Stream Study
Agenda
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The Water Cycle
Water, Water, Everywhere
What is a Riparian Buffer
The Question: Is our local
stream healthy?
• The Methods
• The Analysis
• The Extensions
What is the Water Cycle?
Put the following words into sequence:
Condensation
Evaporation
Transpiration
Precipitation
Is water a renewable resource?
Water, Water, Everywhere -
Apple as the Earth
1. How much of the Earth
is water?
4. How much of fresh
water is underground?
2. How much of the water
is salt water?
5. How much fresh water
is in lakes, ponds, and
rivers?
3. How of the fresh water
is in glaciers?
The Watershed
What is a watershed?
• It is land that drains into the same body of water
after a rain.
• Many smaller watersheds make up larger
watersheds.
The Watershed
Where does water in our homes come from?
• WSSC, 8th largest utility company in the US,
collects water in the Potomac and Patuxent
Rivers. These rivers are formed from rain that
drains in Montgomery County, northern MD and
PA, which are also part of the Chesapeake Bay
watershed. (www.wsscwater.com – kids page)
• WSSC treats the water and it is piped to homes.
The Watershed
Where does our water go when it is used?
• The WSSC collects the wastewater from homes
and sends it to wastewater plants (factories).
• WSSC cleans the water - cleaner than the water in
the streams- and pumps it back into a nearby
stream.
The Watershed
What kinds of things do you think can damage our water and
watershed?
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Trash
Fertilizer
Pesticide
Erosion – sediment
Chemical dumping
Street runoff
• What is the difference between point and non-point
pollution?
Riparian Buffers –
What are they? Why are they important?
Trees and Plants!
• The trees hold onto the soil: their roots anchor the
soil so the soil does not go into the water. Why do
you think sediment in the water is a bad thing?
• Trees and their roots help filter the rain water so
that impurities are removed before the water enters
the streams and ponds.
Riparian Buffers –
What are they? Why are they important?
Trees and Plants!
• The trees keep the water cooler in the summer.
Why do you think temperature is important?
• The trees provide habitat for many organisms.
What kinds of animals could you see in our
forests?
The Watershed
From the evidence collected today, is our local
watershed healthy? Support your answer.
What types of things can be done to reduce negative
human impact within the watershed?
How do you think the stream near your school or
home would compare?
“There are no passengers on
Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.”
~ Marshall McLuhan, 1964 .