Fourth grade students from Pell City study “edible aquifors” using ice cream, gummy bears, sprinkles, and soda. Photo by U. Glidewell

In St. Clair County, children are used to being near water. Whether the Coosa River, Big Springs in Springville, or Logan Martin Lake, children in the area grow up around water.

The St. Clair Conservation District wants to help educate those children on the importance of conserving that water and keeping it clean. The St. Clair Conservation District hosts a St. Clair County Water Festival each year and fourth grade students from every school in St. Clair County attend.

This year, the festival was held at First Baptist and First United Methodist Church in Pell City. Over 1033 students attended educational classes, creating crafts learning about the water cycle, filtration, and aquifer systems.

Volunteers from Pell City High School, St. Clair County High School, and Victory Christian School helped lead these educational classes. Virginia Bratcher of the Odenville Utilities Board and Charity Mitcham of the St. Clair County Conservation District organize the event.

During an Edible Aquifer class sponsored by Alabama Power, Mitcham asked the students, “Do you know where your drinking water comes from?”

Some students thought the lake, some wells, and some answered from the ground. Mitcham stated that the drinking water comes from the Coosa River, and it was very important to not pollute the water source.

Classes of fourth graders from St. Clair County Schools were enjoying the Fishin’ Magicians, which demonstrate the three states of water (solid, liquid, gas), and where water comes from using magic tricks.

Two students were called on stage to help with a rope trick to demonstrate the percentage of salt versus fresh water available.  They stated 97 percent of the earth’s water was salt, and only three percent was fresh water.

“Water is all around us,” Steve Craig, the “Fishin’ Magician” said. “It’s in every living thing, in the plants, the animals, in people.”

Mitcham hopes that the children will take the lessons they learned during the Water Festival home and share with their families.