My Big Deal About Water
- May 30, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 4
When's the last time you drank water? How about the last time you thought about water? Do you know where your water comes from? For most of my life, I never really gave much thought to water. I knew the oceans were always experiencing some type of oil spill and to shut the tap off fully lest I receive a lecture about the water bill… again.
Today, I think about water constantly. I don't typically drink water from the tap, instead, I'll fill my plastic water bottle with plastic bottled water. Then that creates a spiral about microplastics entering my body and my brain. This blog isn't about microplastics (though I could write an entire blog about plastics), but rather, it's about my personal relationship with water. This blog is a journey about connection and education. I don't claim to be a water expert, but I like to think I can expertly share my experiences.
Creek Connection
My first water-based educational experience was through Creek Connections. Creek Connections partners with Allegheny College and regional K-12 schools to transform Northwest Pennsylvania waterways into outdoor environmental laboratories. My middle school class used hands-on, inquiry based investigations to form conclusions on a creek's water quality, health, and habitat. We had the opportunity to create a water research project for the annual Student Research Symposium. The event gathered students from all over 40 different schools to share their research and discoveries.
Here, I learned about different fish species and macroinvertebrates living in our watersheds. The big takeaway: the population, or lack thereof, of fish or macroinvertebrates could identify the water quality and health. Though I wouldn't relearn about this until much later in my life, I didn't forget the beauty and awe each creek visit left me with. There was so much greenery and life around the creek beds, and I couldn't imagine a dead river. I always loved the outdoors, and it was during my time with Creek Connections that I fell in love with water. Well, moreso the flow of water as I had yet to discover the wonders of drinking water consistently. In fact, take a sip of water now if you can!
Chasing Lakes and Rivers
Mohonk
For two years, I worked at Mohonk Mountain House as a recreation staff member. This Hudson Valley resort rests on the Shawangunk Ridge, a mountain of bedrock extending through Ulster County, Sullivan County, and Orange County in New York state. The ridge has five "sky lakes" (because they sit on top of the ridge) on its northern portion: Lake Maratanza, Mud Pond, Lake Awosting, Lake Minnewaska, and Mohonk Lake. I had the opportunity to frequently visit the last three mentioned lakes with Mohonk Lake located right on the resort property (hence the Mohonk name). Michael Ridolfo, naturalist at Mohonk Mountain House, fantastically captures the beauty and history of the Mohonk Lake. In a recent interview with David Stewart, Ridolfo highlights the prominent geology surrounding the glacial-cut lake and mentions Mohonk Lake as a "reliable water source for the local wildlife for 12,000 years and, today, it is a source for recreation and renewal for humans as well."
While Mohonk maintains a balance between recreation and preservation, I do often think about the human impact on the lake. During the summer, the lake takes on the sunscreen chemicals from guests swimming, noise and drink spills from boating activities, and electronics and accidental pollution sinking to the bottom of the lake bed. Historically, the Mohonk Lake would freeze over in the winter with ice so thick that you could skate on it. Today, the lake struggles to freeze throughout the winter due to climate change. To track climate change impacts on seasonal lake dynamics (particularly winter), David Richardson, a professor of biology at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz, and other U.S. researchers developed the Thin Ice Project.
Richardson and a team of students use real-time sensors and data buoys to monitor and measure data in the winter and summer. I actually had a chance to observe their lake testing in action while working on the resort's boat dock in the summer. It was an eye-opening experience to see environmentalists in action. While Mohonk is a for-profit organization, conservation and preservation has been a foundational block to the resort. In an interview with Samantha Baxter, Richardson remarks that Mohonk Lake has "one of the most unique datasets where they've been tracking daily weather since the 1800s," from ice tracking to animal migration and vegetation.
Ok, so what does all of this mean for my personal journey with water? Well, it was the combination of Ridolfo's passion, Richardson's research, and my own experience working outdoors that bloomed my desire to pursue conservation work. I wanted to educate myself and others about human impacts on natural infrastructure. On his nature hikes, Ridolfo accentuates the rebound Mohonk's terrain has undergone from deforestation during the 19th century. Mohonk "stands as a testament to the gifts that a little preservation, coupled with a caretaker philosophy, can bring," and from there, I could only hope to be a part of the continued effort.
