Sacramento Splash · provides high school (or middle school) students with opportunities to learn...

VERSION 5

Every year, Splash reaches thousands of elementary and secondary students in Sacramento County through its environmental science programs. Splash helps elementary students to explore the diversity of life in vernal pools through its elementary program: Life in Our Watershed: Investigating Vernal Pools. Secondary students are introduced to water quality monitoring and freshwater invertebrates whose survival depends on clean water in Life in Our Watershed: Investigating Streams & Water Quality. Both programs provide a fun and positive way for students to learn about their essential role as stewards of their local environment.

Splash is made possible by the generosity of organizations and individuals who support the mission of Splash to help children understand and value their natural world through scientific investigation and outdoor exploration.

Funding for development of this curriculum was provided by:

Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD)

City of Sacramento Department of Utilities

Sacramento County Department of Water Resources

This curriculum was developed by the following members of the Splash Team:

Greg Suba

Eva Butler

Charmaine Boulmay

Carol Witham

The Splash Team would like to acknowledge the assistance and contribution of photographs and artwork from:

David Rosen

The California Department of Water Resources

Carmel Kinsella Brown

Ken Davis

Ann Ranlett

Arleen Fadel

The Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Library

Thor Severson, Sacramento an Illustrated History: 1839 to 1874, published by the California Historical Society, 1973. (Photo credited to Sacramento Bee printing museum.)

Hank Stevens

Bruce J. Russell, BioMEDIA ASSOCIATES

Peter Ode, Sustainable Land Stewardship Program

Boquet River Association, NY (Stream food web concept)

The Tiber Creek Sewer Flush Gates, Washington, D.C.,” Engineering News and American Railway Journal, 8 February 1894.

Life in Our Watershed: Investigating Streams and Water Quality may be freely used for any educational or non-commercial purpose, but please leave the copyright symbol on all documents. Separate use of any of the photographs or illustrations contained within these documents requires the express permission of the photographer or artist.

Copyright © 2011, 2009, 2001-2002. Sacramento Splash 4426 Excelsior Road Mather, CA 95655 phone: 916-364-2437 email address: [email protected] www.sacsplash.org

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW Introduction 1

Table 1: Objectives and Assessment 2

Table 2: Workstation Supplies 3

Table 3: Task Timeline 4

Alignment to Science Standards 5

LESSON I: THE WATERSHED Objectives 7

Materials 7

Teacher Preparation 7

Procedures for Class 1 7

Instructor Notes 8

Additional Resources 11

Extensions 11

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Life History 12

LESSON II: LIFE IN OUR WATERSHED Objectives 13

Materials 13

Teacher preparation 13


Instructor Notes 14

Table 4: Sacramento County Runoff Pollutants 15

Procedures for Class 3,4 and 5 17

Instructor Notes 18


Extensions 19

LESSON III: IMPROVING LIFE IN OUR WATERSHED Objectives 20

Materials 20

Teacher Preparation 20



Instructor Notes 21


Extensions 22

Table 5: Community Design Assessment Rubric 23

Table 6: Design Elements for Community Planning 24

APPENDIX DVD Guide, Teaching Tips, Diagrams and Maps, Tests and Answer Keys

Table of Contents

© Sacramento Splash Life in Our Watershed 1

TEACHER’S MANUAL VERSION 5

Curriculum Overview

IntroductionLIFE IN OUR WATERSHED: INVESTIGATING STREAMS AND WATER QUALITY is a place-based curriculum that provides high school (or middle school) students with opportunities to learn about stream ecology, water quality and watershed stewardship in Sacramento County. Topics of discussion and activities focus on water: where it flows, what lives in it, how we pollute it, and how we can keep it clean. With increased understanding students can help to build a community that is knowledgeable and protective of its local streams and the life they support. The curriculum consists of the following three lessons:

LESSON I: THE WATERSHED - 1 class periodWhere water flows and what lives in it

Students learn about watersheds and basic stream ecology by observing, questioning, and speculating during activities, by viewing the instructional DVD, by reading text, and by listening during direct instruction.

LESSON II: LIVING IN THE WATERSHED - 4 class periodsThe effects of water quality on life in our creeks

Students learn about the impacts of runoff and wastewater on water quality. They demonstrate their understanding of the scientific method through an iterative set of Daphnia magna bioassay experiments, which show the effects of runoff pollutants on aquatic macroinvertebrates.

LESSON III: IMPROVING LIFE IN OUR WATERSHED - 2 class periodsLearning from the past to improve water quality for the future

Students take a historical look at water quality and explore ways to improve it. They collaborate in decision-making processes to design model communities on paper. Community designs integrate the principles discussed in LESSONS I and II with the values brought to each group by a diverse population of students.

DurationAt least 7 class periods (either 55 or 90 minutes)

For details, see TABLE 3: TASK TIMELINE (page 4).

MaterialsTeacher’s Manual 1 per teacher

THE LIVING WATERSHED DVD 1 per teacher

Student Handbooks 1 class set per teacher

Student Workbooks 1 per student

GUIDE TO STREAM BMIs 1 per 2 students

Workstation Supplies See TABLE 2: WORKSTATION SUPPLIES (page 3)



Goals1. To focus student learning on the higher order thinking skills of observation, exploration, and decision-making

by examining the impacts of runoff and wastewater on stream life.

2. To encourage students to build upon observational skills through activities that promote questioning, speculation, analysis, evaluation and consensus building.

3. To build awareness of watershed issues and encourage watershed stewardship.

4. To provide these opportunities to students of diverse cultural background and academic ability.

Table 1: Objectives and Assessment The curriculum objectives and their corresponding assessment tools are listed in the table below.

Objectives Lesson Assessment Tools

Increase understanding of:

• Watershed connections between water, land, people and water quality

• The diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates and their adaptations to stream habitats

• Energy transfer through food webs

• Types and sources of runoff contamination

• Pollution solutions for wastewater and runoff

• The history of wastewater treatment

I

I

I

II, III

II, III

III

Evaluate vocabulary in Workbook Scoring of three tests

Bioassessment lab and questions

Use maps to locate where you live in the watershed I Classwork and/or homework (optional)

Use dissecting microscopes Identify preserved benthic macroinvertebrates Calculate and interpret stream bioassessment data

I Teacher observations during labs and evaluation of Workbook Activity I

Use the scientific method to measure the effects of pollutants on aquatic macroinvertebrates

II Teacher evaluation of Workbook Activity II-A

Become familiar with the use of bioassays II Teacher observations during labs and evaluation of Workbook Activity II-B

Practice safe and proper laboratory techniques II Teacher observations during labs

Create a written record of laboratory observations II Teacher evaluation of Workbook Lab Report

Apply new concepts to the design of human communities III Teacher and student evaluations of design maps using assessment rubric

Work collaboratively in groups to complete time-dependent tasks III Teacher evaluation of student work groups’ performance

Develop note-taking and writing skills I-III Teacher evaluation of Student Workbook



Table 2: Workstation SuppliesThis table lists the supplies needed to prepare workstations for each activity.

