Environmental education is an element used by schools to create awareness in the educational community about the pollution problems observed in the social context where they live, the study aimed to implement environmental education for the maintenance of contaminated water bodies through research as a pedagogical strategy (IEP). The methodology was oriented under the qualitative approach, using the type of action research, from a descriptive, exploratory design. For the collection of data, techniques such as; participant observation and daily of field. The population consisted of fifty (50) subjects, for this a non-probabilistic sampling of intentional type was carried out. The results showed high levels of contamination in the Tolima channel, by waste of solid waste, garbage, dumping of wastewater and use of soap and detergents to wash clothes in the Rio, where the students with the advice and accompaniment of the teachers designed educational strategies based on research for the maintenance of contaminated water bodies of the Tolima channel in Aracataca, aimed at training students with citizen awareness, which contribute to the preservation of the environment.