Name:_______________________________________________________________
Water Pollution Scenario worksheet
OH NO! There has been incidences of water pollution! Water quality has been tested in several areas and
it seems that some form of pollution has been found in several water source. Read each scenarios, then
answer the questions.
SCENARIO 1:
In Northeast ohio, there has been an increase in crop production.
Farmers have been very happy with the size and amount of crops
they have been growing. They attribute their success to the great
soil and the fact that they have been able to keep the bugs from
eating the crops. Unfortunately, while the crop production has
increased water quality of the Cuyahoga River and Chagrin
Rivers has decreased.
It is your job to determine:
1. What is the pollutant? ________________________________________
2. Where the pollution is coming from/What is the source?
________________________________________________________________
3. What path did the pollutant take to get into the water?(mention if it goes through surface
water (runoff) or groundwater)
________________________________________________________________
4. Is it point source/non-point source pollution?___________________________________
__
5. What can be done to fix or improve the problem?
__________________________________________________________________
SCENARIO 2:
During the summer, maintenance was being done on a wastewater
treatment plant in Alliance, Ohio. The treatment plant was shut
down, but water continued to flow there. Sewage was found in
Beech Creek when it was tested the next week.
It is your job to determine:
1. What is the pollutant?
________________________________________
2. Where the pollution is coming from/What is the source?
________________________________________________________________
3. What path did the pollutant take to get into the water?(mention if it goes through surface
water (runoff) or groundwater)
________________________________________________________________
4. Is it point source/non-point source pollution?_____________________________
5. What can be done to fix or improve the problem?
__________________________________________________________________
Name:_______________________________________________________________
SCENARIO 3:
After a large rainstorm, water was tested at the Cuyahoga River
near downtown Cleveland. The water sample showed that there
was small amounts of gasoline in the water.
It is your job to determine:
1. What is the pollutant?
________________________________________
2. Where the pollution is coming from/What is the source?
________________________________________________________________
3. What path did the pollutant take to get into the water?(mention if it goes through surface
water (runoff) or groundwater)
________________________________________________________________
4. Is it point source/non-point source pollution?_____________________________
5. What can be done to fix or improve the problem?
__________________________________________________________________
SCENARIO 4:
Last week officials discovered a wreck about 15 miles off
the coast of Lake Erie. After investigating the scene it
appears that the wreck consisted of an oil tanker that ran
aground a sandbar. The wreck seemed to have damaged
the hull and a hole was left in the ship. People noticed a
black film on the water.
It is your job to determine:
1. What is the pollutant? ________________________________________
2. Where the pollution is coming from/What is the source?
________________________________________________________________
3. What path did the pollutant take to get into the water?(mention if it goes through surface
water (runoff) or groundwater)
________________________________________________________________
4. Is it point source/non-point source pollution?_____________________________
5. What can be done to fix or improve the problem?
__________________________________________________________________
Name:_______________________________________________________________
Estuary Worksheet
Estuary Video (YouTube: What’s An Estuary? Now You Know (5:17))
1.) Why are estuaries irreplaceable?
______________________________________________________________
2.) How many estuaries are in the US? _______________________
3.) Estuaries are known as the_____________________ of the sea.
4.) List 3 reason estuaries are beneficial for humans:
a. ____________________________________________
b. _____________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________
5.) How are humans endangering estuaries?
______________________________________________________________
Use these clues for the crossword puzzle to the right
Name:_______________________________________________________________
Word Bank:
-flooding -bacteria -nutrients
-sunlight -productive
-sandbars
-toxins
-oysters
-filter
-shellfish -sedimentation
-saltmarsh
-nurseries
-wetlands
-shallow -brackish
-mixed
-fresh
-plants
-PamlicoSound