Activity Class Materials Supplied by Splash

Yes No

Return to Splash

Yes No

I Class 1 Materials for 16 workstations:

16 preserved BMI specimens

16 BMI guides

16 petri dishes

70 % ethanol

16 dissecting scopes or magnifying glasses

II-A Class 2 Materials for 8 workstations:

24, 15 ml scintillation vials (clean and reuse)

1 liter tap water with red food coloring

1 liter tap water with blue food coloring

1 liter plain tap water

II-B Class 3

Class 4

Class 5

Materials for 8 workstations:

250 live Daphnia

72, 15 ml scintillation vials (9 per station)

16 pipettes (2 per station)

Scintillation vial tray or alternate containers

Carboy (to contain 500 ml of Daphnia media)

8 fine tip Sharpie® markers (1 per station)

Stream sample #1 (or other ambient water sample)

Stream sample #2 (or other ambient water sample)

III Class 6

Class 7

Materials for 8 workstations:

16, 11” x 17” grid sheets

colored pencils or markers



Lesson Class Tasks Time (minutes)

55 min. 90 min.

I 1 1. Watch all 5 DVD chapters about BMIs (See Appendix for DVD Guide) 15 15

2. Read CHAPTER I: THE WATERSHED 5 5

3. Observe BMIs under magnification, identify specimens, record data for Activity 1-Stream Bioassessment

20 30

4. Pool class data and perform calculations 10 10

5. Clean up lab station 5 5

6. Answer workbook questions for the mock bioassessment homework 25

7. Vocabulary I and Test I homework homework

II-A 2 1. Read pp 6-10 in CHAPTER II: LIVING IN THE WATERSHED 10 10

2. Watch Daphnia section of DAPHNIA STUDY on DVD 5 5

3. Brainstorm bioassay Experimental Design in groups 15 15

4. Compare bioassay Experiment Designs as a class 15 15

5. Watch Daphnia Bioassay section of DAPHNIA STUDY on DVD 5 5

6. Vocabulary II-A and Test II-A homework 20

II-B 3 1. Review Daphnia Bioassay segment of DVD 5 5

2. Set up Daphnia bioassays in work groups 50 60

3. Complete Lab Report through Data Table entries for Day 1 homework 20

4 1. Read/discuss page 11, CHAPTER II: LIVING IN THE WATERSHED 20 20

2. Each group conducts the Day 2 data collection 15 15

3. Discussion, direct instruction, and/or start Lesson III 20 55

5 1. Complete bioassay data collection 10 10

2. Clean up all materials for re-use or return to Splash 20 25

3. Perform calculations, plot and analyze data 15 20

4. Complete Lab Report 10 15

5. Vocabulary II-B and Test II-B homework 20

III 6 1. Read CHAPTER III: IMPROVING LIFE IN OUR WATERSHED 10 15

2. Discuss urban runoff pollution reduction; note taking 10 10

3. Discuss Activity Assessment Rubric; note taking 5 10

4. Design creekside community in groups 30* 45

5. Vocabulary III homework 10

7 1. Assess group designs per Activity Assessment Rubric 15 15

2. Discuss group designs as class; note taking 20 20

3. Test III 20 20

4. Extensions 0 35

Table 3: Task Timeline This table suggests minimum times for each task for a 55-minute class or a 90-minute class.

*For 55-minute periods Task 4 in Class 6 can be continued into Class 7 (by reducing Class 7 tasks accordingly).



Alignment to Science StandardsLIFE IN OUR WATERSHED: INVESTIGATING STREAMS AND WATER QUALITY is aligned with the California State Educational Science Standards listed below.

GRADES 9 THROUGH 12

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCESEcology

6. Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

a. Biodiversity is the sum total of different kinds of organisms, and is affected by alterations of habitats.

b. How to analyze changes in an ecosystem as a result of changes in climate, human activity, or introduction of non-native species.

f. A vital part of an ecosystem is the stability of its producers and decomposers.

g. At each link in a food web, some energy is stored in newly made structures but much is dissipated into the environment as heat. This can be represented in a food pyramid.

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY9. The geology of California underlies the state’s wealth of natural resources as well as its natural hazards. As a

basis for understanding this concept, students know:

c. The importance of water to society, the origins of California’s fresh water, and the relationship between supply and need.

INVESTIGATION AND EXPERIMENTATION1. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for

understanding this concept, and to address the content of the other four strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

b. Identify and communicate the sources of error inherent in experimental design.

c. Identify discrepant results and identify possible sources of error or uncontrolled conditions.

d. Formulate and revise explanations using logic and evidence.

m. Investigate a science-based societal issue by researching the literature, analyzing data where appropriate and communicating their findings. Examples include irradiations of food, cloning of animals by somatic cell, nuclear transfer, choice of energy sources, and land and water use decisions (including California).

GRADE 6

ECOLOGY (LIFE SCIENCES) 5. Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. As a

basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis and then from organism to organism through food webs.

b. Students know matter is transferred over time from one organism to others in the food web and between organisms and the physical environment.



INVESTIGATION AND EXPERIMENTATION7. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Develop a hypothesis.

b. Select and use appropriate tools and technology (including calculators, computers, balances, spring scales, microscopes, and binoculars) to perform tests, collect data, and display data.

c. Construct appropriate graphs from data and develop qualitative statements about the relationships between variables.

d. Communicate the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations.

e. Recognize whether evidence is consistent with a proposed explanation.

GRADE 7

GENETICS2. A typical cell of any organism contains genetic instructions that specify its traits. Those traits may be modified

by environmental influences. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know the differences between the life cycles and reproduction methods of sexual and asexual organisms.

INVESTIGATION AND EXPERIMENTATION 7. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for

understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Select and use appropriate tools and technology (including calculators, computers, balances, spring scales, microscopes, and binoculars) to perform tests, collect data, and display data.

c. Communicate the logical connection among hypotheses, science concepts, tests conducted, data collected, and conclusions drawn from the scientific evidence.

e. Communicate the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations.

GRADE 8

INVESTIGATION AND EXPERIMENTATION9. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for

understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test a hypothesis.

b. Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data.

c. Distinguish between variable and controlled parameters in a test.

e. Construct appropriate graphs from data and develop quantitative statements about the relationships between variables.



Lesson I: The Watershed

Objectives1. To introduce the concept of watersheds, surface water and groundwater

2. To introduce the concept of streams as ecosystems

3. To present the concept that clean water supports abundant life

4. To explore macroinvertebrate physiology and life history

5. To use a dissecting microscope to observe preserved specimens

6. To use a pictorial key to identify specimens

7. To generate environmental data and analyze data trends

Materials16 preserved benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs)

16 BMI guides - GUIDE TO STREAM BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES

16 petri dishes

16 dissecting microscopes or magnifying glasses

Teacher Preparation1. To prepare for Activity I, review:

a. TABLE 3: TASK TIMELINE (page 4)

b. Chapter I in the Student Handbook

c. Student Workbook pages for Activity I

2. Read the Instructor Notes for assistance with your direct instruction.

3. Visit the Splash website at http://www.sacsplash.org/streaminfo.htm for a list of URLs and other helpful information.

4. Make an overhead or class set of the SACRAMENTO COUNTY CREEKS MAP (See Appendix of this manual or page 3 of the Student Handbook).

