Overview to Module 3: Overview to Module 3: All Life Depends on WaterAll Life Depends on Water

Susan DonaldsonSusan Donaldson

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Five lessonsFive lessons

Water quality

Drinking water and wells

Septic systems

Streams

Ponds

Content of lessons – PowerPoint presentations and Lesson Plans

How to use activities to engage participants

How to customize

We’ll cover:We’ll cover:

Water Quality: Making the Water Quality: Making the Connection Between You Connection Between You

and the Waterand the Water

Developed by:Developed by:Susan DonaldsonSusan Donaldson

University of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Nevada Cooperative Extension

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

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Topics to be covered:Topics to be covered: What do we mean by “water quality”?

How is water quality regulated?

What water quality parameters are tested to protect health and habitat?

What are some common sources of pollution related to small-acreage management?

How can I better manage my property to avoid water pollution?

Gasoline burning on the surface of the Cuyahoga

River, November 1969

Gasoline burning on the surface of the Cuyahoga

River, November 1969

Polluted runoff is the #1 water quality problem in the United States today

Polluted runoff is the #1 water quality problem in the United States today

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

WatershedsWatersheds

USDA NRCS

Pass the Jug Game – Page 7

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The Clean Water ActThe Clean Water Act

Seeks to maintain fishable and swimable water

Sets specific water quality standards based on the intended use of the water

Addresses various sources of pollution

Section 303(d) requires states to develop lists of impaired waters

Nonpoint Nonpoint source source

pollution pollution comes from a comes from a widespread widespread

area and area and results from results from our everyday our everyday

activitiesactivities

Nonpoint Nonpoint source source

pollution pollution comes from a comes from a widespread widespread

area and area and results from results from our everyday our everyday

activitiesactivities

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

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Total Maximum Daily Loads Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)(TMDLs)

TMDL: The amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards.

We still have a problem today! After almost 30 years of water pollution control efforts, more than 40 percent of our waters are still too polluted for fishing and swimming.

Everyone needs to do their part to protect our water.

What’s wrong in this picture? How many What’s wrong in this picture? How many water-quality problems can you spot?water-quality problems can you spot?

A. Miller

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What gets into the water?What gets into the water?The pollutants in polluted runoffThe pollutants in polluted runoff

Nutrients

Pathogens

Sediment (dirt)

Chemicals

Debris (trash)

Temperature

USDA NRCS

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Sources: Sources: road sand, construction sites, road sand, construction sites, agricultural fields, disturbed areasagricultural fields, disturbed areasSources: Sources: road sand, construction sites, road sand, construction sites, agricultural fields, disturbed areasagricultural fields, disturbed areas

Sediment (dirt)Sediment (dirt)

USDA NRCS

Runoff from fields erodes soil into streams and rivers

Livestock churn up water and increase Livestock churn up water and increase sediment loadssediment loads

FISWRG

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How can I be a part of the solution How can I be a part of the solution for sediment pollution?for sediment pollution?

Manage grazing to maintain healthy grass cover on pastures

Revegetate bare ground

Create buffer areas adjacent to streams to catch sediment

Stabilize slopes and other erosion-prone areas

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Protecting Protecting Household Household

Drinking Drinking WaterWater

Developed by:Developed by:Susan DonaldsonSusan DonaldsonUniversity of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUNCE, Reno, Nev.

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What we’ll cover:What we’ll cover:

Watersheds and water pollution

How wells work

How to test drinking water

Protecting well water supplies

WellsWells

DNRC, Mont.

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Who protects my drinking Who protects my drinking water?water?

The Safe Drinking Water Act, first created in 1974, is the main federal law that regulates drinking water provided by municipal water suppliers

The EPA sets standards and oversees water suppliers

Ensuring safe water from private wells is the responsibility of the homeowner

How do I know if my well water How do I know if my well water is safe to drink?is safe to drink?

Do you know what’s

lurking below the ground?

Which Would You Drink? - Page 10

Test your Test your water and water and

fix the fix the system if:system if:

Your well does not meet construction codes

WSU Extension

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Test your water and fix the Test your water and fix the system if:system if:

You have mixed or used

pesticides near the well, or

have spilled pesticides or fuel near the

wellpmep.cce.cornell.edu

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How do I take a sample?How do I take a sample?

What’s wrong with this picture?

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Small Acreage Owner

123 Shady Acres

Paradise, Nevada 12345

123 Shady AcresParadise

123 Shady AcresParadise

(***Replace this with a report from your local area!)

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What’s wrong with this well?

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

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Septic SystemsSeptic SystemsOut of sight and out of mind…Out of sight and out of mind…

until you smell them!until you smell them!

Developed by:Developed by:

Susan DonaldsonSusan Donaldson

University of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Nevada Cooperative Extension

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

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What we’ll coverWhat we’ll cover

Sources of household wastewater

Components of a septic system

Maintaining your septic system

Causes of septic system failure

Additives, bleach, and more

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Which of the following can Which of the following can lawfully be used to dispose of lawfully be used to dispose of

household wastes?household wastes?

A cesspool

A pipe to the local ditch

A pond

A pipe to the storm drain system

Components of a septic systemComponents of a septic system

A. Miller

A. Miller

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Do you know???Do you know??? Where your tank is?

How big it is?

When it was last pumped?

The location of your leach field?

