Sliver of Our River Sliver of Our River Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8 Academic Area(s): Science, Economics, Geography and Reading Topic(s): Earth Science www.ksagclassroom.org Rev. July/2017 Overview: Students will discover and demonstrate best management practices in rural and urban settings. Students will develop their own business and discover what environmental effects their decisions have. Contents: Activity 1 -Sliver of Our River Objectives: The student will be able to: 1. Discuss environmental footprints left by the industries represented in the classroom. 2. Determine what practices to use to best conserve and protect their piece of the river after it has been developed. 3. Generate a newspaper article about their local piece of the river. Handouts: Best Management Practices Background Information and Facts: Though Kansas was once considered part of the Great American Desert, there are 134,458 miles of streams and rivers in the state. Streams and rivers played an important role in the development of the United States and Kansas. In the absence of roads, early explorers and settlers followed streams and rivers. As the country expanded, rivers became the highways used to transport people and goods back and forth between the frontier and cities and towns. Estimated Teaching Time: Activity 1: 60 minutes Streams and rivers were also a source of fuel for industry development in Kansas. The power of water flowing in rivers and streams was used to operate gristmills (grain mills for local farmers), flour mills and sawmills. Hydroelectric power, created when the forces of water are harnessed to produce electrical energy, started in the mid-1800s. The settlement of Kansas was also dependent upon the location and availability of water. Some of the earliest towns were located at the sites of river crossings or early ferries. Ferries, which transported people, animals and goods from one side of the river to the other, were used in Kansas before bridges were built. At one time, there were at least 400 licensed ferries in the state of Kansas. Page 1
Background Information and Facts Everyone lives in a watershed, no matter where they are from. A watershed is an area of land that drains towards a downhill point. That point can be a stream segment, river, pond or lake. Since gravity directs the movement of water, land with higher points of elevation, called a divide, separates watersheds. Water quality is a serious issue in all watersheds. Humans have a huge impact on the environment because we are capable of altering the environment to meet our needs. These alterations tend to remove the filters that are naturally in place to protect our watersheds. Erosion is the process by which the surface of the earth is worn down by water, waves, wind, glaciers, etc. Even though this is a natural process, developments made to the surrounding land can increase the amount of erosion taking place and eventually cause the quality of the water in the watershed to decrease. Sediment (soil particles, rocks, pebbles, etc.) carried by moving water limits the amount of sunlight penetration in the water and inhibits of photosynthesis in aquatic plants. Important Facts Less than 10 percent of the soil surface and existing crop residue are disturbed due to no-till practices. No-till farming increases the amount of organic matter left in the soil, improves the water holding ability of soils, minimizes soil and nutrient losses, improves soil fertility, reduces water losses due to evaporation and decreases soil erosion significantly. Human activities may add materials to surface water that affect its suitability for aquatic plants and animals or human uses. Some materials form a filmy or oily layer on the surface or cause a physical problem. Others are invisible, but may alter the chemistry of the water and stimulate excessive growth of some plants or algae, crowding out and reducing oxygen and nutrients available to other species. For example, phosphorus, which encourages plant growth, is used as fertilizer for agricultural crops, lawns and gardens and is also found in many detergents. When overused or disposed of improperly, phosphorus will attach to soil particles and may eventually end up in surface water. Excess phosphorus in the water can turn sandbars into weed patches, cover clean rocks with slime and moss and turn clear water cloudy due to an over abundance of microscopic plant life. Excess phosphorus can cause algae bloom, a problem in many Kansas reservoirs. The added plant life can eventually rob the water of its oxygen supply, which in worst cases can suffocate fish and aquatic animals. Agricultural producers are addressing concerns over phosphorus and other fertilizers and pesticides through a variety of management practices designed to keep potential contaminants from reaching surface waters. However, per square foot of application, urban (non-agricultural) applications of fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides often exceed agricultural applications. This is called nonpoint source pollution. Page 2
