River Basin Scavenger Hunt
(Responses)
1. Name 2 issues that led to public interest in rivers and river basins.
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The appearance Pfiesteria, a lethal organism which killed millions
of coastal water fish
A series of hurricanes brought river and developmental issues to
the forefront
2. Which organism killed millions of fish in coastal waters?
Pfiesteria
3. Land that water flows across or under on its way to a river is called river
basin.
4. Where does the water go after it falls into a river basin?
The water will flow on the surrounding land into a central river and out to and
estuary or sea
5. What is an estuary?
A semi-enclosed area where fresh water from a river meets salty water from
the sea or ocean
6. Describe the difference between a river basin and a watershed.
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a river basin is the drainage area of a river
watershed is all the land drained by a river
7. Describe the possible path water takes in an individual watershed.
Water will always run to the lowest point – a stream, river, lake or ocean. It
will travel across farm fields, forestland, suburban lawns and city streets, or it
seeps into the soil and travels as groundwater.
8. What do we call water found in the cracks and pores in sand, gravel, and
rocks below the earth’s surface.
Groundwater
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9. Can more than one watershed be found in an individual river basin? Justify
your answer.
A river basin may be made up of many interconnected watersheds, for
example, Neuse and Cape Fear. Both of these are made up of many smaller
watersheds.
10. Do you live in a river basin?
Yes everyone lives in a rive basin.
11. What does water transfer as it moves downstream?
Water transfers bacteria, chemicals, excess nutrients and organic matter as
well as carrying and redepositing gravel, sand, and silt.
12. The quote, “the health of an aquatic ecosystem is directly related to activities
on land,” refers to an aquatic ecosystem. What is an aquatic ecosystem?
Responses may vary.
A possible response may be an aquatic ecosystem is the environment which
is sufficient to support the lives of various organisms which live in the water.
13. What is the name of the largest river basin in NC? …smallest river basin in
NC?
Largest NC river basin – Cape Fear – having 9,164 square miles
Smallest NC river basin – Savannah – having 171 square miles
14. Which river basin do you live in?
Responses may vary. Most of our students live in the Yadkin Pee Dee river
basin with a few living in Cape Fear.
15. What is an aquifer?
A porous rock layer underground that is a reservoir for water
16. What is an ecological address? What are the 9 components of your
ecological address?
Ecological address is the term which defines elements of the environment
that characterize a specific locale at a certain time
The nine components of an ecological address are: river basin, topography,
wetlands, groundwater, biodiversity, soil, air, climate, and energy.
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17. Where does the water from a storm drain flow to?
Water from a storm drain flows to the nearest body of water – a stream, river,
lake, or creek.
18. What is topography?
A description of the physical features of a place, or terrain – mountains,
valleys, floodplains, etc.
19. What is a floodplain?
Is a usually dry area that becomes inundated with water when streams and
rivers overflow.
20. What is a wetland?
Is an area where the water table is at, near or above the land surface long
enough during the year to support the growth of specially adapted plants.
21. How do wetlands help to regulate water flow?
Help regulate water flow and act like a sponge, filtering pollutants and
providing flood control
22. Where do you get your drinking water?
Yadkin River and/or Salem Lake
23. How do contaminated soils affect your drinking water?
Water may be tainted.
24. What is biodiversity?
The totality of genes, species and ecosystems in a region
25. What does the term permeable mean?
Absorbent
26. What does the term impermeable mean?
Water runs off readily
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27. What is a river, according to the section entitled “The Ecosystem
Connection”?
The course that water takes as it flows from the highest point in a river basin
to the lowest.
28. What is an ecological footprint?
The amount of land and water needed to support one’s lifestyle using current
technology
29. A large variety and large number of aquatic organisms is an indication of this
state of water quality.
Healthy water
30. Describe the term vegetative buffer.
Plants and trees surrounding a river or stream
31. What is sediment?
Eroded soil particles that wash or blow into rivers
32. How does sediment affect the water quality?
Large amount of sediment will kill tiny aquatic creatures wrecking havoc
throughout the food web – from insects to fish to humans.
33. Why are more humans vulnerable to flooding?
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alteration of land around rivers changing the path of water
wetlands have been filled
streams have been straightened, paved and developed
accelerated urban development and land disturbance reducing the
land’s ability to absorb runoff
34. How has urban development reduced the land’s ability to absorb runoff?
For example, a building site 30 years ago may have been outside of 100-year
floodplain might be considered in the middle of the floodplain today
35. Discuss the Clean Water Act of 1972.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 came about as a result of humans dipping into
water upstream and emptying waste downstream. There was a connection
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between the decline in water quality and management of wastewater. In the
early 1970’s, the government became involved in the construction of facilities
to treat wastewater and safeguard human health and aquatic ecosystems
downstream.
36. What is a point source pollutant? A non-point source pollutant?
Point source pollutant – discharge entering a stream at a specific, detectable
point such as a pipe or outfall
Non-point source pollutant – diffuse runoff from large areas of land, comes
from land use activities, results from rainwater washing pollutants off the land
and into streams such as pesticides and fertilizers from yards and fields,
human and animal waster.
37. What does excess nutrients cause to grow in water resulting in the death of
masses of fish?
Algal bloom is the result of excess nutrients.
38. What is stormwater?
Surplus water from rain and melted snow
39. How can the flow of stormwater be controlled?
Vegetative buffer
40. When a scientist surveys the macroinvertebrates in a body of water, what is
he/she studying?
Animals that lack a backbone and is visible to the naked eye
41. Name 4 ways that citizens are making a difference in their communities.
a. Stream Watch – based on the philosophy that those in the best
position to notice the signs of a stream’s distress are its neighbors –
people living along the banks or using its water
b. Urban Stream Renewal – includes focusing on the lost and abandoned
waterways. Projects include trash cleanups, planting and natural
methods of erosion control
c. Land Conservation – purchasing and protecting the land, conservation
easements on land that borders rivers and streams
d. Environmental Education – public education is critical for protecting
rivers and streams. Learn about how natural systems support humans.
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Other Points of Value
Riparian – pertaining to the edges of streams or rivers
Greenway – open space or connector along a natural corridor (such as a river)
used for parks and trails
Vegetative buffers are to:
a. protect their banks from erosion,
b. reduce the impact of nonpoint source pollution by trapping, filtering
and converting pollutants, and
c. supply food, shelter and shade to fish and other aquatic wildlife.
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