1

Team _________ School / Teacher ______________________________ Bus Number_______

Names _____________________________ Outdoor Staff _____________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

WETLANDS AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY All of us who live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are linked to the Bay by many pathways.

Whether we live right on the water or miles from the Chesapeake, our actions have a profound effect on the Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed is the land area drained by the Bay. The Bay’s watershed is made up of the thousands of smaller watersheds drained by the streams that crisscross our land and flow, by way of our rivers, into the Chesapeake.

The Bay watershed extends 64,000 square miles. Home to more than 15 million people, it includes the District of Columbia, and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia.

A wetland area is a good example of a natural cleansing system. This cleansing system will clean the water that pours into the Monocacy and Potomac Rivers which will eventually flow into the Chesapeake Bay. The floors of wetlands consist of layers of silt, dead leaves and other dead material that together make up a gigantic “sponge”. This sponge acts as a filter for runoff water. Rain and floodwater pass through this natural filter system removing nitrates and preventing them from entering the Monocacy, the Potomac, and finally the Chesapeake Bay. The nitrates are taken up by the tree roots and used as “food” by the tree. The floor of a wetland area also has bacteria which converts nitrates into nitrogen gas, which is released into the atmosphere instead of the stream. Wetlands also neutralize sewage waste, allow silt to settle, and promote the decomposition of many toxic substances.

Wetland vegetation is highly beneficial. Plants absorb nutrients and help cycle them through the food web, and keep water’s nutrient concentrations from reaching toxic levels. Through photosynthesis, they add oxygen to the system and provide food for other life forms. If spring thaw is high, wetlands absorb excess water until it gradually drains away down streams and rivers and through the soil. Acting as buffers, healthy wetlands prevent flooding and erosion. In drier periods, wetlands hold precious moisture after open bodies of water have disappeared.

As remarkable and resilient as wetlands are, they do have limits. Their destruction and/or abuse – through draining and filling for conversion to agriculture or the construction of roadways and housing developments, or general pollution – can have devastating effects on wildlife, humans, and overall environmental quality. Although many wetlands are protected by federal and state laws, there is still a significant need to create a greater understanding of the importance of wetlands as wildlife habitat and as ecosystems that benefit us.

The data collected during your water study will be averaged and posted on the internet at the following location:

http://education.fcps.org/outdoorschoolfcps/

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Frederick County Outdoor School Wetlands Water Study Sites

Frederick County, Maryland

Fast Facts

• Frederick County encompasses approximately 668 square miles or 427,396 acres.

• There are approximately 1,434 miles of streams in Frederick County.

• The Monocacy River is the largest tributary to the Potomac River.

Walkersville Middle School

Thurmont Middle School

Urbana Middle School

Windsor Knolls Middle School

New Market Middle School

Brunswick Middle School

Middletown Middle School

Ballenger Creek Middle School

Monocacy Middle School

Crestwood Middle School

West Frederick Middle School

T.J. Middle School

Oakdale Middle School

Power Plant

KEY

School

Stream

Power Plant

Town/City

Road

Monocacy Valley Montessori School

Testing Sites

• Pinecliff Creek _______ • Monocacy River _______ • Potomac River Below Power Plant _______ • Potomac River Above Power Plant _______ • Owens Creek _______ • Big Hunting Creek _______

3

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6

Wetlands Information Sheet

• Wetlands are a transition zone between dry land and water ways • Two examples of wetlands in our area are marshes and swamps • Three characteristics that define wetlands: (water, special soil, specialized plants)

Water - An area is wet for 7-30 consecutive days. Soil is saturated within 6-18” of the

surface spring through fall. It may be fairly dry throughout most of the year. Water comes from 2 sources – surface water and groundwater floodplains. Wetlands along the shores of a river are wetted by floodwaters.

Soil - Hydric soil – develops because of the prolonged presence of water. Oxygen spaces fill with water leaving little or no room for oxygen. The soil becomes anaerobic (lacks oxygen), because it is saturated. A variety of chemical reactions occur. The lack of oxygen results in many organisms carrying out anaerobic respiration. Bacteria do this with the help of sulfur compounds – releasing sulfides- giving the soil a characteristic rotten egg smell.

Plants - Plants are specially adapted to live in wet conditions. Soft bodied plants must be lightweight so they can float upright, but sturdy enough to keep their shape. Aquatic plants have special channels for holding water to give leaves and stems support. Emergent plants grow with their feet wet, but stick up above the surface of the water. They must be able to support themselves above water. They have established special air spaces for transporting oxygen from the leaves down through the stems to the roots. Pneumatophors (knees) are a secondary root system that pokes above the surface of the water for gas exchange. Buttresses (swollen bases) help aerate trees. Shallow adventitious roots grow into aerobic soil near the surface. Prop roots, such as mangrove trees, have pores above the water level where oxygen can be taken from the air.