Vocabulary List Contour Farming: performing tillage and planting operations on the contour - with a slope rather than up and down it - for the purpose of soil conservation. Divide: the high point in a watershed. Erosion: the detachment and movement of soil or rock by water, wind, pressure, ice or gravity. Fertilizer: any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin (other than liming materials) that is added to soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. Groundwater: underground water that is generally found in the pore spaces of rocks or sediments. Hydroelectric Power: electrical energy produced by using the forces of water. Nonpoint Source Pollution: pollution from sources that are not easily identified or located. No-Till Farming: a production practice whereby a crop is planted directly into the soil and previous crop residue with no other mechanical manipulation of the soil, resulting in reduced soil erosion and the preservation of soil nutrients. Phosphorus: symbol P; an element that occurs widely in minerals, soils, untreated water, bones, teeth and in all living cells and is a nutrient required for growth and development. Point Source Pollution: pollution from a human activity that can be identified and controlled that comes from a specific, identifiable source, such as a pipe, channel, ditch, tunnel or container. Pollutant: a chemical or phsical substance released in the environment which results in detrimental effects that can endanger human health, harm living resources and ecosystems and impair the environment. Organic Matter: plant and animal material in various stages of decomposition that provides nutrients to soil. River: often used to describe a larger stream with many tributaries. Runoff: rain, ice or snow that does not soak into soil, but flows across the land and eventually runs into streams and rivers when the intensity or volume of the precipitation exceeds the absorption and storage capacity of the land s surface. Terrace: a raised, generally horizontal ridge of soil embankments constructed across a slope following the contour of the land. Watershed: a sloping area of land that collects, directs, controls and discharges the flow of rainwater, or melted snow into a river, river system or body of water. Page 3
Preparation: Share background information with students. Procedures: 1. Fold the paper in half long ways. Draw a river on each half. Label one half before and the other after. Be sure the paper is long enough that each group gets approximately an 18-20 inch piece to detail their industry. The river can be as simple as a few squiggly lines drawn down the middle, and it can be cut prior to class or during class, so that each student has a section of the river. 2. Tell the students they have been given an enormous amount of money to develop the land by the river or the river itself into whatever they wish. Lead the students in reading the conservation information given in their handout. Find pictures of each type of industry. Possibilities include milling, manufacturing, agriculture, utilities, water travel/ recreation, etc. 3. Find the watersheds located in your county and have students determine what watershed they live in and where the school is located. Determine what body of water into which the runoff will flow. Go to http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm. Step 1: Pick your geographic unit: select county city or zip code. Step 2: Enter geographic information - type in zip code. Push Submit. Watersheds on map are labeled with a numeric code that corresponds to the names under the map. Student Activity Sliver of Our River - Page 1 Materials: Two rivers cut into sections - use two long pieces of newsprint paper and draw a river (squiggly lines) down the middle on either side Computer/library access String for reconstructing a river Colored pencils or markers What s in Your Water? (great handout for background information) http://www.kcare.kstate.edu/publications/ whats_in_your_water.pdf 4. Have students draw what their industry would look like on the top of their section of the river. Make sure they are detailed in including how supplies and products will move into and out of their facility (road, boats, etc.), a name of the business, how big their buildings will be, what the area surrounding their business looks like (trees, bushes, parking lots, fields, etc.) 5. Have each group present their industry to the class. Each person in the group needs to present an equal amount of information (name of business, what surrounds business, what services they will provide, etc.). 6. Begin a discussion with the class about how each type of industry might affect the ecosystem of the river including, nonpoint source and point source pollution. Page 4
Student Activity Sliver of Our River - Page 2 Procedures: 7. Have students draw on the bottom of their section of newsprint paper. Instruct students to develop plans to conserve their section of the river and have them explain what effects those conservation techniques would have. They can either keep their industry in place with conservation techniques or remove their industry and draw what types of plants and animals that would be located near the river. 8. To show results, students will write a newspaper article for the Clean River Reviewer to showcase what industry was developed and how it affected the water quality. In the article, they will discuss what management practices were applied and what they did to improve and protect water quality. Before After Page 5