5. Make a transparency of the BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE LIFE HISTORY (page 12)

6. Fill 16 petri dishes with tap water and completely submerge one preserved BMI in each one. Set up 16 workstations with the materials listed under Activity I in TABLE 2: WORKSTATION SUPPLIES (page 3).



Procedures for Class 11. Hand out a Student Workbook to each student. Explain that all work for the unit will be recorded in the

Workbook, with the exception of tests.

2. Loan a Student Handbook to each student. Instruct them not to write in the Handbooks or remove them from the classroom because they will be used by other classes.

3. Prepare to watch the first 5 DVD segments about BMIs with your class using the GUIDE FOR VIEWING THE LIVING WATERSHED DVD (see Appendix). Then have students read from the Student Handbook, CHAPTER I: THE WATERSHED.

4. Using an overhead of the SACRAMENTO COUNTY CREEKS MAP (see Appendix), locate the school or students’ homes on the map. Optional: For homework, distribute copies of this map and direct students to find their homes using other reference maps. See extensions on page 11.

5. Students begin Activity I in their Student Workbooks.

6. Observe a preserved BMI specimen under magnification and use the BMI Guides to identify and record information about each specimen. (Note: BMIs are identified in the guide by both their taxonomic name and their common name. It is recommended that instructors focus on the common name to facilitate subsequent discussion.)

7. Once all specimens have been identified, determine a Tolerance Value for Stream X by pooling lab station information and performing the necessary calculations.

8. Clean up workstations. Return preserved specimens to vials and refill with 70% ethanol.

9. Assign the questions on page 3 of the Student Workbook as homework or monitor as an in-class assignment.

10. Assign Vocabulary I and Test I as homework.

Instructor NotesBMI Bioassessment

The mock bioassessment presented in LESSON I is a greatly simplified example of how an actual bioassessment is performed. However, the basic steps are similar to a real bioassessment. The assessor samples a stream, identifies the BMIs, and calculates metrics based on the identified specimens. These metric values are then compared to values derived from the same stream over time. If possible, the data are also compared to values from a healthy reference stream. LESSON I introduces the concept of bioassessment to students by engaging them in a short lab activity. With help from Splash, students or classes can join community groups to assist in actual bioassessment of local streams.

A complete bioassessment procedure differs from the LESSON I example. The simplistic YES or NO answers solicited in LESSON I illustrate the concept but do not constitute a valid stream bioassessment. To determine verifiable changes in stream conditions, a bioassessment typically requires the identification of 100 to 900 BMI specimens per stream sampling site, versus only 16 in LESSON I. Additionally, several different metrics are compared over time to assess stream conditions, versus only the single metric (Tolerance Value) used in LESSON I. A full BMI bioassessment requires proper experimental design, appropriate statistical analyses to test a hypothesis, and the collection and analysis of years of data.



Watersheds

A watershed is defined as an area of land that drains water to a common stream. This water (runoff) carries with it sediment (soil) and other suspended and dissolved materials. The type and amount of these materials are dictated by land uses within each area of the watershed. Watersheds range from the largest river basins (such as the Sacramento River) to smaller stream drainages that encompass only a few acres. Some of the larger watersheds that contribute runoff to the Sacramento River Watershed include the Yuba River, the Bear River, the American River, and the Cosumnes River watersheds.

Some of the smaller watersheds in the Sacramento region that contribute runoff to the Sacramento River include Laguna Creek, Morrison Creek, Dry Creek, and Arcade Creek. Each of these creeks has many smaller tributaries. In urbanized areas, the flow of many tributaries has been directed into underground drainage pipes, so they are no longer functional stream ecosystems. In rural areas, natural creeks are often converted to drainage ditches and realigned to flow around fields and along property lines.

Energy and Food Webs

Energy cycles into, through and out of an ecosystem via the plants and animals living in it. In an unshaded river or stream, the sun’s energy is added to the ecosystem when aquatic plants photosynthesize. In a shaded stream, the sun’s energy enters the ecosystem when leaves from overhanging trees drop into the water. In both cases, plants capture the sun’s energy and convert it to a form that aquatic animals can use. Aquatic macroinvertebrates consume the algae and diatoms that grow in streams, the leaf litter that falls into streams, and one another. Fish feed on the aquatic macroinvertebrates. Energy can leave the aquatic ecosystem through various routes as well. For example, aquatic insects fly away and land animals such as raccoons eat clams, crayfish and macroinvertebrates. The food web diagram on page 5 of the Student Handbook is included in the Appendix of this manual.

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

Some aquatic macroinvertebrates, such as clams, midge larvae and dragonfly nymphs, are adapted to the quiet pools and lentic (slow-moving) areas of streams. The water flea Daphnia magna is also found in lentic conditions, drifting in the water column like plankton. Such planktonic species are better adapted for life in quiet waters (lakes and ponds) than in streams.

Most stream macroinvertebrates are benthic (bottom-dwelling) and are accustomed to crawling on or attaching to the river bottom. Many of these are insect larvae. Some spend their whole lives in the water. Others begin life under water, then sprout wings, fly away to mate, and return to the water to lay their eggs and die. The diagram on page 12 of this manual illustrates the basic physiology and life history of some common benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs).

Most BMIs live on and under rocks, logs, roots, and other suitable substrates. They are adapted to swiftly moving (lotic) water. Some lotic species of BMIs filter small particles out of the water, while others scrape and scavenge food wherever they can find it. There are predatory species too – macroinvertebrates that eat microscopic life or other macroinvertebrates.

All BMIs need some way to absorb oxygen from the surrounding water. Some BMIs absorb it through their soft skin. Others have gills, which come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They can be located under their legs, along their sides, or at the end of their abdomen.

Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Life History

A BMI spends most of its life cycle as an immature insect under water. During the aquatic immature stage, it feeds, grows and eventually develops into a reproductively viable adult. Maturation to adulthood can take as little as two weeks or as long as several years, depending upon the species and the environmental conditions. During maturation, BMIs undergo a series of physical changes, a process called metamorphosis. Species either undergo incomplete metamorphosis or complete metamorphosis.

A species that develops by incomplete metamorphosis changes gradually from the immature form to the adult. The nymph (juvenile) molts its exuviae (skin) several times as it matures. After each molt the nymph becomes larger and



has more characteristics in common with the adult form. Each stage between molts is called an instar. The number of instars is the same for a particular species, but can vary between species. The last molt produces an adult that is capable of reproduction. BMIs that undergo incomplete metamorphosis include dragonflies, damselflies, and mayflies.

