Our WatershedOur WatershedOh to precious waterOh to precious water

Today’s objectivesToday’s objectives

• Define a watershedDefine a watershed

• Label the different parts of a Label the different parts of a watershed and explain its role in the watershed and explain its role in the watershedwatershed

• Label Pennsylvania’s major Label Pennsylvania’s major watersheds.watersheds.

• Weigh environmental effects of Weigh environmental effects of human activities within a watershed. human activities within a watershed.

Water in our livesWater in our lives

• List all the ways that you used water List all the ways that you used water todaytoday

• What would we do without water?What would we do without water?

Water in the World Land

Ocean

Icecaps andGlaciersgroundwater

Freshwater

pollutedfreshwaterUsable water

What is a watershed?What is a watershed?

• A watershed is the land area that A watershed is the land area that drains water to a particular stream, drains water to a particular stream, river, or lake. It is a land feature that river, or lake. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a line can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge. two areas on a map, often a ridge.

Water waysWater ways

• RiverRiver

• LakeLake

• PondPond

• StreamStream

• CreekCreek

• GroundwaterGroundwater

Amazing wetlandsAmazing wetlands

• What is a wetland?What is a wetland?– EPA’s definition “those areas that are EPA’s definition “those areas that are

inundated or saturated by surface or inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas." areas."

Wetlands short definitionWetlands short definition

• Areas that Areas that – Hold water during the main growing Hold water during the main growing

portion of the yearportion of the year– Have hydric soilHave hydric soil– Have hydric plants (hydrophytes) Have hydric plants (hydrophytes)

Why do we care?Why do we care?

• Wetlands act as a natural spongeWetlands act as a natural sponge– They hold excess waterThey hold excess water– They also hold excess pollutants and They also hold excess pollutants and

nutrients.nutrients.

Human effectsHuman effects

• Damming of waterwaysDamming of waterways

• The straitening of waterwaysThe straitening of waterways– Speeds up waterSpeeds up water

• The dredging of waterwaysThe dredging of waterways– Affects water temps and aquatic lifeAffects water temps and aquatic life

• What about the vegetation on the What about the vegetation on the side of the river or creek?side of the river or creek?– The Riparian ZoneThe Riparian Zone

Riparian ZoneRiparian Zone

• The land beside a The land beside a body of water.body of water.

• Buffer

What is in the fence? What is in the fence?

Concrete watershed?Concrete watershed?