Good Web Sites for Students

http://www.epa.gov/

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – latest water news, pollutant standards, etc.
  • http://www.epa.gov/kids/
    • Kids and teachers page – great information and exercises

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/

  • National Climatic Data Center – online precipitation and drought data with maps.

http://water.usgs.gov/

  • U.S. Geological Survey – streamflow, groundwater, drought data, water quality data, acid rain data, etc. for many watersheds throughout the U.S.
  • Good publications, great site overall!!
  • USGS Water Science for Schools http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/index.html
    • Great site for kids and teachers

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/enved/watershed/watershed.htm

  • PA DEP site – “We All Live Downstream.
  • Information for watershed groups.

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/marfc/

  • Mid Atlantic River Forecasting Center site.
  • Great links to data including rainfall, snow, streamflow, drought, groundwater.

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/subject/hotopics/drought/drought.htm

  • PA DEP drought home page.
  • Great site for drought information.

http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/

  • National Atmospheric Deposition Program home page.
  • Can download data on acid rain – quality of rainwater in your area.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/groundwater/groundwater.htm

  • PA DCNR Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey.
  • Has a GREAT downloadable PDF publication on groundwater suitable for kids.

http://www.epa.gov/surfnewi/index.html

  • U.S. EPA Surf Your Watershed site.
  • Outstanding site to acquaint students with local watersheds including area, land use, water quality, etc.

Some basic curricula that we follow with students

Classroom

  • Students identify a local watershed and delineate it on a topographic map.
  • Quantify land use, topography, slope, aspect, tributaries, watershed order (first, second? etc.).
  • Go to the EPA Surf Your Watershed site and get more detailed information about the watershed or the larger watershed it is part of.
  • Go to the web and find precipitation data from the NCDC site and streamflow data from the USGS site for the watershed.
  • Plot streamflow and precipitation for a particular year.
  • Look at the correlation between precipitation and streamflow throughout the year.
  • Calculate evapotranspiration (precipitation minus streamflow) and determine what percent of precipitation goes to each on that watershed. Compare these numbers among different watersheds.
  • Download water quality data from the watershed from the USGS site and acid rain data from the NADP site. Discuss the water quality concerns of the watershed based on this data and where the pollutants may be originating.

Field

  • Use water quality kits to measure various chemical parameters in the stream and relate the results to watershed land use. Suggested tests – pH, alkalinity, nitrate, turbidity, chloride, temperature, dissolved oxygen, bacteria?
  • Collect macroinvertbrates and compute a biotic index for the stream preferably up and downstream of major land use changes to show a difference.
  • Estimate stream flow using a floating object and compare estimated value to actual flows if the stream is monitored by the USGS (data online).


College of Agricultural Sciences | Forest Resources | Cooperative Extension