When a species undergoes complete metamorphosis, there is an abrupt change from the immature form to the adult. As with incomplete metamorphosis, the larva (juvenile) molts its exuviae several times as it grows. However, each larval instar is similar to the last and has few, if any, characteristics in common with the adult. Most of the changes occur during an instar called the pupa. During the pupal phase, the tissue and organs completely rearrange themselves. The adult that emerges from the pupa generally has no resemblance to its earlier larval phase. BMIs that undergo complete metamorphosis include mosquitoes, midges, and beetles.

BMIs generally emerge as adults in the spring, though some species emerge in the fall. Most adult BMIs have wings that allow them to disperse and find mates. The primary function of the adults is to mate and deposit eggs in a suitable area of the stream to continue the species for another generation. Some species have poorly developed mouthparts as adults and are unable to feed. Others such as dragonflies and damselflies are voracious predators.

Life History of Daphnia magna Like other crustaceans, the carapace (shell) of Daphnia magna does not grow. The organism can grow only by molting (shedding) the old carapace and forming a new, larger one. Because Daphnia need their carapace for protection and for muscle attachment, a new carapace is grown under the old one before the Daphnia molts. Within minutes of shedding the old carapace, the Daphnia takes in large amounts of water, swelling its body and stretching the new carapace before it can harden. Daphnia thus grow in spurts, with each molt resulting in a significantly larger body. Between molts the absorbed water is gradually released as it is replaced by muscle and other tissues.

Daphnia usually reproduce by parthenogenesis – females produce diploid eggs that develop into young without fertilization by males. Males are not present in the population for much of the year. As long as environmental conditions remain favorable, females will continue to reproduce in this manner, producing only female offspring capable of asexual reproduction. Each time a parthenogenic adult female molts, she releases developed juveniles from the brood chamber under her carapace into the surrounding water. A new clutch of eggs is then released from the ovary into the brood chamber under the newly formed carapace. Daphnia generally undergo several molts during their lifetime, releasing juveniles with each molt.

If environmental conditions deteriorate due to overcrowding, lack of food, or oxygen depletion, sexually differentiated diploid eggs are produced. These develop into males and females capable of sexual reproduction. Scientists do not yet understand exactly how this takes place. But because the sex of the diploid egg is determined only an hour before it is released into the brood chamber, Daphnia can respond very quickly to changing environmental conditions.

The females capable of sexual reproduction have modified carapaces that are thicker and darker than a regular carapace. These females produce haploid eggs that must be fertilized by males. The fertilized eggs go through several cell divisions, then enter a resting stage during which cell division stops.

The thick dorsal portion of the female’s carapace, the ephippium, contains the resting embryos. The ephippium is shed when the female next molts. The embryos are protected by the ephippium, enabling them to survive extended periods of unfavorable conditions, such as drying or freezing. In this manner, Daphnia populations survive until environmental conditions are again favorable for the embryos to develop and break free of the ephippia.

Ephippia are also a means of dispersal. They can be carried to new habitats by the wind or in the fur, feathers or digestive tracts of animals. The ephippia of many different species of Water Fleas can end up in vernal pools, ponds, lakes, and other depressions that fill with water. If conditions are favorable for the particular species that lands in the new habitat, the embryos develop quickly into females that will reproduce parthenogenically.



BMIs as Water Quality Indicators

Stream ecologists (and trained volunteers) can determine the quality of a stream by sampling BMIs from stream bottoms. Each BMI is adapted to thrive under certain living conditions. Most species of mayflies and caddisflies must have clean water to live. Some species of midges (mosquitoes, gnats and other small flies) are tolerant of sediment and polluted conditions. Other species of midges need clean water.

Ecologists can compare BMI samples from a given stream to those from a similar, clean reference stream. By knowing the water quality and habitat needs of different groups and species of macroinvertebrates, people can use BMIs to determine if a stream has recently been impacted by pollution or habitat disturbance. Bioassessment can also be used to monitor a stream over time, or to compare stream quality above and below discharges or habitat disturbances, such as gravel mining and vineyard development.

Additional ResourcesVisit www.sacsplash.org/waterqualitylinks for a list of URLs with information about watersheds, aquatic macroinvertebrates and bioassessment.

ExtensionsA link to an interactive watershed map for Sacramento County streams can be found at http://www.sacsplash.org/waterqualitylinks. By clicking on any spot on the map of Sacramento County, students can determine within which watershed it lies. A more detailed map of the area then pops up that includes roads. This site is a good tool for finding your place in the watershed.



Benthic Macroinvertebrate Life History

Incomplete Metamorphosis

© Illustrations by Peter Ode courtesy of Sustainable Land Stewardship Institute.

Adult(terrestrial)

Eggs(aquatic)

Nymph(aquatic)

Complete Metamorphosis

Adult(aquatic)

Eggs(aquatic)

Larva(aquatic)

Pupa(aquatic or terrestrial)



Lesson II: Living in Our Watershed

Objectives1. To introduce the concepts of runoff contaminants and water pollution

2. To describe the process of wastewater treatment

3. To learn the scientific method by conducting a bioassay

4. To demonstrate the proper design, execution, and recording of an experiment

Materials

Experiment Design, Activity II-AMaterials for 8 workstations

24, 15 ml scintillation vials, without caps (3 per station)

1 liter mock Pollutant #1 (red tap water)

1 liter mock Pollutant #2 (blue tap water)

1 liter mock clean water (plain tap water) - the control

Daphnia Bioassay, Activity II-BMaterials for 8 workstations

250 live Daphnia magna (27 per station)

72, 15 ml scintillation vials (9 per station)

16 pipettes (2 per station)

8 markers, fine tip Sharpie® (1 per station)

2 scintillation vial trays/or similar containers

500 ml carboy of Daphnia media (clean water) for control

Stream sample #1 (obtained by teacher/students)

Stream sample #2 (obtained by teacher/students)

Teacher Preparation1. To prepare for Activity II, review:


b. CHAPTER II in the Student Handbook

c. Student Workbook pages for Activity II-A and II-B

2. Watch the two sections of the DAPHNIA STUDY segment of the DVD.


4. Go to the Splash website at www.sacsplash.org/waterqualitylinks for links to additional resources and an up-to-date list of URLs and links to additional resources.



Procedures for Class 21. Set up 8 workstations for Activity II-A.

2. Have students read from the Student Handbook, CHAPTER II: LIVING IN THE WATERSHED.

3. Watch the Daphnia section (from the DAPHNIA STUDY segment) of the DVD with your class. Discuss. Add direct instruction as necessary.

4. Read through Activity II-A. Direct students to get into work groups to conduct the “thought experiment,” in the Student Workbook: DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT.

