What is a
Watershed?
A watershed is an area of land
that drains into a body of
water. When rain falls, it
lands on trees, grass, homes,
roads, farms, parking lots,
gardens, schools and more.
Natural surfaces absorb that
water, but paved surfaces,
buildings, and landscaped plots
send most of the water
flowing over land, downhill to
nearby streams. We call that water runoff, and it carries with it anything
that’s on the land – soil, fertilizer, trash and more. In our region, all of those
streams eventually meet the Patapsco River. The Patapsco River eventually
empties into the Baltimore Harbor. The Baltimore Harbor empties into the
Chesapeake Bay.
Tunbridge is a part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. But within our
watershed, we are in another, smaller watershed, the Patapsco River
Watershed, which is where our water, sediment, and pollution flow first
before reaching the Bay.
Chesapeake Bay Info
The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary (mixture of salt and fresh water) and it is
the largest estuary in the United States! It is home to more than 3,600
species of plants and animals and its watershed is home to more than 16
million people.
Its ecosystem is made up of non-living things like soil, water, and air and
living things like plants, trees, plankton (tiny living organisms), fish, and
crabs. The people living in the Chesapeake watershed play an important role
in this ecosystem. The activities of people living near the Patapsco River will
eventually have an impact on the water quality of the Bay.
Complex relationships exist among the living resources of the Bay
watershed. Small fish and crabs find shelter and food among underwater
Bay grasses. Plankton drift with the currents and become food for small
fish. Clams and oysters pump Bay water through their gills, filtering out both
plankton and sediment. During the fall and winter, ducks and geese descend
upon the Bay, feeding in wetlands and shallow waters. Bald eagles and osprey
feed perch and other small fish to their young. The spectrum of aquatic
environments, from freshwater to seawater, creates a unique ecosystem
abundant with life.
Forests play a vital role in nearly every part of the Bay ecosystem. They
produce oxygen, provide habitat and supply materials for lumber and paper.
Trees also help reduce storm water runoff and erosion by holding soil
together around their roots.
Pollution in the Bay
The major source of pollution is not pollution that is dumped directly into
the Bay, but pollution that is carried into the Bay by rainwater. This
includes chemicals that are washed off the ground and into waterways from
any land use, such as lawns, crop lands, parking lots, roads, etc. Many of our
everyday activities, either directly or indirectly, add to this type of pollution
in the Bay watershed. After heavy rains, water washes pollutants off our
driveways, roofs, and yards, and into our waterways.
Once chemicals enter the Bay, they can stay there for a long time. They can
mix with sediment or become a part of the bodies of fish and other
organisms as the chemicals move through a food chain. Small bottomdwelling fish can take up the chemicals through their skin or by what they
eat. Then they are eaten by larger fish, who get the chemicals in their
bodies. Birds, mammals, and other wildlife then eat the contaminated fish.
Because eating contaminated fish and shellfish can lead to health problems
for humans, cities and states can issue fish consumption advisories in areas
where this is a concern. For example, D.C. has issued an advisory not to eat
bottom-feeding fish, such as catfish, that are caught there. Some
chemicals can lead to problems for animals such as tumors in fish and
eggshell thinning in birds.
Fertilizer that is put on crops or lawns can also be washed away and lead to
nutrient pollution and an increased number of plants in the Bay. This is
actually the biggest problem with the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.
Excess nutrients (such as fertilizer to help crops grow) also causes algae to
grow out of control, which blocks sunlight needed by underwater bay grasses
to grow. Algae also lower the oxygen content of the water as they die,
robbing other living resources of the oxygen they need to live.
Sediment in the Bay
Another major problem for the Chesapeake Bay is too much sediment.
Sediment is made up of loose particles of sand, silt, and clay. It is a natural
part of the Chesapeake Bay, created by the weathering of rocks and soil.
When there is too much, though, sediment can cloud the waters of the Bay
and its rivers, harming underwater grasses, fish and shellfish. Excess
sediment is a leading factor in the Chesapeake Bay’s poor health.
Around 5.2 million tons of sediment enter the Chesapeake Bay each year.