DNRC, Montana

A. Miller

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To pump... or not to pumpTo pump... or not to pump

Pumping costs about $350 for the average 1250-gallon tank, every three years or so

A new leach field costs from $5,000+ for an in-ground system to as much as $25,000 for an engineered field

Which would you choose?

Spongy ground

Sewage at land surface

Sewage backing up into house

A. Miller

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What about additives?What about additives?

Enough bacteria are present in the tank from normal bodily wastes

Additives cost $$$ and may actually increase the solid material in the tank by producing inert ingredients

There is no substitute for pumping!

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Tips to keep your septic Tips to keep your septic system working wellsystem working well

Don’t water the leach field

Don’t flood the system with excessive water use

Keep excess solids out of the system and avoid flushing toxic chemicals down the drain

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My Place on a StreamMy Place on a Stream

Developed by:

Sherman Swanson, University of Nevada, Reno

Susan Donaldson, University of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUNCE, Reno, Nev.

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TopicsTopics

What do you like about living near a stream?

What’s a riparian area and floodplain, and why are they important?

Signs of a healthy stream

Signs of an unhealthy stream

Tips on taking care of your stream and watershed

What’s a stream?What’s a stream?

A body of water that flows year-round

Naturally occurring

May have been straightened at some point in the past to deliver irrigation water, but was not originally constructed to convey irrigation water (that’s a ditch!)

NRCS, Bozeman, Mont., adapted by A. Miller

Riparian Riparian areas areas

support support water-loving water-loving

plantsplants

Why are riparian Why are riparian areas important?areas important?

Vegetation Vegetation provides shade to provides shade to keep water coolkeep water cool

Stream and bank Stream and bank stability are stability are increasedincreased

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

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Signs of a healthy streamSigns of a healthy stream

Vegetation and roots are present to protect and stabilize banks

There is a high water table with lots of water storage

The water quality is good

How do streams degrade?How do streams degrade?

Leg 3:Leg 3:If streams don’t sustain If streams don’t sustain healthy riparian

vegetation, they erode, they erode

Leg 2:Leg 2:

If streams don’t If streams don’t flood onto their floodplains, , they store little water they store little water

and erode a lotand erode a lot

Leg 1:Leg 1:If streamside soils If streamside soils

don’t don’t retain enough water, they don’t , they don’t

grow the right kinds grow the right kinds of plantsof plants

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Signs of an unhealthy streamSigns of an unhealthy stream

Low water table and less water storage

Little shade and warmer water

Poor water quality

Little vegetation and roots to protect and stabilize banks

Poor floodplain access

Stream shape wrong for the setting

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So what do I do? So what do I do?

Tips for:Tips for:

Managing livestock near streams Living near a floodplain Designing in-stream projects Building or fixing roads and bridges Controlling pollution Managing streams for wildlife Enjoying your stream or riparian area

USDA NRCS

Water livestock Water livestock off-streamoff-stream

Manage livestock near streamsManage livestock near streams

Inventory your riparian areaInventory your riparian area

Learn where flooding helps a stream slow velocity and store water by spreading out

UNR, Reno, Nev.

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So You Think You Want a So You Think You Want a Pond?Pond?

Developed by:

Susan Donaldson

University of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUSDA NRCS

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What we’ll coverWhat we’ll cover

What is a pond?

Why have a pond?

Types of ponds

Pond requirements and issues

Site considerations

Water quality, vegetation and fish

Maintaining your pond

What’s a pond?What’s a pond?

Lake: more than 10 acres

Pond: less than 10 acres

Pond: manmade

Arbitrary distinction - smaller than a lake!

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

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Why do you want to have a Why do you want to have a pond?pond?

Irrigation water storage (is it legal?) Stock watering Aesthetics Wildlife habitat Fish production Recreation Fire suppression, etc.

USDA NRCS

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Contemplating a pond?Contemplating a pond?

Consider water sources

Surface runoff

Streams

Springs

Groundwater

• Wells

• SeepsUSDA NRCS

More site considerationsMore site considerations

Keep pond at least 100 feet from a septic leachfield

Don’t build on top of buried pipelines, cables or utilities

Site should be accessible for maintenance

Pond should fit into the design for the rest of your landscaping

USDA NRCS

Vegetation Vegetation issuesissues

Identify your plants

Select species for revegetation

Learn about plant management needs and longevity

Manage invasive species

USDA NRCS

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Maintaining your pondMaintaining your pond

USDA NRCS

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AlgaeAlgae

A. Miller

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Tips for controlling algaeTips for controlling algae Reduce nutrients, especially

phosphorus

Try biological controls such as barley straw – may not be effective

Improve pond aeration

Remove by hand (for filamentous algae)

Apply chemicals

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Excess aquatic vegetationExcess aquatic vegetation

UNCE, Reno, Nev.

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Fish killsFish killsCauses include: lack of dissolved oxygen

(summer problem)

decaying aquatic vegetation

hot water

chemical contamination

diseaseswww.epa.qld.gov.au

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Tips for mosquito preventionTips for mosquito prevention

Add mosquito-eating fish

Don’t let plants touch the water surface

Avoid fertilizer and nutrient contamination of the pond

www.ventura.org

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Tips for preventing pond Tips for preventing pond problemsproblems

Don’t build one in the first place!

Fence livestock out of the pond and provide an alternate freeze-proof, year-round watering source

USDA NRCS

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CustomizationCustomization

Local watershed issues and active groups

Local regulations, well and septic rules, pond and stream issues

Visit a water testing lab

Get coupons for discounts on septic pumping