Jen Veenstra held a small mason jar filled with water and debris from the Grand River to the light Saturday afternoon, carefully examining it for creatures, trying to determine the health of the water.

The Lyman Briggs no-preference freshman spent the day with 17 other volunteers at various sites along the Red Cedar and Grand rivers collecting water samples.

Armed with eyedroppers, sorting trays, forceps, kick nets and waders, the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council members walked into the rivers and discovered the waters - better known for pollution than natural beauty - were not so bad.

Event organizers Rachel Disipio and Ben Gaeth said the results of this year's samples showed the rivers to be in fair condition.

Disipio, a Lyman Briggs zoology senior, said many people think of the Grand and Red Cedar rivers as disgusting.

"It is actually not a bad river," Disipio said about the Red Cedar River.

"There is just a lot of junk. People are lazy and throw computers, kegs and bikes into it."

Gaeth, a Lyman Briggs environmental science senior, said that even though the rivers are fairly clean, he still wouldn't go swimming in them.

"I would try not to fall in," Gaeth said. "You can still enjoy the water; you just have to be careful."

Divided into six groups, the volunteers went along the rivers collecting samples of dirt from the bottom to extract insects and other creatures.

Disipio said certain creatures are more tolerant of stronger pollution levels.

She said that, depending on what creatures were in the sample, the group could determine the amount of pollution in the water.

Receiving a rating of fair meant the river carried a few species tolerant to harsh environments and many that are sensitive, needing clean water to live.

Some of the creatures found in the water were crayfish, dragonfly nymphs, clams and beetle larvae.

After filling out survey sheets, the group planned to submit the data to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for analysis.

Gaeth said the department would be able to determine the ways to take care of the rivers. He said the results of this year's sampling were similar to last year's.

Coming back from the Looking Glass River in Dewitt Township, Tara Albosta said she had a great time finding the samples.

The nutritional science senior said that during her sampling, children were coming up and asking the group what they were doing.

"They were totally looking up to us like we were big scientists," Albosta said. "It made us feel important."

Gaeth said the main causes of the rivers' pollution were herbicides and pesticides from agriculture and runoff from parking lots.

Zoology senior Carrie Herrgott said she saw pop cans, glass bottles, cement blocks and fishing lines at the Dewitt site.

Gaeth said it took a lot of work and phone calls to gather sampling supplies and find people to go out on the river, but he was happy to take care of natural resources.

"It's a hands-on experience you know is making a difference," Gaeth said.

"It is a small difference, but you know it matters."