Make a Watershed
1. Flatten tarp over baby pool and press down to cover the bottom and sides.
2. Pull up parts of the tarp to create mountain(s), press down to make valley(s) and
flatten to make the plains. This will create the topography of your watershed(s).
3. Call me over to check out your watershed(s).
4. Spray water on your watershed and follow the “rain” as it disperses and collects
in your watershed(s).
What are the boundaries of your watershed(s)?
Where does the water collect?
A Farmer Moves in
1. Farm buildings are built. This construction of the buildings and clearing the land
for crops causes erosion (the movement of soil). Place FARM buildings in a
good location for livestock and crops. Sprinkle a SMALL amount of SOIL
around buildings.
2. Here come the spring rains! Spray PRECIPITATION over the watershed.
3. While the rain is good for crops, lightning stroke the septic tank causing raw
sewage (human waste) to leak out. Squeeze a SMALL amount of SEWAGE
OVERFLOW near one of the farm buildings.
4. The farmer purchase livestock and is raising them for milk and meat. Animals
produce waste in the form of manure. The farmer uses some of it to fertilize their
fields. Place the FARM ANIMALS around the farm buildings. Add a small
amount of MANURE around the animals and on the crops.
5. To increase crop production, the farmer adds chemicals to help the crops grow
and eradicate insects that might eat the plants. Add small amounts of
FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES around the farm buildings.
6. Another spring rain right before the dryness of summer comes! And it is a big
rain to the delight of the farmer! Spray some more PRECIPITATION all over
the watershed.
What effects has the farm had on the watershed?
How might the farmer reduce negative effects?
Make a Watershed
1. Flatten tarp over baby pool and press down to cover the bottom and sides.
2. Pull up parts of the tarp to create mountain(s), press down to make valley(s) and
flatten to make the plains. This will create the topography of your watershed(s).
3. Call me over to check out your watershed(s).
4. Spray water on your watershed and follow the “rain” as it disperses and collects
in your watershed(s).
What are the boundaries of your watershed(s)?
Where does the water collect?
A City is Built
1. A small town grows up in one of the valleys. Due to construction, soil is loosened
and dug up causing erosion. Roads are built increasing erosion. Some cars that
drive through town are old and leaky. Choose a place for the town
somewhere in your watershed and place Legos labeled TOWN together.
Add a piece of ELECTRICAL TAPE to represent the road along the
buildings. Sprinkle SMALL amounts of SOIL around buildings and along
the road. Add CARS and add a few drops of OIL near the cars.
2. The town is growing very quickly and the sewage treatment plants are
overloaded causing raw sewage (poop and pee) to be dumped into the lakes and
streams. Sprinkle a SMALL amount of SEWAGE OVERFLOW into your
lakes and streams.
3. Here come the spring rains! Spray PRECIPITATION over the watershed.
4. One of the buildings in the town is a chemical factory. This creates jobs to the
delight of the townspeople. However, chemical waste is leaked into the
environment. Choose one of the town buildings to be your chemical
factory. Add a few drops of CHEMICAL WASTE near this building.
5. The town is growing and more people come in to work and shop. Most are very
proud of their town and keep it clean. Unfortunately, some are careless and
litter. Add a small handful of LITTER around the town.
6. Another spring rain right before the dryness of summer comes! And it is a big
rain! Spray some more PRECIPITATION all over the watershed.
What effects has the city had on the watershed?
How might the town reduce negative effects?
Make a Watershed
1. Flatten tarp over baby pool and press down to cover the bottom and sides.
2. Pull up parts of the tarp to create mountain(s), press down to make valley(s) and
flatten to make the plains. This will create the topography of your watershed(s).
3. Call me over to check out your watershed(s).
4. Spray water on your watershed and follow the “rain” as it disperses and collects
in your watershed(s).
What are the boundaries of your watershed(s)?
Where does the water collect?
A Small Neighborhood is Built
1. People move into this wonderful natural area and a row of houses are built.
Construction causes soil to be loosened and dug up causing erosion near the houses
and along the road built along the houses. Place Legos labeled HOUSES with a CAR
in front in your watershed in a row and place a piece of ELECTRICAL TAPE to
represent the road along the houses. Sprinkle a SMALL amount of SOIL around
houses and along the road.
2. It’s a beautiful spring day! Homeowners are walking their dogs and washing their
cars. Unfortunately some careless dog owners do not pick up after their dogs and car
washers use excessive water and soap to wash their cars causing “mini-rivers” of
soapy water that flows down storm drains on the street. Sprinkle a SMALL amount
of DOG POOP along the road. Squirt a SMALL amount of SOAPY WATER on all
the cars.
3. Here come the spring rains! Spray PRECIPITATION over the watershed.
4. It is another sunny day and people look around and say, enough of this bare dirt,
we want nice grass! So they fertilize the lawn with chemical fertilizer to make the grass
grow faster. They add pesticides to get rid of weeds. Sprinkle a SMALL amount of
FERTILIZERS and PESTICIDES on the lawns around the houses.
5. Being spring, time for spring-cleaning. When cleaning out the garage, somebody
found an old can of paint. The man pours the paint down the storm drain. Pour a
SMALL amount of PAINT on the side of the road near one of the houses.
6. Another spring rain right before the dryness of summer comes! And it is a big rain!
Spray some more PRECIPITATION all over the watershed.
What effects has the city had on the watershed?
How might the NEIGHBORHOOD reduce negative effects?