Bakersfield students "dive" into water, Kern River

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I didn’t know what to expect when Chipman Junior High school teacher Michael Hutson asked me to attend the school’s “Water Wise Kern County: Use, Management and Planning” event at noon on Monday.

Junior high kids? Me? Water? Huh?

**Chipman Junior High School teacher Michael Hutson hosts the “Water Wise Kern County” event on Monday, May 20. Lois Henry, SJV Water**

Turns out the seventh grade students had been working on projects examining water use as part of a month-long look at the importance of infrastructure in different civilizations.

The kids had two weeks of lessons and activities, then time to select and work on projects highlighting what they had learned about local water use. Monday was the big reveal where some of the students, about 100 that I could see, voluntarily gave up their lunch hour to showcase their projects during the in-school event.

Hutson teaches medieval history, including the “The importance of rivers and conveyance systems to the development of each civilization. Medieval China, medieval West Africa, the Americas, etc.,” he explained.

“The goal was to help our students understand the significance of a natural resource like water to any community, especially the community they live in.”

Students employed lots of innovative methods, including making a water focused Chutes and Ladders style board game, to get the message out about the importance of water during the Chipman Junior High School “Water Wise Kern County” event. Lois Henry / SJV Water

Hutson also enticed a host of local water dignitaries to attend including Kern River Water Master Art Chianello, Water Association of Kern County Executive Director Jenny Holtermann, Bakersfield Water Resources Department Hydrographic Manager Miguel Chavez and water consultants Harry Starkey and Scott Hamilton.

We all had a blast talking to the kids about their projects.

**A model of the Kern River watershed. Lois Henry / SJV Water**

I definitely don’t remember anything that cool in my middle school.

The students could pick any aspect of Kern County water and I did see some displays about the “SWP,” or State Water Project, which brings water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta all the way to Kern County and beyond. And there were several fun and interesting projects about the importance of groundwater.

But I’ll give you one guess about which topic was, hands down, the most popular among students.

If you said the Kern River, you would win a prize if I had one to give.

There were models and books and panels and shadowbox projects throughout the room dedicated to explaining the history, uses and benefits of the mighty Kern River.

Turns out people, even young ones, are fascinated by the river that cuts a mostly dry, crusty path through Bakersfield.

I get it, kids, I totally do.