5. Compare experiment designs as a class.

6. Watch the DAPHNIA BIOASSAY section (from the DAPHNIA STUDY segment) of the DVD with your class.

7. Decide on a common experiment design for the class bioassay. Decide on or assign locations for sample collection.

8. Have students clean up their workstations. Wash scintillation vials for the next activity.

9. Assign Vocabulary II-A and Test II-A for homework or monitor as an in-class activity.

Instructor NotesRunoff

Creeks in urbanized areas in and around Sacramento County are very vulnerable to the impacts of urban runoff. Chemical contaminants can be toxic to aquatic organisms such as algae, macroinvertebrates and fish. Sediment also impacts aquatic organisms by changing their habitat. Even if the water were free of chemical toxins, a cover of sediment over the nooks and crannies of gravel and stones on the bottom would leave the benthic (bottom-dwelling) macroinvertebrates with no place to hold on, hide or feed. Without these macroinvertebrates, fish have no food. Whether the impacts are from chemical toxicity, sediment, or both, urban runoff dramatically alters the food web, ultimately causing collapse of the stream ecosystem.

For many years water quality agencies in the Sacramento region have sampled our urban runoff and streams to identify water contaminants and track down their sources. Teams of engineers and scientists have analyzed thousands of samples for chemicals and have used bioassays to look for signs of toxicity. Their work has resulted in identification of key runoff pollutants, presented in TABLE 4: SACRAMENTO COUNTY RUNOFF POLLUTANTS (page 15). Based on additional toxicity testing, this list was narrowed down to the POLLUTANTS OF CONCERN presented on page 17 of the Student Handbook. These pollutants of concern are the focus of urban runoff clean-up efforts in the greater Sacramento area.



Pollutant Source

Sediment Soil washed from construction sites, roadways, and areas where vegetation has been removed or reduced

Pesticides: insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides

Spraying of yards; dumping left-over spray down storm drains; household and agricultural use of diazinon and chlorpyrifos (Dursban®) and pyrethroids

Nutrients Chemical fertilizers, manure, pet waste

Oil and gasoline, PAHs (Poly-aromatic Hydrocarbons)

Oil and gas leaking from cars, trucks and gas stations; illegal dumping of used oil into storm drains; engine exhaust

Heavy metals: Copper

Zinc

Lead

Mercury

Copper from brake linings

Zinc from tire wear; zinc from galvanized metals

Mercury mines and historic use in gold extraction; urban sources including human waste (from dental fillings), dental offices, broken thermometers and fluorescent tubes, batteries, broken mercury switches (autos), detergents and bleach

Fecal coliform bacteria Cat and dog feces washing down storm drains

Temperature Impervious surfaces increase air and ground temperatures which increase the temperature of runoff during rainstorms

Trash Wrappers, paper, plastic, cigarette butts

Table 4: Sacramento County Runoff Pollutants (Provided on page 17 of the Student Workbook)

The Role of Chemical Analysis

Chemical analysis seeks to identify the concentrations of selected chemicals found in the water. Limitations of this method of measuring water quality include: (1) it can only detect chemicals present at the time of sampling; (2) the tests cannot detect some chemicals that are toxic at extremely low levels; (3) investigators must select which tests to run; and (4) each test is expensive.

For many years municipalities in the Sacramento area monitored urban runoff and streams for a broad range of possible runoff contaminants. Much of their attention was on heavy metals, including mercury, because high levels of mercury are commonly found in the Sacramento River. Some forms of mercury are ingested by aquatic life and passed up the food web. Mercury bio-accumulates in fish tissue, resulting in fish with accumulated mercury levels that are toxic to humans and wildlife.

The chemical analyses identified that urban runoff (and treated wastewater) were less significant sources of mercury than abandoned mines – both from mercury mines themselves and from gold mines where the mercury was used to extract gold from ore in the Sierra Nevada, foothills and Coast Ranges. Mercury is now found throughout the Sacramento River watershed, settled within the rocks and sediments of stream and river bottoms. Today gold dredgers commonly suck up globs of the liquid, heavy metal from stream bottoms.



The Role of Bioassays

Local stormwater managers use bioassays to assess the toxicity of urban runoff and to measure its impact on local streams. In the 1990s bioassays helped them identify which pollutants cause toxicity and the sources of those pollutants. This sleuthing required three different bioassays to measure toxicity to the three main groups of aquatic organisms: algae, macroinvertebrates and vertebrates. The test organisms were an alga, a water flea and a minnow, respectively. Technicians placed these organisms in samples of runoff and/or stream water for several days under controlled conditions.

Perhaps the most important result of the bioassays and subsequent analyses was the discovery of toxicity to the water flea (Ceriodaphnia dubia) during the winter months. In an attempt to track down the source, professional scientists and volunteers collected samples of rainwater, runoff and creek water throughout the Sacramento region. Volunteers placed glass lasagna pans in their backyards to collect rain for the bioassays. Not only did the creek and runoff samples kill the Ceriodaphnia in the lab, so did the rainwater itself!

This toxicity was eventually attributed to two widely used insecticides – diazinon and chlorpyrifos (pronounced clor pie´ ri fos). By the 1990s, approximately 50,000 pounds of diazinon were applied every year within the urban areas of Sacramento County. Chlorpyrifos (a.k.a. Dursban® and Lorsban®) was the most heavily used pesticide in the country. It was used to control insect pests on many crops, plus fleas and other insects common to homes and yards. Sacramento homeowners were one obvious source of the pesticides, but diazinon and chlorpyrifos were literally raining down on Sacramento. Where was the toxic rain coming from?

The source turned out to be the orchards of San Joaquin County and the southern Central Valley. Some of the diazinon and chlorpyrifos sprayed on orchards in winter volatilized into small droplets that mixed with fog. As winter fog moved up the Central Valley, the diazinon moved with it. Rain pulled the pesticide out of the air and delivered it to the Sacramento area. It didn’t take much to impact water quality: one teaspoon of diazinon can make 2.5 million gallons of water toxic to aquatic organisms like water fleas. Such evidence of significant toxicity led the USEPA to phase out the use of these two chemicals in the United States.

Ceriodaphnia dubia, a European water flea, is used for bioassays in professional water quality laboratories because it is very sensitive to pollution. The LESSON II bioassay uses Daphnia magna because it is easier to grow and occurs locally. However, Daphnia magna is more tolerant of pollution than Ceriodaphnia, so it is a less sensitive indicator of toxic conditions. Therefore, if a water sample proves to be non-toxic to Daphnia magna in a bioassay, it might still be toxic to species that are less pollutant-tolerant.

Testing for Bacteria

Most fecal coliform bacteria found in streams do not come from human waste but from pet, livestock or wild animal feces. Most forms of coliform bacteria are not harmful to humans but their presence in surface waters is an indicator of the potential presence of other microbial pathogens that can co-occur in contaminated water.

Designing an Experiment

Activity II-A is a “thought experiment” to illustrate the purpose of controls and replicates in an experiment. A properly executed “thought experiment” will include: (1) a control consisting of Daphnia in mock clean water (plain tap water) to represent optimal living conditions; and (2) the variables of the experiment consisting of the mock pollutants (red water and blue water). This design allows Daphnia mortality that is related to exposure to polluted water (the variables) to be compared against any mortality that occurs under optimal conditions (the control), unrelated to the treatment.

