Boulder Creek runs literally in the backyard of Donnelly Elementary School and happens to be on the EPA list of impaired water bodies. Therefore, a unique opportunity for problem solving opened the door to an exciting chance for students to become scientists, while also becoming active in their community. With the help of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), a teacher from Donnelly Elementary School and a faculty member at the University of Idaho's McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS)--fifth-grade students tackled this local environmental problem through an inquiry-based project. (Contains 3 figures.)