alabama water watch citizen monitoring program. today’s outline: 1.review: what is a watershed?...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Alabama Water WatchCitizen Monitoring Program
![Page 2: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Today’s Outline:
1. Review: what is a watershed?
2. Alabama Biodiversity 3. The Water Cycle4. River Continuum Concept5. Stormwater Runoff6. Water Chemistry
Certification for Alabama Water Watch
![Page 3: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Review: What are
Watersheds?
![Page 4: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
1. Watersheds
• Major Alabama Watersheds
• Watersheds = an area within which all surface water drains to a common waterway
![Page 5: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
2. Watersheds
• Watersheds can be nested: smaller ones within larger ones
![Page 6: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
3. Watersheds
• Basin: A collection of watersheds draining to the coast at a single point.
• E.g., Mobile Basin
![Page 7: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
4. Watersheds
• Birmingham straddles 2 major watersheds:– Cahaba and Black Warrior
• Watersheds and Basins: great concept for teaching– Social sciences/studies– Natural sciences
Themes: Everybody Lives in a Watershed.We are all connected through our watershed.
![Page 8: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
5. Biodiversity
• The more diversity of watersheds, the more species an area will have.
Extensive Watershed diversity in Alabama:
• 2 major river basins• 13 major watersheds • Vast network of rivers
![Page 9: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
The Big Picture: The Water Cycle
![Page 10: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
6. The Water Cycle
Our’ Blue Planet
Water Distribution on Earth
• 97.2% in oceans• 2.8% on land
– 2.2 % is ice– 0.6 % is
groundwater – <0.01 % is lakes– <0.001 % is
rivers
![Page 11: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
The Water Cycle
(Aka: The Water cycle)
![Page 12: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Linking the Water Cycle to Watersheds, to Biodiversity:
The River Continuum Concept
![Page 13: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
7. River Continuum Concept
• Rivers change as the progress from the headwaters to the coast– Size– Speed– Habitat types– Biodiversity
![Page 14: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
8. River Continuum Concept
• Headwaters:• Small creeks and
streams• Rocky substrate
(bottom material)• Narrow streams,
often steep hillsides• Forested margins,
well-shaded
![Page 15: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
9. River Continuum Concept
Midreaches• Wider channel• Much direct
sunlight• More nutrients than
headwaters • More plants than
headwaters• Substrate: smaller
materials: smaller rocks and sand
![Page 16: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
10. River Continuum Concept
Lower Reaches• Slower current• deeper channel• “Muddy water”• High nutrient levels• Substrate: shifting
sands and silts• Few plants• Swamps
![Page 17: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
11. River Continuum Concept
• Estuary: interface of freshwater rivers and oceanic waters.
![Page 18: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
12. River Continuum Concept
• The different zones of a river (headwaters to lower reaches) provides different habitats for different species.
• But even within a small area, different habitats support different species.
The more diversity of natural habitats and conditions, the more species will be supported.
![Page 19: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Threats to Rivers:Focus on urban
runoff
![Page 20: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
13. Threats: Urban Runoff
The Major Threats to Rivers:
• Dams• Sedimentation• Pollution• Over-extraction of
water• Invasive species• Stream channelization• Urban Runoff – a place
to start teaching about watersheds
![Page 21: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
14. Threats: Urban Runoff
• Runoff: Water from precipitation that flows across the surface to the nearest drainage
• Stormwater: runoff from developed areas
![Page 22: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
15. Threats: Urban Runoff
• What causes runoff?
• Impervious surfaces block the absorption of rainwater into the ground.
• Impervious surfaces: pavement, streets, roofs, sidewalks
Effect of Impervious Surfaces
![Page 23: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
16. Threats: Urban Runoff
• Effects of increased Runoff– More and higher floods– Low flows during dry
season– Sometimes: discharge
of raw sewage into rivers
– Increased pollutants • Fine sediments• Hazardous
chemicals• Nasty bacteria• Nutrients
![Page 24: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
17. Threats: Urban Runoff
Flooding:– Because rainwater doesn’t percolate into the
soil, stormwater gets rapidly ‘dumped’ into creeks, streams and rivers.
Trussville, May 2003
![Page 25: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
18. Threats: Urban Runoff
• With floods, stream habitats altered and destroyed
• High volumes scour stream substrates
• Secondary bank erosion
• Loss of habitat
![Page 26: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
19. Threats: Urban Runoff
Low flows• Because groundwater
isn’t recharged, there is little in reserve to keep streams flowing when rains are infrequent.
![Page 27: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
20. Threats: Urban Runoff
• Sewage Discharge– Stormwater
system– Collects rainwater
and directs it away from developed areas.
– In some cities, including B’ham, stormwater was linked to sewage system.
– When it rains…
![Page 28: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
21. Threats: Urban Runoff
…Sewage treatment plants can’t handle the large volume of water.
• Stormwater and sewage dumped into streams and rivers
• Yuck.
![Page 29: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
22. Threats: Urban Runoff
• Runoff and Pollution
• Runoff contains toxins: Runoff contains contaminants: oil, gas, other car drippings, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, detergents, etc.
![Page 30: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
23. Threats: Urban Runoff
• Runoff contains sediments: sand and silt
• From construction• From developed areas
![Page 31: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Threats: Urban Runoff
• Sediments fill and cover habitats in river. • Esp Sand and silt • Crevices between rocks needed for fish, insects,
mussels, etc.
![Page 32: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Threats: Urban Runoff
• All this impacts our drinking water
![Page 33: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
24. Threats: Urban Runoff
• Why use Urban Runoff as a starting point for teaching about watersheds? – It is an urban problem– Urban students will be familiar with stormwater
systems and problems– It is wherever you are– Easily observed in or near your school– Impacts are far-reaching, involving social and
environmental issues
![Page 34: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
25. Threats: Urban Runoff
Community–building themes• Everyone lives in a watershed• Anywhere you stand, you are in the watershed• We share the watershed with each other, and with the ecosystem
Questions to stimulate thought– Where does the water go from any location?– What is the nearest creek or stream, and where does it go? – Where does stormwater from our school and our homes flow?– Who lives downstream from us, and how are we affecting
them?– Who lives upstream from us, and how are they affecting us?– What can we do to be better watershed citizens?!
![Page 35: Alabama Water Watch Citizen Monitoring Program. Today’s Outline: 1.Review: what is a watershed? 2.Alabama Biodiversity 3.The Water Cycle 4.River Continuum](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062314/56649f1e5503460f94c35931/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)