Their findings are shared with the Friends of the Wissahickon, the Campus Lantern, and recorded in an ongoing data sheet that tracks year-over-year changes in creek health. Looking ahead, students plan to expand their impact by publishing their results through a Citizen Science app, sharing their data with a wider environmental network.

So, how is the creek doing? According to the most recent results, nitrate levels remain elevated—likely due to fertilizer runoff—while fecal coliform counts continue to reflect the influence of dogs, geese, and aging sewer infrastructure in Philadelphia. The good news: a diverse population of macroinvertebrates suggests that the creek is in fair to good condition overall.

As biology teacher Ann Zalasky put it after testing the waters, “The Wissahickon is healthy enough for fish and frogs—but if you take a swim, you might want to take a shower!”