Wetland – Valuable Resource

Uses of Water Today and in the Past

• Help keep our environment in balance

• Provide habitat • Economic strength • Prevent flooding • Protect against storm damage • Recharge or replenish the aquifer • Traps sediments and other

pollutants • Historically important as a food

source • Beauty and recreation

Today Past

• Drinking, washing, laundry, cooking, etc.

• Irrigation • Coolant, power plants • Recreation (swimming,

boating, etc.) • Transportation • Firefighting • Add to chemicals for

farming (herbicides, pesticides)

• Water wheels • Mills • Steam engines • Transportation

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• Name 2 rivers that flow through Frederick County.

• What kind of materials make up the “sponge” which makes up the wetland floor?

• Tree roots take in ______________________________, which are used as “food” by the tree.

• Wetland vegetation is highly beneficial. Name at least 4 of the benefits.

• List 3 examples of man’s activities that have destroyed or damaged wetlands.

• Name 3 characteristics that define a wetland.

• What is anaerobic soil?

• Why is it anaerobic?

• What is the difference between an aquatic and an emergent plant?

• Name 2 places that you might see a wetland.

WADING THROUGH WETLANDS

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Where do you see Wetlands?

¨ The edges of ponds, streams, or other permanent bodies of water

¨ Temporary bodies of water that occur frequently and last for a week or more, such as a spot on a playing field that stays wet and muddy for a long time after every rain

¨ A low spot in a field or woods that holds water for a week or more

¨ A drainage ditch that is frequently filled with water

¨ A place with wetland plants, e.g. cattails ¨ Sediment ponds required with new

construction/developments

Do you see evidence of Water?

¨ Muddy places or cracks in dried mud, especially in low lying areas or depressions

¨ Mushy or spongy ground (a place you would not walk in good shoes) if you kneel down, your knees get wet

¨ In wooded places, look for signs that water has been standing there or flowing through the area

¨ A gully or path that seems to have been carved by water – this may be lined with deposited leaves

¨ Leaves, twigs, and other debris caught in shrubs or tree branches above the ground

¨ Water and silt stains on leaves of shrubs, trees, and other plants

¨ Tree trunks with a dark stain up to the same place on all or most of the trees (this is the height that standing water reached during the wettest part of the year – it may be higher than your head)

¨ Leaves on the ground do not “crunch” as loudly as dry leaves – they are damp and matted together by water that was once there

Do you see characteristics of Hydric Soils?

¨ Dark brown or black in color, caused by lack of oxygen in a saturated soil

¨ Soil may be made of peat or organic material (partially decayed plants and animals)

¨ Soil sticks together when squeezed or oozes out of your fingers in a ribbon-like strand

¨ Feels like sticky clay and is some shade of gray, green or a darker color (caused by anaerobic conditions and resulting chemical reactions that change many types of clay)

¨ Light gray soil may contain splotches of red, orange, yellow (this mottling is caused by seasonal fluctuations in the water table, where the soil is alternately wetted and drained, and by natural bacterial action—this causes the metals in the soil to “rust”)

¨ Smells like rotten eggs or sulfur (hydrogen sulfide, a product of anaerobic conditions)

Do you see characteristics of Wetland Plants?

¨ Trunks are swollen or flare out at the base like bell-bottom pants (buttressing)

¨ Woody knobs or bulges on tree trunks ¨ Woody “knees” sticking up out of the ground

or water next to tree trunks ¨ Shallow or exposed roots ¨ Trees often have moss growing all around the

base of the trunk

Is This a Wetland? Wetlands exist in many areas that we see every day. This checklist will help you locate

wetland areas that we will visit or drive by during our field study. Look for the “evidence” during our trips and check off as many examples of the evidence listed below that you can find. (Don’t forget to look out the bus windows.) Can you find wetland areas near your home?