A properly designed “thought experiment” will also include replicate vials for each treatment. A minimum of three replicates is needed to obtain a statistically significant experimental result. Replicates increase the statistical significance of results by accounting for the normal variability of response that can be expected within any population of Daphnia. Replicates also guard against experimental catastrophe, e.g., spilling treatment vials during the experiment.



Procedures for Class 3, 4 and 51. Set up the 8 workstations for Activity II-B.

a. Use the Daphnia media as the control (Control).

b. Use stream sample #1 as Sample 1.

c. Use stream sample #2 as Sample 2.

2. Review the Experiment Design method agreed upon in Class 2 by watching / reviewing the DAPHNIA BIOASSAY segment (from the DAPHNIA STUDY chapter) of the DVD.

3. Provide direct instruction for setting up the bioassay based on the Procedures and Instructor Notes. Students take notes.

a. Assign each work group a number (or letter), 1 through 8 (or A through H). Each group sets up a Daphnia magna bioassay.

b. Set up three replicates for each of the three treatments for a total of 9 vials per bioassay.

c. Using a Sharpie®, label each vial in a vertical line running from the threads of the vial to its bottom, so the label will not obscure the contents during counting. Each label must include a number for the: Work Group (G1-G8 or GA- GH), Control or Sample (C, S1, S2) and Replicate (R1-R3). The table below provides an example of a numbering protocol to be used by Group 1 (G1) to label its vials:

d. Add 15.0 ml of the appropriate water to each of the labeled vials. Assign one student per group of four to conduct this quick task. The same student can be reassigned to help with Step 3(e) or 3(f).

e. Add three (3) Daphnia juveniles per vial. (See BIOASSAY under INSTRUCTOR NOTES.) Assign two students per group of four to this task.

f. Check to insure that three (3) live, juvenile Daphnia have been placed in each vial. Assign two students per group of four to this task.

g. Place the vials uncovered in the vial tray for two days, during which time the Daphnia will be counted.

4. Complete Sections I through V of the Lab Report form, and enter Day 1 values in the Data Table in Section VI.

5. The next day (Day 2) count survivors for approximately 10-15 minutes and record the counts in the Data Table under Day 2. Ideally counts will be performed at approximately the same time as the bioassay began on Day 1.

6. On Day 3 perform the final counts and record data in the Data Table under Day 3.

Treatments Example Labels for Group 1

Control water = Daphnia media (3 replicates) G1 C R1

G1 C R12

G1 C R3

Stream sample 1 (3 replicates) G1 S1 R1

G1 S1 R2

G1 S1 R3

Stream sample 2 (3 replicates) G1 S2 R1

G1 S2 R2

G1 S2 R2



7. Break down workstations and clean vials for reuse (rinse in water only; use clean test tube brush to remove debris).

8. Students calculate the Percent (%) Survival for each day, graph the results, and provide a written description of the results in Section VI of the Lab Report. Students complete Lab Report.

Note: Instructors may want to have students pool same-sample data from different groups, throw out any data indicating greater than 100% survival, then average the remaining data to obtain results before graphing.

9. Students will interpret their results in the Conclusions section. Prompt students to state whether or not their results agree with their hypothesis, and to speculate why they do or do not agree.

10. Assign Vocabulary II-B as homework.

11. Administer Test II-B in class at a time of your choice.

Instructor NotesBioassay

Ambient water samples for the bioassay may be collected from a nearby creek, ditch, gutter or drain. However, you should be careful not to expose students to potentially hazardous waters. Samples should be passed through a filter or net to remove extraneous aquatic organisms. Recommendations for collecting and storing ambient water samples are available via the Splash website at http://www.sacsplash.org/waterqualitylinks.

Juvenile Daphnia are used for the bioassay because Daphnia adults are apt to reproduce during the course of the bioassay and distort the results. The juveniles are quite small and tend to congregate closer to the surface than the adults. The adults, which are all female, are larger and often have eggs or young in their brood chamber.

Students should take care to pipette only live specimens into treatment vials, and to do so as gently as possible. Emphasize to students that loading the same number of Daphnia into each vial is critical to the accuracy of their results. Ask one member of each group to ensure that three live, juvenile Daphnia have indeed been loaded into each of the nine (9) vials.

To minimize stress to the Daphnia, squeeze the bulb of the pipette before placing the pipette tip into the water. Slowly release pressure on the bulb to gently suck the Daphnia into the pipette. To expel the Daphnia into the treatment vials, keep the pipette tip below the water surface and slowly squeeze the bulb.

Students should be taught that percent survival values less than control values might indicate the possible presence of toxins in the water sample. Percent survival values greater than control values typically indicate experimental error. Such error commonly stems from a failure to select juvenile Daphnia during set-up. Mature Daphnia can reproduce during the experiment, yielding more individuals at the end of the experiment than at the beginning.

The bioassay protocol outlined in LESSON II is not sufficiently rigorous to determine whether the sample water would be toxic to other aquatic life, as the data cannot be directly extrapolated to other species. However, interpretation of the data can lead to valuable discussion about the relative sensitivity of species to a given pollutant. The higher pollution tolerance of Daphnia magna, relative to the Ceriodaphnia used in professional bioassay laboratories, may be discussed in this context, if desired.

Like bioassessment using BMI sampling, the results of a simple bioassay can indicate that additional monitoring is warranted to further evaluate water quality. Both assessment tools can identify areas of concern to target them for additional attention. This screening-level assessment directs the limited funding for water quality monitoring to those places where it is most needed. More rigorous bioassay methods can then be used to identify the specific causes and sources of toxicity.



Additional ResourcesVisit http://www.sacsplash.org/waterqualitylinks for a list of URLs and links to additional information about wastewater, stormwater and water quality assessment. If available, opportunities to participate in other bioassay programs are also listed.

ExtensionsChallenge students to find out what happened after diazinon and chlorpyrifos were found to be so toxic to aquatic life. Search the Internet for discussions of these chemicals and their regulation.

Monitor current water levels in a stream near you in real-time through the storm stage link at http://www.sacsplash.org/waterqualitylinks.

“Antibacterial” and other antibiotic chemicals in household products present a new challenge for environmental and human health. Your students can discover much about their world by examining this controversy through the Internet and other information sources. Challenge your students to research the ultimate fate of antibiotic chemicals, such as fluoroquinolone, triclosan, and silver nanoparticles, which are added to many soaps, cleaning products, and even clothes. Stimulate discussion and research with prompts such as:

• Where do these chemicals go after we use these products?

• How might these chemicals affect living things in streams that receive wastewater or stormwater discharges?

• How are wastewater engineers dealing with them?

• How might our use of these products affect the health of the human population?

• How does your new awareness of this issue influence your own product choices?



Lesson III: Improving Life in Our Watershed

Objectives1. To introduce a history of wastewater

2. To identify the primary urban runoff pollutants and their sources

3. To increase awareness of ways to decrease urban runoff and its effects

4. To provide an opportunity for students to find creative ways to lessen the impacts of human development on neighborhood streams

Materials11” x 17” grid sheets (one sheet per group)

pencils

rulers

colored pencils/pens

Teacher Preparation1. To prepare for Activity III, review:


b. CHAPTER III in the Student Handbook

c. Student Workbook pages for Activity III and the Assessment Rubric (page 23)


3. Check the Splash website at www.sacsplash.org/waterqualitylinks for a list of additional resources and other helpful information.

