By Ben Harder
An 18-year-old from Utah has been crowned sovereign of high school science. Shannon Lisa Babb of American Fork High School earned recognition and a lucrative scholarship for her
6-month investigation of water quality. Her project was one of 40 honored this week in the annual Intel Science Talent Search (STS).
Babb conducted monthly testing at seven sites along the Spanish Fork River and its tributaries. She found that nitrate, phosphorus, sediment, and other substances make it the most polluted river flowing into Utah Lake.