module #11 #11 creek freaks ... sponges bucket ... ending with very dirty water in the lake that...

A project of the Izaak Walton League of America

www.iwla.org

www.creekfreaks.net

Module #11

Creek Freaks uses the Holding onto the Green Zone curriculum, developed by the Bureau of Land Management

Izaak Walton League of America - Creek Freaks www.creekfreaks.net 1

Table of Contents:

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg. 2

Module #11……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg. 3

Background………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..pg. 3

Lesson…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg. 4‐5

Tying in the Mississippi………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………pg. 6

Introduction

The Izaak Walton League, founded in 1922, is one of the oldest and most respected conservation

organizations in the nation. By taking a common‐sense approach toward protecting our country's

natural heritage, the League champions the motto “Defenders of soil, air, woods, waters, and wildlife.”

As new generations of conservationists are born, the League strives to educate youth about the

importance of our nation’s resources. The League’s Creek Freaks program uses a curriculum called

Holding onto the Green Zone which was developed by the Bureau of Land Management and the

University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension. Creek Freaks introduces youth to the importance of

water quality, and intricate system of the riparian or “Green” zone.

The Izaak Walton League has partnered with OAR Northwest who will be delivering Creek Freaks

curriculum during their Adventure Mississippi River trip. Adventure Mississippi River (AMR) blends real

life adventure with technology to reach students both locally and beyond the Mississippi River

watershed. AMR aims to inspire students to experience an adventure in their local environment,

understand the potential environmental impacts of their actions, and engage in the rich history and

diversity of species along the Mississippi River and its immense watershed.


Module #11

Holding onto the Green Zone Lesson: Watershed Model

Background

A watershed is an area of land that drains water, sediment, and pollutants into a common body of

water. For example, the Mississippi River watershed drains over 40% of the land area in the U.S. A

watershed can also be a very small area that drains into a local pond or stream. This smaller watershed

is then connected to a larger watershed system.

Pollution on land in the watershed ends up in streams and rivers when it rains. Fertilizer, pesticide, and

manure run‐off from farms and yards can put potentially harmful chemicals and pathogens in rivers and

lakes. Incorrect disposal of household and industrial chemicals can lead to deadly chemicals in

waterways. Excess sediment from construction sites can wash into streams, smothering fish eggs and

the bottom dwelling bugs fish eat.

This type of pollution is called nonpoint source pollution. Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution,

unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources.

NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the

runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human‐made pollutants, finally

depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground waters.

Healthy watersheds and clean water are important to protect the rivers, streams, and lakes we use for

drinking water, recreation, and fishing.

Photo Credit: Upper Oconee Watershed Network


HOW TO:SIMPLE PROJECTS FOR CONSERVATION

BUILD A MODEL WATERSHED

Materials● Disposable aluminum cake pan or a plastic bin● Florist foam● Aluminum foil● Model farm animals (cows, pigs) ● Small models of barns, houses, industrial buildings ● Permanent markers (e.g., a Sharpie®)● Watering can or spray bottle● Chocolate pudding/hot chocolate mix● Lime gelatin mix● Orange gelatin mix● Straw● Small pieces of artificial turf● Craft glue● Plain modeling clay (colored clay will run when wet)● Sponges● Bucket

It’s a simple matter of gravity: Water runs downhill. This model watershed offers a clear visual demonstration of how wa-ter picks up sediment and pollutants as it flows — and that simple measures can reduce the amount of polluted runoff that ends up in your watershed.

This is a good project for talking with school children about water pollution and what they can do to prevent it. It’s also a great indoor conservation project and travels well to expos and county fairs.

REQUEST TO READERSIf you build a project based on this or other Outdoor

America articles, or if you have an idea for a good conser-vation project, please e-mail us at [email protected].

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BOB DRY/WWW.DRYSPOND.COM

1. Develop Land: Create your landscape inside the cake pan us-ing green florist foam (available at craft stores). Buy blocks and round pieces of foam and arrange them to represent two tall mountains on the outer edges of the pan. A river should run between the mountains down to a lake. Make a shallow depression for the lake to hold water.

2. Cover Ground: Cover the entire landscape with a large piece of aluminum foil. Start from the middle and gently press the foil into the hills, valleys, and waterways. Fold the foil over the edge of the pan to help hold everything in place. You may need multiple sheets of foil.

3. Run a River Through: With a permanent marker, draw the outline of the river running through the middle of the mountains and the lake at the bottom.

4. Build: Put in land-use areas by placing model homes, barns, facto-ries, and animals around the watershed, from the hills to the lakeside. You may need craft glue to hold these in place. Draw roads, fields, and other landscapes to tie the community together.