4. Refer to TABLE 6: DESIGN ELEMENTS FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING (page 24). This table also appears on page 16 of the Student Workbook.

5. Make a transparency or class set of TABLE 5: COMMUNITY DESIGN ASSESSMENT RUBRIC (page 23) to review expectations for Activity III.



Procedures for Class 61. Have students read from the Student Handbook, CHAPTER III: IMPROVING LIFE IN OUR WATERSHED.

2. Provide direct instruction and conduct class discussion on urban runoff pollution reduction. Students take notes.

3. Discuss the activity and the Assessment Rubric. Students take notes.

a. The Student Workbook provides step-by-step instructions for the students to complete Activity III. Read these as a class so everyone will be clear on what to do.

b. Establish your assessment expectations for this project before group work begins. TABLE 5: COMMUNITY DESIGN ASSESSMENT RUBRIC (page 23) may be used as an assessment tool or as a template from which your class can create its own rubric. Creating a rubric will produce a lot of discussion, so plan your time accordingly.

4. Divide students into 16 work groups; distribute materials, and direct students to design their communities.

a. Encourage students to brainstorm design elements using the table on page 18 of the Student Handbook, WAYS TO DECREASE URBAN RUNOFF POLLUTION. Challenge their creativity.

b. Refer students to page 16 in their Student Workbook, DESIGN ELEMENTS FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING.

5. Assign Vocabulary III for homework.

Procedures for Class 71. Assess the designs according to TABLE 5: COMMUNITY DESIGN ASSESSMENT RUBRIC (page 23).

2. Conduct class discussion of the designs. (See Appendix A for Teacher Tips.)

3. Administer Test III in class.

Instructor NotesActivity III challenges students to design a community that accommodates human development while reducing potential impacts to a nearby stream. This activity provides an opportunity for students to integrate information learned during LESSONS I, II AND III. At this point students should be aware of the ways human activities can impact runoff quality and streams, especially in urban environments. These are listed in page 16 in the Student Workbook, DESIGN ELEMENTS FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING. This information can be used for direct instruction, to stimulate classroom discussion, and/or to establish minimum requirements for students’ community designs.

Improving Water Quality

The cost of removing heavy metals from water is very high. Modern wastewater treatment plants excel at removing many pollutants but heavy metals are particularly challenging. It would cost Sacramento taxpayers more than one billion dollars to install the technology to remove trace amounts of mercury that remain after wastewater is treated. This is equivalent to charging every person in Sacramento $1,000 to achieve little improvement in water quality in the Sacramento River, which receives this wastewater effluent. If directed at large mercury sources that flow from historic gold mining operations, this same investment could actually reduce mercury concentrations in the Sacramento River.

This is just one example of how controlling contamination at its source is often a more effective way to improve ambient water quality. Likewise, it is more cost-effective for residents of the watershed to keep mercury out of their wastewater, than it is to send it to the treatment plant for removal. Some household products contain mercury, such as non-digital thermostats and thermometers, and new compact fluorescent bulbs. By following appropriate procedures for disposal, we can keep this mercury out of wastewater and stormwater. More information is available at www.bemercuryfree.net/.



Preventing Pollution

Education can go a long way toward improving runoff quality. Many special events and outreach programs are conducted by the local stormwater and wastewater agencies. Each year certain industries are targeted for outreach to train their workers to keep pollutants out of runoff and streams. Likewise, construction workers are being taught methods to keep soil from getting into runoff at construction sites. Special events conducted by community organizations and government agencies highlight the values of our local creeks and provide opportunities for citizens to improve them, including:

• Cleaning up trash along streams

• Stenciling storm drains with “No Dumping Flows to River”

• Removing invasive, non-native plants from stream corridors

• Conducting water quality monitoring and bioassessment of local streams

• Reporting illegal dumping into storm drains or creeks, and monitoring construction sites for erosion

Helping Habitat

Even if we were to succeed in preventing all runoff contamination, many streams would still be degraded from other impacts on habitat. The loss of stream habitat is often the result of decisions made when land use changes, especially urban developments, are initially designed. Typically very little natural vegetation is left between creeks and other uses to buffer the impacts of the urbanizing landscape on the stream ecosystem. Runoff that once flowed through swales and streams is put into underground pipes or straight channels to move it quickly out of our neighborhoods. Much of the natural vegetation and wetlands that once filtered runoff within watersheds has been removed to increase development acreage. When this happens, sediment, nutrients and other contaminants from runoff flow directly into the streams. New communities must be designed with streams in mind if we are to improve life in our watershed.

Recycling Water

It is no secret that California has a limited supply of water. Sacramento’s water managers are finding ways to keep more of our water right here. Rather than sending all of its treated wastewater effluent down the Sacramento River, the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is now recycling some of it. Some non-potable (non-drinkable), fully-treated effluent is carried by a separate system of purple pipes to irrigate street medians, commercial landscaping, parks and schoolyards. Recycling treated effluent saves our cleanest water for household use rather than wasting it on irrigation.

Additional ResourcesVisit http://www.sacsplash.org/waterqualitylinks for a list of URLs that provide additional information about decreasing runoff pollution, recycling water, and volunteering to help improve local streams and habitat.

ExtensionsEncourage your students to become involved in local stewardship efforts or invent their own. They can adopt a local stream, start an education or monitoring program, stencil storm drains, or help local “weed warriors” remove invasive, non-native plants from our watersheds.



Level Accomplishments

4 • All members contribute

• Group shows indicators of cooperation and working together, compromising and staying on task

• Able to follow directions with no prompts from instructor

• Correct number of grid boxes used for all features

• Final design complete

• Final design addresses both Challenges #1 and #2 and illustrates solutions to these challenges based on principles discussed in LESSON III

• Final design shows evidence of new and/or original ideas as solutions to Challenges #1 and/or #2

3 • Group members disagree but reach agreements through arguing and debate

• Some members remain silent or refrain from participating

• Able to follow directions after little prompting from instructor

• Correct number of grid boxes used for all features


• Final design addresses both Challenges #1 and #2 and illustrates solutions to these challenges based on principles discussed in LESSON III

2 • Some group members are off task

• Able to follow directions only after lengthy prompts from instructor

• Correct number of grid boxes used for some but not all features


• Final design addresses at least one of the Challenges, and shows little evidence of understanding of principles discussed in LESSON III

1 • Few group members on task

• Evidence of arguing and disinterest; some members occupied with other work

• Able to follow directions only after lengthy prompts from instructor

• Correct number of grid boxes used for some but not all features

• Final design incomplete

• Final design addresses neither Challenge #1 nor #2, and shows little or no evidence of understanding of principles discussed in LESSON III

0 • Chaos

• Task not completed; some members leave before task is completed

• Complaints about having to participate in task

Table 5: Community Design Assessment Rubric



Water Quality Goals Design Elements

Reduce auto pollution Develop clustered building patterns, multi-family buildings; leave open space

Connect homes with stores, schools and parks with sidewalks, bike paths

Locate frequented businesses close to homes (groceries, video stores, etc.)