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Alien or

Native

Plant or Animal

Type

Day 1 Lowland

Field Study

Day 2 Upland

Field Study 1 Algae 2 Beaver 3 Beefsteak 4 Carp 5 Cattail 6 Clam 7 Crayfish 8 Damselfly / Dragonfly 9 Detritus (decaying plants) 10 Duck / Goose 11 Duck Potato (Arrowhead) 12 Duckweed 13 Eastern Hemlock 14 English Ivy 15 Frog / Toad / Tadpole 16 Garlic Mustard 17 Great Blue Heron / Green Heron 18 Green Ash 19 Honeysuckle 20 Indian Strawberry 21 Japanese Barberry 22 Japanese Stiltgrass 23 Jewelweed – orange flowers 24 Maple (box elder, red, silver) 25 Minnow 26 Muskrat 27 Pin Oak 28 Poison Ivy 29 Raccoon 30 Salamander 31 Sedge 32 Skunk Cabbage 33 Smartweed 34 Snail 35 Snake 36 Soft Rush 37 Spike Rush 38 Stinging Nettle 39 Sycamore 40 Trout 41 Tubifex Worm 42 Turtle 43 Virginia Creeper 44 Water Plantain 45 Willow (black, weeping) 46 Wineberry

Wetland Survey and Biodiversity

Directions: If the organism is alien to our area, place an “A” in the “Alien” column. If the organism is native place an “N” in the column. Use the keys below to classify each organism in the “Plant or Animal Type” column.

A = Aquatic E = Emergent S = Shrub T = Tree V = Vine

WETLAND PLANT TYPE KEY

A = Amphibian B = Bird C = Crustacean F = Fish I = Insect ML = Mammal MK = Mollusk R = Reptile W = Worm

WETLAND ANIMAL TYPE KEY

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Feet From Far Bank

Linganore Creek Site 1

Linganore Creek Site 2

Linganore Creek Site 3

Linganore Creek Site 4

0 0 0 0 0 1 9 17 3 2 14 25 5 3 15 27 7 4 16 28 10 5 16 28 12 6 15 26 13 7 19 27 16 8 20 29 18 9 21 29 18

10 18 32 20 11 19 31 20 12 20 29 22 13 21 29 24 14 20 24 24 15 21 30 25 16 20 31 26 17 19 31 28 18 20 31 28 19 21 29 24 20 23 29 26 21 21 29 26 22 21 29 27 23 21 28 28 24 20 27 29 25 21 27 29 26 20 25 31 27 18 24 32 28 17 21 33 29 16 20 35 30 15 18 36 31 15 16 37 32 14 14 37 33 14 10 39 34 14 9 33 35 15 8 41 36 13 6 39 37 12 2 41 38 12 0 39 39 12 36 40 11 36 41 8 9 42 7 4 43 7 2 44 6 0 45 5 46 3 47 2 48 1 49 1

Stream Profile Data (Depth in Inches)

Linganore Creek Sites 1, 2, and 3

Site 2

Site 3

Gravel

Gravel

Site 1

Stream Flow

11

cm/sec = (counts per minute x .0854 + 5)

Conversions cm/sec to mph x .0225 cm/sec to ft/sec x .0328

STREAM PROFILE SAMPLE

When the line graph is complete color everything below the line brown to represent the stream bottom and everything above the line blue to represent water

12

Salamander Search

1st Tree Cookie Number:________ A: GPS B: Identification C: Scout D: Recorder Salamander or Newt

Eastern Red- Backed

Northern Slimy

Northern Dusky

Spotted Northern 2 lined

# found Sizes

Other Organisms or Other Types of Salamanders:

2nd Tree Cookie Number:________ A: Identification B: GPS C: Recorder D: Scout Salamander or Newt

Eastern Red -Backed

Northern Slimy

Northern Dusky

Spotted Northern 2 lined

# found Sizes

Other Organisms or Other Types of Salamanders:

Throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, you can find salamanders along the watershed's rivers and streams. Biologists found that salamander populations are decreasing. Within Maryland, this decrease has been linked to agricultural land use and an increase in urbanization. We look at salamanders because these amphibians are bioindicators. These salamanders are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment and their health is often directly linked to the health of their habitat. A healthy streamside habitat will have many salamanders. Salamanders, like all amphibians, have a permeable skin; gases and water simply enter or leave the body through this skin. This permeable skin, however, provides little or no protection from toxins in the soil or in the water. This makes amphibians environmental sponges, soaking up the chemicals and toxins from the water or air around them. Most salamanders lay their eggs in the water. These eggs don't have a hard protective shell. This makes the salamander eggs vulnerable to chemical pollutants, ultraviolet radiation, and other factors that can kill the egg. Adapted from http://www.serc.si.edu/education/resources/watershed/stories/salamanders.aspx

Directions: Using a GPS unit, designated coordinates, and the identification card “Frederick County Salamanders” find the assigned tree cookies and record your findings below. Follow the job as listed by your letter from your team. Why are salamanders important?