Because sediment is so small, it often floats through the water rather than
settling to the bottom and can be carried long distances during rainstorms.
When there are too many sediment particles suspended in the water, the
water becomes cloudy and muddy-looking. Cloudy water does not allow
sunlight to reach the plants that grow on the bottom of the Bay. Without
sunlight, these plants die, which affects the young fish and shellfish that
depend on them for shelter. Excess sediment can also smother oysters and
other bottom-dwelling species.
Future of the Bay
Over 16 million people live in the Bay watershed and the population continues
to grow. Population in the Bay watershed is expected to increase to over 17
million people by the year 2020. More people in the watershed means
greater demands on resources and the potential for more pollution. Each of
our everyday activities impacts the environment and, with the influx of more
people into the Bay watershed, our impacts on the Bay increase.
We all live downstream. Almost anything that occurs in the Bay watershed
eventually can affect the quality of our lives, from the water we drink, the
fish we eat, and the streams we swim in. Humans can help to protect the
Bay by not pouring things down storm drains. Anything that can be drained,
spilled or dropped into a storm drain can end up in a waterway and,
ultimately, in the Bay. In many cases, storm drains dump directly into open
water without treatment, so rain carrying pollutants, trash or debris
eventually can end up in the Bay. As a result, street and neighborhood
cleanup efforts have a direct positive impact on water quality in our
neighborhoods and in the Bay.
Source: http://www.chesapeakebay.net
Imagine you are a particle of sediment or pollution…
Your assignment:
Write a creative story that outlines the journey of a particle (small piece) of
sediment OR pollution as it moves through the watershed. For the purposes
of this story, you will assume you reach the Chesapeake Bay (even though in
reality you could be stopped along the way). Your story can be set in history
or today. Your story should be 1-2 pages in length, written and drawn on the
front side of the page only.
You should use the provided background text I have given to give details to
the story. Additionally, you are welcome to use ideas from our in-class
activities, such as the parking lot scavenger hunt or the “Who Polluted the
Patapsco River?” story.
Your story should include the following elements:
1. Introduction: Identify yourself (Are you a particle of fertilizer on a
strawberry plant? Are you a particle of sediment from a construction site
for a new mall?) How did you (the sediment/pollution) begins to move in the
watershed? You can use an example from our story/demonstration in class,
or think of one of your own. Be as specific as possible. Remember that
storm drains and land flow into small streams first.
2. Body: How did the sediment/pollution move through the watershed to end up
in the Chesapeake Bay? Be as specific as possible. You should include the
Patapsco River and Baltimore Harbor in this part of your story.
3. Conclusion: What was the final “resting place” for this sediment/pollution?
What effects did it have on this place? (should be the Chesapeake Bay). Be
specific.
4. Illustration: Your story should be accompanied by a drawing (not a printed
photo) that illustrates some part of your story. Include a label on the
drawing so it is clear what we are looking at.
5. Title: Your story should have a title that is clear, catchy, and informative
You will be given class time today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday) to work
on this assignment. Your final draft is due at the start of class on
Wednesday, so anything not complete by the end of class on Tuesday will be
homework.
Rubric: This assignment is worth 13 points.
Component
Contains
all
required
elements
3
Missing one
required
element
Indicator not
present
2
Missing
two
required
elements
1
Body: Includes path of
sediment/pollutant as it moves from
its origin to the Chesapeake Bay.
Writing is specific and clear and free
of grammatical errors.
3
2
1
0
Conclusion: Includes description of
“final resting place” for the
sediment/pollutant, as well as the
effects it has on this place (the Bay).
Writing is clear and free of
grammatical errors.
3
2
1
1
Illustration: Helps illustrate/clarify
at least one specific component of
the story. Should be labeled with a
title.
3
2
1
0
1
0
Introduction: Includes description of
sediment/pollutant and specifically
how it begins to move in the
watershed. Writing is clear and free
of grammatical errors.
Title: Title is clear, catchy, and
informative
Total Score: _________/13
Comments:
0
ESS3.A: Natural Resources
Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources.
Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or
replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as
a result of past geologic processes.
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes Water’s movements—both on the land
and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and
create underground formations.