Build light rail tracks, bus stops, car pool lots

Reduce sediment and pollutants attached to suspended particles

Prevent erosion of soil by covering bare soil with vegetation

Slow velocity of runoff by transporting it through vegetated swales

Catch sediment in small wetlands along swales in neighborhoods

Collect runoff and send it to detention basins to settle out sediment/pollutants

Filter sediment from runoff with vegetated buffer zones along creeks

Install storm drain filters near construction sites to remove sediment

Reduce speed and volume of runoff

Replace concrete and blacktop with permeable surfaces such as: gravel or granite, grass, non-solid paving blocks, planting strips, gardens, and parks

Filter contaminants and provide habitat

Leave a wide buffer zone (100 to 300 feet) on each side of the creek

Grow plants in the buffer to slow runoff, filter out pollutants and use nutrients

Preserve or create wetlands to filter runoff before it enters the creek

Improve habitat Place gravel, plants and logs in streams to provide macroinvertebrate habitat

Plant native plants along the creek to provide food for macroinvertebrates

Reduce creek temperatures Replant trees along the creek to shade the water

Keep trash out of creeks Face homes and businesses so the creek is not a handy, backyard dump

Place trails along creeks to increase recreational use and visibility

Prevent contamination Provide hazardous material collection centers to discourage dumping leftovers

Provide trash cans and doggie bags so pet owners will pick up after Fido

Recycle water Add a separate system of purple pipes from your wastewater treatment plant that can provide treated effluent for irrigating street medians, commercial landscaping, golf courses, parks and school sites

Table 6: Design Elements for Community Planning (Provided on page 17 of the Student Workbook)

APPENDIX VERSION 5

Appendix

DVD Guide

Teaching Tips

Diagrams and Maps

Tests and Answer Keys

Guide for Viewing the Living Watershed DVD

Be sure to preview this DVD yourself, prior to viewing it with students. Some teachers find the questions helpful in focusing students. They suggest that, before or after viewing each segment, you write the Important Words on the board and ask students their meaning. You could use that same strategy with the Questions, posting them on the board or on a worksheet prior to viewing the DVD, then discuss them after each segment.

DVD Segment Questions Important Words

# 1

Winter Field Trip

1. What are some of the abiotic (physical/non-living) conditions that occur in a stream during the winter season?

2. Why might sediment be a problem for the stream critters?

urban taxonomic group sediment bioassessment

#2

Fast Water (spring)

1. Name some abiotic conditions in this stream when fast water runs in the spring?

2. What are some of the adaptations these animals have to: • cope with fast water? • get oxygen? • capture food?

adaptation grazer larval stage detritus filter feeder gills predators

#3

Slower Water

1. What are some differences between fast and slow water conditions, from the perspective of aquatic organisms?

2. Which organisms are scavengers?

midges hemoglobin crustacean scavengers

#4

Who’s Who in the Bottom Ooze?

1. How does the energy tied up in dead plants and animals on the stream bottom get recycled back into the food web?

2. Name some organisms that can be found feeding on the stream bottom.

single-celled organism multicellular organism

#5

Big Predators

1. How do these predators capture and eat their prey?

2. List some of the predators.

predator mandible (jaws) prey

#6

Daphnia Study

1. How do Daphnia keep their position in the water?

2. In what form does it store food?

3. Where does a Daphnia store its eggs?

4. In the bioassay, what would it mean if there were an excess of dead Daphnia?

parthenogenesis (see teacher notes)

TEACHER’S MANUAL VERSION 5 APPENDIX © Sacramento Splash Life in Our Watershed

Teaching Tips

Here are some suggestions from teachers who have taught the curriculum before.

Introducing Life in the Watershed: Investigating streams and water quality

Use newspaper/magazine articles or Headlines about water issues active today. See http://calwaternews.blogspot.com for a current list of articles

• What is the importance of water?

• Do you have any personal issues with water?

• Where do we get our water?

• Why do we need to conserve water? Are we running out?

• What is happening with the salmon?

• Does our food come from water?

• Have you heard of any water problems/issues in your community?

Assessing Lesson III—Community Plans

• Have students attach an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet to their large grid sheet that lists the unique elements that they have included in their plan in order to reduce or eliminate urban run-off pollution.

• Post the designs around the room. Have each team “evaluate” at least 4-5 plans, checking off whether or not they followed the basic Activity III guidelines the from Student Workbook p. 15. Rate their special elements on a scale of 1 to 5. Alternatively, have teams use the rubric for scoring each plan.

• Compile results and post winners. Give grades according to the rubric but take students evaluations into account.

Accessing on-line community planning information improving urban runoff

http://www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox/other/santamonica_urbrochure.pdf

If you have access to the internet have students research terms such as swale, French drain, pervious parking lots, green strip filters, etc. Find photos or drawings. Report back to class or groups.


Sacramento County CreeksThis map is a modified version of a map originally created by Betsy Clark for the Sacramento Urban Creeks Council.

We would like to thank her for her beautiful work.

Sacramento County Department of Water Resources


SUNAttached algae

and diatoms

Caddisfly B

Caddisfly A

Turtle

Stonefly A

Decomposers

Crayfish

Mayfly B

Tadpole

Newt

Frog

Fish

Stonefly B

Stonefly C

MidgeBlackfly

Mayfly A

Detritus, carrion,leaf fragments

Emergent andsubmergent plants

metamorphosis

A Simplified Stream Food Web

A Simplified Stream Food Web


Name: _____________________

Test I

1. What is a watershed? Describe in your own words and draw a diagram.

2. Name a tributary to the Sacramento River.

3. Using words (or drawings) and arrows, construct a flow chart showing how energy passes from the sun to a human through a stream’s food web.


Name: _____________________

Test IIA

1. Explain how our actions on the land can affect aquatic life in streams.

2. How are urban and agricultural runoff similar?

3. How are runoff and wastewater different?

4. Why is the first big autumn storm more dangerous to fish than a big storm in the middle of winter?

5. Explain how too much phosphorous and nitrogen in a stream can produce deadly conditions for a stream’s fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates.


Name: _____________________

Test IIB

1. What is a bioassay?

2. What are some uses for bioassays?

3. What were the variables in your bioassay?

4. Explain what the control was in your bioassay, and why it was necessary.


Name: _____________________

Test III

1. Which areas on our school campus are not impervious surfaces?

2. How are detention basins, wetlands, and grassy swales similar?

3. Describe how water quality in our rivers has been improved by wastewater treatment.

4. List five sources of urban runoff contaminants and at least one way that each source could be reduced.

5. Explain how understanding life in our watershed creates opportunities to improve it.


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