There are areas of Monday Creek so stagnant, the water appears orange, purple and even white. The cause: acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines. Pollution has left the little stream in southeastern Ohio virtually lifeless.

But a trace of life does exist here, just enough to help student scientists at Ohio University determine exactly how badly the water is contaminated.

Wading in the murky water that rises in some places to three feet, senior biological sciences major Kyra Naumoff records the usual measurements required for water studies -- temperature, pH, color, and other site conditions. But she adds another step to the process: turning over rocks to collect insect samples with a large dip net.

Knowing which insects are present in the water will tell Naumoff and her fellow student researchers more than just what type of bugs live there. It also will give an indication of the types of chemicals in the creek. Certain insect species are sensitive to certain pollutants. For example, if an insect species that can't live in highly acidic water is found in the creek, it's likely the water isn't highly acidic.

Naumoff is on of three seniors in the University's Honors Tutorial College working as an undergraduate research scholar with the Institute for Local Government and Rural Development, which is involved in the environmental effort to restore the Monday Creek watershed. the project is a part of the 2+4 Service on Common Ground Program, a national project that pairs two-year community colleges with four-year universities. Ohio University and Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, collaborate on the effort and are one of only seven such partnerships nationwide.

Assistant Professor of Entomology Kelly Johnson, the students' advisors, explains that using insect populations to study water contamination isn't new. The technique often is used in wetland conservation efforts, but this is the first time water quality has been determined by the pollution's stress effect on various insect species in the Monday Creek watershed.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency estimates the effort to restore Monday Creek will require several million dollars and a few decades. In the second year of the project, the student's aim is two-fold: cleanup and restoration and environmental community outreach. "We want to let these people know what's in their own back yard," says Naumoff. "It helps to understand yourself in the context of your environment."

After spending an hour at one of the 10 different sites each week, Naumoff and her partners, Christy Kuczak and Ann Swearingen, enter their data at the ILGARD computer lab.

The research scholars sent winter quarter sampling and spring quarter focusing on the community's understanding of their research. They have taken their equipment and insect samples into local grade school classrooms to generate enthusiasm by providing hands-on lessons. The students have designed a survey to gauge the health of the creek by analyzing the water insects living in it. "By sampling and analyzing the existing species, we can begin to gauge water quality and target problem areas. Establishing a healthy water supply has the potential to attract new residents and businesses to this area," says Naumoff.

The insects collected during the sampling phase of the project will be labeled and preserved for an aquatic arthropod collection, an addition to the biological sciences department of the university.