How is Water Quality Affected by Land Use?

Transcription

1 Watershed Connections Lesson Les4 3 How is Water Quality Affected by Land Use?

2 Overview What are the benefits of a healthy watershed? What are examples of land uses? What types of pollution can come from different land uses?

3 What are the benefits of a healthy watershed? Clean water Flood control Good fish & wildlife habitat More productive for timber & grazing Higher property values More attractive Greater biodiversity

4 What are Land Uses? = the ways that people use land Grazing Farming Forestry (logging) Mining Wildlife habitat Recreation (motorized & non motorized) Residential Commercial Preservation (wild & scenic)

5 What are Types of Pollutants? Nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) Sediment (dirt) Bacteria Pesticides Road salt Toxic chemicals Metals (mercury, copper, etc.)

6 What are point and non point sources of water pollution? Point source pollution = water pollutants discharged from a pipe into lakes and rivers. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

7 What are point and non point sources of water pollution? Non point Source Pollution = pollutants carried by water as it runs off over the land. The type of pollutant (sediment, fertilizer, nutrients, pesticides, etc.) depends upon the type of land use. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

8 How can we reduce or prevent pollution? BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs): = are designed to control, prevent, remove, or reduce pollution. Scientists and natural resource managers work with landowners and business owners to design BMPs for their property.

9 Three BMP Categories: 1. Structural Practices Grass or rock lined drainage ditches Fence livestock away from stream Sedimentation basin for parking lot runoff 2. Vegetative Practices Cover crops Leave tree and shrub buffer strips along streams 3. Management Practices No till farming (don t plow) Rotate pastures used for livestock grazing No grazing, logging, or building houses right next to a stream

10 View the following slides *Fill in your student sheet as you view the slides Identify the land use shown in the photo. Identify what type of pollutants might result from the land use and possibly affect the water quality of a nearby stream. Write at least one BMP that can be used to decrease pollution.

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14 #4 Dickinson Conservation District

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18 #8

19 Leading Sources of Water Quality Impairment to Rivers in Michigan 1. Physical stream alterations (e.g. channelization) 2. Agriculture (crop runoff and animal feedlots) 3. Sediment 4. Industrial Point Source 5. Habitat modification (loss of streamside riparian vegetation) 6. Combined sewer overflows 7. Municipal Point Source 8. Construction

20 Leading Sources of Water Quality Impairment to Rivers in the U.S. 1. Agricultural runoff (farming and livestock) 2. Municipal point sources (sewage treatment plants) 3. Streamside habitat changes (channelization, dredging, flow modifications)

21 What are land uses and pollution sources in your watershed? Explore our watershed using Google Earth. Identify land use practices. Examples of places that could benefit from a BMP? Put together in a MS PowerPoint slideshow (see rubric)