Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail Curriculum
What is Kennedy Creek Watershed?
Subject
Geography, Science
Objectives
The student will (1) be able to define and explain what a watershed is, (2) label the
watershed diagram with the appropriate “natural” features, and (3) identify “human” land
uses in watershed and add these to the illustration.
Materials
Art supplies
Setting/Duration
Classroom / 1-2 hours
Background
A watershed is the land drained by a system of connected rivers, streams, and
tributaries. The land surrounding Puget Sound is a large watershed. The Kennedy
Creek basin is a smaller watershed within the Puget Sound Watershed. A watershed
can include rivers, streams, and tributaries, but it also includes all the mountains, hills,
forests, wetlands, farms, houses, and other natural or manmade things within its
boundaries. All of this land drains towards the same place – in this case, Kennedy
Creek, and eventually, Totten Inlet.
Activity
1. When introducing watersheds to your students, ask them if they know which
direction water flows. When they say down, explain that this is the most
important thing to remember when studying watersheds. Water runs downhill.
The “What is Kennedy Creek watershed?” worksheet gives the definition of a
watershed for the students. You can expand on this with the background
information given.
2. Using the “Sample Watershed” illustration, ask the students to color in and label
the two distinct watersheds on the “Sample Watershed.” Ask them to select one
color for one watershed and a different color for the other watershed. This will
clarify where the boundaries of each watershed lie. Label the watersheds using
the words listed at the bottom of the “Sample Watershed” page.
3. The attached maps of Kennedy Creek Watershed illustrate the watershed where
the Salmon Trail is located. Select a map to duplicate for the students – you can
choose from two topographic maps, a water resources map, and a land use map.
The extra maps can be used as appropriate to enhance your activities. Duplicate
the “Map of Puget Sound” for your students as well.
4. Ask the students to compare the watershed map you selected with a regular
map of Mason County. Ask them to locate and label the natural features listed
on the worksheet, “What is Kennedy Creek Watershed?” Discuss the role of the
various natural features.
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5. After labeling the natural features, discuss the human land “uses” that affect the
Kennedy Creek Watershed. Ask them to label their watershed illustration with
the “human features” listed on the “What is Kennedy Creek Watershed?”
worksheet. Encourage students to consider and illustrate additional human land
uses as well.
6. Look at the maps of the Puget Sound and the Ocean migration Route. On the
“Map of Puget Sound,” ask the students to locate Totten Inlet and the Pacific
Ocean. Add in any features that you feel are important. Ask the students to
draw a migration path Kennedy Creek Chum Salmon might take through the
Puget Sound to get to the Pacific Ocean. Discuss what possible obstacles the
salmon might encounter on this path.
7. Wrap-up Activity: ask the students to write a paragraph on the importance of
watersheds. Have them include three ways in which human land use decisions
affect a watershed. As an alternative, give them a scenario to describe: imagine
a large housing area is built between Summit Lake and the Kennedy Creek
Salmon Trail. What might the positive and negative impacts be for salmon? For
humans?
EALR Information
What is Kennedy Creek Watershed?
Component
Benchmark
Assessment
1.2 Geography
Locate major physical
Students will work
Recognize spatial patterns in
features on the map.
independently to complete the
the earth’s surface and
worksheet with physical
understand the processes that
features of a watershed
create them.
2.2 Geography
Observe and describe the
Students will orally
Describe the patterns that
human characteristics of the
communicate human impacts
humans make on places and
local area.
on the watershed.
regions.
3.1 Geography
Identify different ways that
Students will draw human
Identify and examine people’s people use the environment.
impacts on the watershed
interaction with and impact on
illustration.
the environment.
1.5 Science
Explain a watershed and the
Students will work
Understand that interactions
components that describe it.
independently to write about
among and within systems
watersheds and human
cause changes in those
impacts on them.
systems.
This activity was produced with funding from the Puget Sound Action Team
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What is Kennedy Creek Watershed?
A watershed is the land drained by a system of connected rivers, streams, and
tributaries. The land surrounding Puget Sound is a large watershed. The Kennedy
Creek basin is a smaller watershed within the Puget Sound Watershed. A watershed
can include rivers, streams, and tributaries, but it also includes all the mountains, hills,
forests, wetlands, farms, houses, and other natural or manmade things within its
boundaries. All of this land drains towards the same place – in this case, Kennedy
Creek, and eventually, Totten Inlet.
Natural Features
Totten Inlet
Stream (Kennedy Creek)
Tributary (Fiscus Creek)
Stream (Schneider Creek)
Lake (Summit Lake)
Salt marsh / Estuary (Oyster Bay)
Waterfall (Kennedy Falls)
Basin (the land/water between 2
ridges)
Ridges
Mountains
Hills
Soil
Forest
Wetland
Human Features
Highway 101
Highway 8
Old Olympic Highway West
Gravel road to the Kennedy
Creek Salmon Trail
Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail
Oyster beds
Culverts
Tribal fishing areas
Houses
Cars
Farms
Boats
Timber areas
What else can you add?
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