SNC1D3

Don River Watershed Report Card

Sustainable Ecosystems

Name: ________________________________Date: ______________________________

Watersheds (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ63xGJY4pM

1. What is a watershed?

2. What factors can contribute to watershed pollution?

3. How does pollution on land get into water bodies?

4. Examine the Toronto watershed map. Which watershed do you live in?

5. Why is it important to keep watersheds in healthy condition?

6. What do we need to do to keep watersheds healthy?

7. What two terms describe the source of water pollution?

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8. What are the three major types of pollutants?

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9. What 4 simple tests can be done to measure the quality of water?

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10. What are five easy things that you can do to keep your local watershed healthy?

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ANSWER KEY

1. What is a watershed?

The area of land where all the water drains from the highest point to the lowest point to reach a water body, eventually to the ocean.

2. What factors can contribute to watershed pollution?

Pesticides and fertilizers from farms, livestock waste, oil from gas stations and automobiles, pet waste, litter/garbage.

3. How does pollution on land get into water bodies?

Rain washes the pollution from land into water bodies.

4. Examine the Toronto watershed map. Which watershed do you live in?

Don river watershed.

5. Why is it important to keep watersheds in healthy condition?

Human health and the health of the environment are dependent on watersheds. We all live in watersheds – they collect water off of the land surface, which is a source of local drinking water.

6. What do we need to do to keep watersheds healthy?

Reduce or eliminate pollutants (pesticides/fertilizers)

7. What two terms describe the source of water pollution?

Point source (single identifiable polluter - visible – can point at it)

Non-point source (pollution coming from an unidentifiable source – fertilizer runoff, acid rain)

8. What are the three major types of pollutants?

Sediments, bacteria and nutrients.

9. What 4 simple tests can be done to measure the quality of water?

temperature – the health of all organisms are temperature dependent

dissolved oxygen – the health of all organisms are dependent on the amount of available O2

pH – how acidic the water is affects pH sensitive organisms

turbidity – how clear the water is depends on the vegetation surrounding the water system

10. What are five easy things that you can do to keep your local watershed healthy?

· Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly

· Never dump anything down a storm drain

· Pick up after pets

· Have you septic system checked regularly

· Conserve water

SNC1D3

Healthy Watersheds – What’s in it for You?

Sustainable Ecosystems

Name: _____________________________Date: ___________________________

Covering an area of approximately 36,000 hectares, the Don River stretches almost 38 km in length, flowing south from its headwaters on the Oak Ridges Moraine in Newmarket to the Keating Channel below the Gardiner Expressway, where it empties into Lake Ontario.

Home to 1.2 million residents, almost half of the Don watershed is devoted to housing, leaving little undeveloped land left. The pressures of urbanizations have presented many environmental challenges for the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the earth to grow our food. Despite these challenges, the landscape of the Don River is slowly being regenerated and revitalized, and its natural heritage celebrated through annual events. One important part of the revitalization process is education programs for youth. You will be partaking in program called Changing Currents, designed to raise students’ awareness and get them involved in hands-on monitoring and restoration of the Don River Watershed. Let’s learn more about the Don and its current health status.

Read the 2013 Don River Watershed Report Card to complete the Plus-Minus-Interesting chart.

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Minus

Interesting