Names___________________________________ Team __________________

Total number of salamanders found = _______ Total number of organisms found (including salamanders) = ______

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Deer Transect Survey

1 Pellet Group = 4 or more pellets at least 2 feet apart

8 Feet

8 x 200 = 1600 square feet = 0.00006 square mile

2 feet away

200 Feet

Years ago the deer in Frederick County had lived in balance with predatory wolves, cougars, and especially humans. Now the deer population grows unchecked in parts of the county. For example, the forest in Catoctin Mountain Park that had enough food for 12 deer per square mile strained under the demands of 120 deer per square mile. Random sampling uses data that is gathered on a small part of the whole population or sampling frame, and used to inform what the whole picture is like. Using a transect and the information below you can use random sampling to estimate the number of deer in a given area.

Names____________________________________ Team __________________

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Quick Facts

• The power plant uses 285,000 gallons of water each minute for cooling purposes

• River water is taken

in through 72 inch (six foot) pipes

• All plant discharge

points are monitored for contamination

• Steam temperature

is 1000 °F • The river water only

condenses the steam back to water to be used again

• There are three

stacks, the tallest is 700 ft. high, the others 400 ft.

Using the Water Cycle to Generate Electricity 1. Coal is shipped to the power plant where it is crushed and

pulverized, then transported into the furnace or boiler. 2. The fine pieces of coal are then burned creating heat. The heat is

then transferred to water that rests in pipes in the boiler where it is evaporated to create steam.

3. The steam travels through the steam line where it drives the turbine,

which turns the generator, which produces electric energy in the form of voltage and current.

4. The steam is then cooled by water from nearby rivers in a

condenser where it condenses to become water again. 5. The warmed river water that was used to cool the steam is then

released into a discharge area that is strewn with manmade boulders that cool the water before it is returned to the river.

6. The electricity that was created is then transformed and carried over

power lines to houses and businesses in the community.

15

The quality of a stream or river can be judged quite accurately by examining the insects that inhabit swiftly flowing areas. The following technique developed by Save our Streams (SOS), will work year round in many non-tidal streams and rivers. Collect three stones from a swiftly flowing portion of a stream. Select stones that are four to eight inches in diameter, bathed in rapidly flowing water, and lying loose upon the bed. Avoid stones that are buried in the bed or lying in slow moving waters. Look for stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies, (larvae or cases) on the surface of each stone. Stoneflies resemble roaches, have two tails, and the toe of each leg has two claws. Maylflies also resemble small roaches, have two or three tails, but the tip of each leg ends in a single point. Caddislfy larvae look somewhat like small caterpillars. If you do not see the larvae then look for the caddisfly cases. Cases are constructed of sand grains, small pebbles, leaves, or twigs glued together with silk secreted by the larvae. Stream quality is rated excellent when stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies are present. An excellent quality stream is suited for all human uses. If both mayflies and caddisflies (larvae or cases) are present, but stoneflies are missing, then the stream is in good condition. Such a waterway is fit for most human uses, except drinking. One should never drink from a stream. If mayflies are absent, but caddisflies are present, then stream quality is rated fair. A fair quality stream is unfit for swimming, but may be okay for wading. It probably supports a few gamefish and would be a poor water supply source. If all three insect groups are absent then the stream is rated poor. A poor quality stream is unfit for most human uses. It is probably devoid of fish life. Please call 410-396-5413 and let us know what you found. You can write us at:

Gwynns Falls Restoration Campaign 250 City Hall

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Illustrations from A FIELD GUIDE TO THE INSECTS by Donald Borror and Richard E. White. Copyright 1970 by Donald Borror and Richard E. White. Reprinted by permission of the Houghton Mifflin Company.

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Dobsonfly Larvae / Hellgrammite

Cranefly Larvae

Blackfly Larvae

Alderfly Larvae

Aquatic Sowbug

Scud (sideswimmer)

Caddisfly Larvae and Cases

Midge Larvae Leech Aquatic Worm

Black-Nosed Dace Sculpin

Salamander

Trout *Note – Very

Sensitive

Water Strider

AQUATIC ORGANISMS

A: Sensitive Organisms

B: Somewhat Sensitive Organisms

C: Tolerant Organisms C: Tolerant Organisms

D: Other Organisms

Stonefly Nymph Mayfly Nymph

Damselfly Nymph

Water Penny Larvae Dobsonfly

Dragonfly Nymph

Crayfish

Planaria

Names: Team:

Number of Organisms Found ______ x 4 = _______ index value Example: 5 mayfly nymphs count as 1 organism

Number of Organisms Found ______ x 2 = _______ index value Example: 3 scuds count as 1 organism

Number of Organisms Found ______ x 1 = _______ index value Example: 4 cranefly larvae count as 1 organism

WATER QUALITY RATING

Total Index Value = __________ Excellent (>22) Good (17-22) Fair (11-16) Poor (<11)