WATERSHED Cliffs Notes Min. ELEMENT: Q & A: 5 Watershed Managers EXPLORATION: Natural Watershed Features 10 10 A watershed is a land area that drains to a low point (with hand motions). Watershed Boundaries Runoff & Surface Water Erosion EXPLORATION: We all live in a watershed and we manage the Human Activity in land (neighborhoods, farms forests, etc.) for the Watershed the water quality and health of the Water Storage & ecosystem. Transportation Non-point Source Pollution Q & A: 5 Big Ideas What you ask: A watershed is a land area that drains to a low What is a manager? Does your classroom have a manager? Do your parents manage anything for you? What do they manage point. for you? We have a chance to be watershed managers today. So we know what a manager is, but what is a watershed? What The boundaries of a watershed are the high is a tool shed? What does your dog shed? What is a watershed? points or mountains. Where are the edges of the watershed? Where are we on this Significance of a Watershed A watershed is a land area that drains to a low point. The boundaries of a watershed are the high points or mountains. We all live in a watershed and we manage the land (neighborhoods, farms forests, etc.) for the water quality and health of the ecosystem. map? What watershed are we in? What would we find at the edges of the colored areas? Where do all of the rivers lead to? Can you point to the watershed boundary or edge on our model? If it snowed up in the mountains what do you think would happen to that snow? (snowpack/snowmelt) Where does the water from the mountain sides go? What do you think we call this water? (runoff) Why does the water run downhill in a watershed? (gravity) What is surface water? Can water move particles of dirt? Sand? Even pieces of rock? (erosion) What do we call this when water moves particles? What are some good effects of erosion? What do we have in our state that was formed by the power of water eroding the land? What are some bad effects of erosion? Do you live in a watershed? How do we get water to where people need it? How do farmers get water that is flowing nearby into their fields? What if we want to make a lake in the widest part of the river? How would you do that? Could storm water pick up potential pollutants (like detergent, paint thinners, and pesticides) that we leave on the land? Where does storm water take them? What is a watershed? Do you think your house is in this watershed that we talked about today? How are snow melt and runoff connected? How many kinds of watershed managers they can think of? 1 2 3 4