Hope, Alaska
Marine biologist Wallace J Nichols proposes the Blue Mind Theory as the state of meditation and peace people experience when they are interacting with water. My Alaska Restoration Team Lead, Mary Claire (fondly called "MC"), played about an hour long podcast interview with Dr. Nichols going further in depth about his research. On the long drive from Hope to Seward, Dr. Nichols recalls he used the blue mindset to inspire conservation. In Northwest Mexico, he got involved with the black sea turtle on the brink of extinction due to poaching. Rather than giving up the effort to save the turtles, Dr. Nichols met with local turtle hunters and discovered the reverence they held for the turtles (in addition to eating them). He and the hunters found common ground that they didn't want the turtles to go extinct, so they worked together to save the turtles. Dr. Nichols noted that the turtle hunters respected that he involved the hunters in the conservation efforts rather than brushing them off as "lowly fishermen." This specific moment in the podcast stuck with me as we can have our biases when it comes to how we picture the "perfect" conservationist. We all enjoy the water and the resources it provides, regardless of background, and everyone can play a part in restoring and protecting our water. Dr. Nichols' Blue Mind combines these personal stories with neuroscience to highlight how proximity to water improves our health and our lives.
In Hope, Alaska, the Resurrection Creek flows out from the Western Kenai Mountains into Turnagain Arm. From the early 1900s through 1942, the booming gold mining destroyed the natural banks and floodplains in Resurrection Creek. The mining methods contributed to habitat loss for salmon by creating entrenched streams that blocked off historic floodplains. Resurrection Creek is a critical spawning area for salmon, and the surrounding land is home to bears, moose, bald eagles, and other wildlife. The creek and the land also served as my home during my AmeriCorps service with the Student Conservation Association.
Our restoration team worked on the Phase II restoration project for Resurrection Creek. We visited a section of the creek still heavily impacted by the historic mining. This portion of the river ran loud and angry, rushing by the high banks full of mining remnants. As we trekked the long mileage to Phase I of the restoration project, the water moved without urgency and filled the space with a lulling sound. Both demonstrations were impacted by human hands: one for profit and the other to restore natural balance. I carried this experience with me throughout the summer as our team worked to revegatated the Phase II section. I saw evidence of the salmon coming back to spawn, of the bears hunting for their meals, and of the bald eagles perched in the trees. The restored state of Resurrection Creek allowed me to see its namesake come to fruition. The water resurrected natural balance and life along its stream banks.
The small town community of Hope thanked us for our work, and in a way, we became a part of their family. I knew then that I wanted to continue conservation work. Resurrection Creek seemed to have tempered my own internal struggles; and it's not lost on me that this change reflects the mine impacted portion of the creek and the restored flow phases. As I packed my luggage to head back to the East Coast, I looked forward to the ways I could help other people find their own blue mind theory in Pittsburgh's watersheds.
Three Rivers Waterkeeper
As the Environmental Steward, PMSC AmeriCorps Member for Three Rivers Waterkeeper (3RWK), I help protect and preserve the waterways of Southwestern, PA under the supervision of Jess Friss. From September to November, I collected swim guide water sampling and stream sampling assessments with team members Koa Ritz and Sierra Weir. Sierra and I also hosted water-based presentations with Carnegie libraries, and I even had the honor of adding my own research to our recent "What's In Pittsburgh's Rivers?" presentation. I collaborated with experts and advocates to research and write my previous blogs, and 3RWK team members Evan and Hannah were crucial in connecting with other watershed organizations for watershed resources. During her time with us, Markeea provided opportunities for 3RWK to connect with communities we haven't reached before. It's under the commendable leadership of Heather that 3RWK continues to grow as a team and as a resource for the Pittsburgh community.
"My service with Three Rivers Waterkeeper will forever change the way I look at water, industry, and the Pittsburgh community. I think about the microplastics I ingest when I drink plastic bottled water; I think about industries pulling billions of gallons of water from a struggling water resource; and I think about the day when our water becomes too tainted, over-polluted, and undrinkable. The work watershed organizations put in to protect, clean, and service our waters doesn't go unnoticed in the com munities engaged in their water treatment and access. To those who aren't aware of the water stewardship community, organizations like Three Rivers Waterkeeper strive to reach and connect people with water. During my term, I attended water resource-based events, tested impaired tributaries and collected water quality data, and presented water intensive research about legacy pollution and ways to support clean water stewardship. At the end of my term, I'm leaving with the confidence I can educate people what's impacting their waterways. I hope that in the future, people are more secure in the quality of their water." - Tamiya Thomas
The Great Big Gig in the Watershed
We cannot escape water. The same water we drink and clean our dishes with is the same water we play and swim in. Water belongs to all of us, and we shouldn't have to earn our right to clean water. It's our responsibility to steward the rivers, creeks, and tributaries as its home to a vast array of species and insects depending on it. I believe we are a part of the natural world, and if we continue to disrupt the balance, we'll be doing ourselves and future generations a disservice.
I plan to continue my water stewardship activities, whether that's professional, personal, or volunteer work. While my contract service with Three Rivers Waterkeeper ends sooner than expected, I hope to work with the staff through their volunteer programs and events. You can find me earning my three stamps to become a 3 Rivers Ambassador. Perhaps I'll see you, our dear reader, out there advocating for clean water, too. Farewell, and go drink some water!
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