Published January 15, 2025
The DC3 portion of the Kansas Groundwater Geopaths team includes (front row, left to right) Josie Robinson, Dodge City dual-credit student; Damaris Tzunux, sophomore, Dodge City; Ayden Ruiz, sophomore, Dodge City; (second row) Sherry Rogers, DC3 Professor of Physical Science; Newel Loosli, Dodge City dual-credit student; (third row) Juan Becerra, sophomore, Dodge City; Alejandro Guerra Ramirez, Dodge City dual-credit student; Brayan Marquina Mendez, freshman, Dodge City; (fourth row) Felix Sandoval Garcia, sophomore, Dodge City; and Darian Rincon, freshman, Dodge City. [Photo by Lance Ziesch]
Through a three-year undergraduate program called the Kansas Groundwater Geopaths project, Dodge City Community College (DC3) students now have the opportunity to study groundwater contaminates in the Great Bend Prairie Aquifer region.
Alongside students from Barton Community College (BCC) and Kansas State University (K-State), the program gives participants real-life field and laboratory experience in scientific data collection and research.
Sherry Rogers, DC3 Professor of Physical Science, said the Kansas Groundwater Geopaths initiative began with Dr. Matthew Kirk at K-State, who applied for the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that funds the program.
“Before he wrote the grant, he asked me—as well as Dr. Helene Avocat, from K-State; and Dr. Amanda Alliband and Rick Sloan, from Barton—to join him,” she said. “We officially began Groundwater Geopaths in January 2023. So, we are in our second year now.”
Formally titled “Introducing Community College and Pre-College Students to Geoscience Through Groundwater Quality Monitoring,” students collect water samples from private wells using outside spigots.
“To prepare for the program, our students went to K-State for training at the end of August,” Rogers said. “Then, they spent the weekend of Sept. 13 and 14 collecting samples in Pratt, Kiowa, Edwards, Barton, Stafford, and Pawnee counties.”
With one year left in the grant, Rogers said that she and her students will continue to compile data for the foreseeable future.
“Each year we have a poster presentation to share the data with well owners and the public, and our latest presentation was on Nov. 8 at the DC3 Library,” she said. “When the project concludes next year, we will have to decide if we want to try to continue the data-collection process or if we want to focus on publishing the results in a scientific journal, etc.”
In addition to the geoscience training DC3 students receive, the program also provides groundwater quality information to the public, as the water samples are tested for major ions, alkalinity, trace elements, stable water isotopes, dissolved organic carbon, and total dissolved solids.
“There needs to be an increased awareness of what is in our groundwater and the potential health hazards that can come from drinking unsafe water,” Rogers said. “At the end of the day, I think we all want safe drinking water.”
Editor’s Note: DC3 students interested in joining the Kansas Groundwater Geopaths program should contact Rogers at srogers@dc3.edu for more information. Applications for fall 2025 are due April 15, 2025.
By Lance ZieschDC3 Director of Marketing and Public Relations