Student Handout Agricultural BMPs Sliver of Our River Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) No-Till 1. Conservation Tillage (no-till) - the practice of leaving harvested plant materials or cover crop on the soil surface to reduce runoff and soil erosion. Roots hold soil in place. Leaves shade the soil and less the power of rain drops or splash erosion. 2. Crop Nutrient Management - timely management of all nutrient inputs helps ensure that nutrients are available to meet crop needs while reducing nutrient runoff. 3. Pest Management - using various methods for eliminating pests such as integrated pest management while protecting soil, water and air quality. Integrated pest management helps protect water quality by using a combination of techniques for controlling pest damage such as; biological controls, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices and resistant varieties. 4. Conservation Buffers (grass-filter strips) - using vegetation strips to provide additional barriers of protection which filter run-off water and prevent potential pollutants from moving off into surface water. Buffer Strips Grazing Managment 5. Irrigation Management - increasing irrigation efficiency can reduce non-point source pollution of ground and surface waters. 6. Grazing Management - preventing overgrazing of livestock pastures and reduce erosion potential. Contour Farming 7. Animal Feeding Operations Management - using runoff control, proper waste storage and nutrient management to minimize the impacts of animal feeding operations. 8. Erosion and Sediment Control - using practices to conserve and reduce the amount of sediment reaching water bodies, overall protecting agricultural land and water quality. 9. Terraces - raised earth embankments constructed across a slope that follows the contour of the land. 10. Contour Farming - When a field is farmed on the contour, all the tillage and planting operations go around or back and forth across the slope of the land. Page 6 Terraces
Urban Best Management Practices (BMPs) 1. Use fertilizers wisely - Apply at the right time and in the right amounts. If more fertilizer is applied than the grass can utilize, it can wash into nearby streams and lakes. Get a soil test to see what your soil actually needs and only apply that amount. Fertilizer with slow release nitrogen is better for the environment. Student Handout Urban BMPs Mulch Used to Protect Soil 2. Apply pesticides wisely - Use integrated pest management practices. Identify the pest, disease or cause of the problem. Learn when and where pesticides are needed. Select chemicals that are the least toxic or that break down quickly. Always read the label before mixing and applying pesticides. 3. Use landscaping practices that prevent erosion - Protect soil by planting groundcover vegetation or by using mulch. Soil washed away by rain can pollute streams and lakes. Gardens and construction sites with areas of bare soil, especially on sloped land are prone to erosion. Use the mulch setting on your mower and start grass-cycling. Just leave the grass on the lawn. It provides needed nutrients to the soil and grass. Doggy Bag Station 4. Wash your vehicle wisely - Use a commercial car wash. Waste water from these businesses does not enter the storm drains and is sent to a water treatment facility. If washing your car at home, pull your vehicle onto the grass before you start washing. This will help water the yard as well as keep the soapy water from running straight into the storm drain. 5. Dispose of pet waste - Pet waste washed into streams, rivers or lakes contributes to nutrient pollution. Pet waste can carry disease-causing organisms. Dispose of pet waste properly by either collecting the waste and burying it in the yard about five inches deep, or putting it in the trash. Pavers 6. Use and dispose of household chemicals safely - Never pour chemicals such as paint or oil onto the yard or directly into storm drains, or the next rain will take the chemicals directly to your local stream. Investigate where the nearest household chemical collection center is and drop off chemicals there if possible. These centers provide safe, environmentally friendly disposal and are usually free. Look for alternative cleaning products that are less hazardous to the environment. 7. Use efficient materials when doing construction - Pavers in parking lots allow water to be absorbed into the soil beneath it, rather than run off. Fabric barriers slow down water run-off over soils that have been disturbed. Filter Barriers Page 7
Want More? Resources & Extensions Extensions: Technical Writing: Have students develop a one page newsletter about their section of the river. Have them include informative articles that describe conservation techniques in a watershed, cartoons, pictures of their section of the river, the information that would have been in the newspaper article, etc. Recommended Resources: Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (KFAC): www.ksagclassroom.org. Look for other lesson plans, resource materials and teacher training opportunities! Awesome Aqua Kids Connection Magazine http://www.ksagclassroom.org/ files/waterissue.pdf Exploring Kansas Natural Resources Educator s Guide Unit 7: Streams & Rivers Other resources/websites: Kansas Forest Service. What is a watershed? www.kansasforests.org/streamside_forestry/watershed.html Kansas Water Office. http://www.kwo.org/ Kansas Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS). http://www.kswraps. org/ State Conservation Commission. Welcome to the SCC. http://www. scc.ks.gov/ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Environmental kids club. http://www.epa.gov/kids/index. htm U.S. Geological Survey. USGS real-time water data for Kansas. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ks/ nwis/rt Natural Resources Conservation Service. www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/ nrcs/main/national/water/watersheds/ Resources from Educator s Guide www.lewis-clark.org www.bowersockpower.com http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm Page 8