5. Pollute: Sprinkle chocolate pudding/hot chocolate mix near ani-mals to show manure and/or near construction sites to show exposed

Three-step landscaping: Sculpt foam inside a cake

pan, cover it with foil, and outline a river and lake.


A Few Talking Points• A watershed is an area of land that drains water, sediment, and pollutants into a common body of water. For example, the

Chesapeake Bay watershed is thousands of square miles of land and waterways that all eventually drain into the Chesapeake Bay. A watershed can also be a very small area that drains into a local pond or stream.

• Pollution on land in the watershed eventually ends up in the water. Fertilizer, pesticide, and manure run-off from farms and yards can put potentially harmful chemicals and pathogens in rivers and lakes. Incorrect disposal of household and industrial chemicals can lead to deadly chemicals in waterways. Excess sediment from construction sites can wash into streams, smother-ing fish eggs and the bottom-dwelling bugs fish eat.

• Healthy watersheds and clean water are important to protect the rivers, streams, and lakes we use for drinking water, recre-ation, and fishing.

dirt. Sprinkle lime gelatin mix near houses to represent lawn-care chemicals. Sprinkle orange gelatin mix on farm fields to represent agricultural chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers).

6. Rain! Use the spray bottle or watering can to start a rain shower in the mountains. The chocolate, lime, and orange mixes will color the water to show how water pollution can wash down through the watershed, ending with very dirty water in the lake that demonstrates a high level of pollution.

7. Remediate: Dump the water into a bucket and rinse off any residue. Sprinkle the chocolate, lime, and orange mixes in the same spots, taking additional steps to prevent water pollution be-fore the next rainfall.

● Use smaller amounts of the lime and orange mixes to show more careful use of chemicals.

● Cover chocolate mix near construction sites with straw to prevent rain from washing away exposed soil.

● Use clay to build barriers around the areas of manure, which will hold runoff water until it can be cleaned.

● Cut small pieces of artificial turf and glue them down between the river and the or-ange and lime mixes on the farm. These turf pieces represent contour plantings and grass buffer strips, which help filter pesticides and fertilizers from agricul-tural runoff.

● Cut small pieces of sponge to place near pollution areas and in low spots where water may gather. These serve as wetlands, which filter runoff by trapping and breaking down pollutants.● Cut small pieces of artificial turf to place along the banks of the river to represent a buffer of stream-side trees and shrubs to slow runoff and trap pollutants.

8. Rain Again: Use the spray bottle or watering can to create a second rainfall. The water that ends up in the lake should be much less colorful because you took multiple steps to keep pol-lutants out of the runoff.Hot chocolate and gelatin mixes give kids

the “dirt” on non-point source pollution.

Create a “rain storm” with your spray bottle

and watch pollutants wash through the

watershed.


Mississippi Application

1) Go for a walk or organize a cleanup along a nearby beach, stream, or river. Observe what trash

you see or collect. Did it get dumped directly there or did it wash downstream from other areas

in the watershed. Where will all of this pollution eventually end up?

2) Identify beaches that have been closed, or are frequently closed for bacterial contamination of

water. How does this affect the tourism industry?

3) Research fish advisories‐‐ warnings not to eat certain types of fish because of water

pollution/contamination of fish tissue. Some fish and shellfish accumulate toxins such as

Mercury and PCB’s which are carcinogenic. At risk populations such as children and pregnant

women are specifically advised to limit their consumption. Are there fish advisories near you?

4) Examining what you can see from the river or nearby the river and point out things that can

contribute to pollution in the Mississippi. After identifying the sources of pollution have

students brainstorm about habits that they can

change to reduce pollution

a. Pet Waste‐ have students pledge to pick

up after their pets

b. Oil from Cars‐ have students talk to their

parents about leaky car oil, or encourage

them to get their own cars checked.

c. Trash‐ organize a cleanup or encourage

your students to not litter, or pick up trash

they see, talk about where this trash will

end up if it is not picked up (in water

bodies)

d. Erosion‐ have a tree planting to show the

importance of streamside plants in

preventing erosion

e. Fertilizer‐ encourage students to educate

their parents about the impacts of

fertilizer. Have them explain to their

parents that reducing fertilizer use and

following the instructions on the bag are

very important for our waterways.

For more information and for additional activities please visit www.creekfreaks.net/library to download the Holding onto the Green Zone Action Guide.


module #11 #11 creek freaks ... sponges bucket ... ending with very dirty water in the lake that...

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