Christ College Senior McKenzie Kelly spent part of her junior year at Valparaiso University wading through the murky waters of Northwest Indiana’s Little Kankakee River. It’s not the “classroom” a typical college student would be expected to enjoy, but for Kelly, it provides a learning environment that she loves.

“I have learned so much working in the river,” says Kelly, a biology and psychology major from North Aurora, Ill. “So many factors affect the health of a river that are not always obvious at first glance. But when you slow down, really study the river, and focus on the system relationships, those factors become more apparent.”

Kelly’s project “Fish Habitat in the Little Kankakee River,” which she presented at Valpo’s 2010 Celebration of Undergraduate Scholarship, focuses on the problem of fluctuating siltation levels due to the presence of an abandoned and decomposing beaver dam. Her research seeks a better understanding of the relationship between the beaver dam decomposition and the silt levels downstream.

The beaver dam has trapped sand and silt upstream, Kelly noted, and as the dam decomposes silt is released downstream into the natural gravel-bottom cold river system.

“This research will help river restoration teams to determine the effects of [beaver] dam removal,” Kelly says. “The integrity of our river systems impacts local fish populations, which in turn affects not only other wildlife but also the fishermen and nature observers who take solace and pride in the environment.”

Kelly noted the project has given her an opportunity to practice and refine her research skills “I go to the river once a month and take measurements including water levels, silt levels, flow rate and an overall description of the river bed and the beaver dam,” Kelly says.

Kelly says she hopes that the multi-year project continues to progress in the future, with the possible development of a single site forecasting system that will aid in monitoring silt levels and general river health.