Overview
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is an area in which all water, sediments, and dissolved materials drain from the land into a common body of
water, in our case, that common point is the Choctawhatchee Bay. A watershed encompasses not only the water but the
surrounding land from which the water drains. The Choctawhatchee Bay watershed covers 5,350 square miles of land in two
states, Florida and Alabama. Only 42% of the watershed is located in Florida. The Shoal River that runs through Crestview is
actually a part of the Pensacola Bay watershed.
The Choctawhatchee River is the largest river in our watershed. It is the fourth longest river in Florida and the third largest in
annual average discharge. The river begins in Alabama and flows through Florida to empty into the Choctawhatchee Bay. The
Choctawhatchee River also has several small tributaries that empty freshwater into the river. Land that surrounds these
tributaries has a direct effect on the water quality of both the river and the entire Choctawhatchee watershed.
Our community’s quality of life depends upon the water quality of streams, rivers and estuaries within the Choctawhatchee
watershed. The Choctawhatchee Bay provides commercial and sport fishing, boating, camping and an exquisite backdrop for its
many neighbors. The coastal regions of Okaloosa and Walton counties are becoming increasingly dependent upon revenue
from beach-going tourists and vacationers. More than 90 percent of all commercially harvested fish in the Gulf of Mexico are
dependent upon the estuaries during some developmental stage of their life.
Objectives
-Learn about the flow of water through a watershed; what happens up steam affects what happens down stream
-Locate specific parts of the Choctawhatchee Bay watershed
-Understand the interaction that occurs between humans, environmental factors, and the health of a watershed
-Identify the characteristics of a watershed and their importance
Supplies
Station 1:
Paint Tray
Glitter
Cardstock
Food coloring
Items that represent forest, homes, rivers, etc.
Crayons
Colored Pencils
Sponges
Spray bottles from enviroscape
Scotch tape
Station 2:
Large piece of Poster board
Colored Pencils
Post-Its
Items to represent land uses (farm, logging, etc.)
Station 3:
Enviroscape
Branching Patterns Worksheet
Choctawhatchee Bay Fact Sheet
Pictures of Gulf Sturgeon and Okaloosa Darter
Activity
Divide classes into 3 groups. Students will rotate through 2-3 stations depending on whether you wish to do the “Sum of the
Parts” activity as a class.
Station 1: Building a Watershed
1. Where does the water in our bay come from? Follow their responses, with where do we think the water from our freshwater
contributors comes from?
a. Explain to the students that most of the water in our rivers comes from water that has drained off the surrounding
land when it rains. The rivers and creeks also receive an input of ground water from springs of Florida’s aquifers.
Explain an aquifer is sediment or rock capable of holding and releasing water underground.
2. Discuss our local watershed (refer to the overview section) (Can hold up map of the watershed, they can also look at their
fact sheet). Ask the students if they recognize any waterways or any they did not know were part of our watershed, etc.)
3. Explain that all water runs downhill, because of gravity. So water in the northern section of our watershed affects the quality
of the water in the southern portion. And in our case, the Choctawhatchee Bay is where all the water drains to.
4. To better understand the Choctawhatchee Watershed, explain that we will be building a model of our local watershed.
Discuss what a topographic map is.
a. A topographic map is a map showing the changes in elevation on an area’s surface.
5. Students will then get into groups of 4 to build a 3D model of a watershed.
6. Hand out topographic maps of our watershed. Discuss where they see high areas of elevation and low areas of elevation, and
how this relates to our watershed. Discuss any other features they think might affect our watershed.
a. Explain that the lighter the color the higher the elevation, the darker the color the lower the elevation (What color
is the Choctawhatchee Bay?)
b. Discuss map legend, the map will have stars where all the schools are located within our watershed. Have students
look at how their school is directly related to the watershed.
7. Begin by showing a finished watershed model so the students know what to expect while constructing their own. Each group
will receive one paint tray, one piece of cardstock and colored pencils. Explain to the group they will be building a topographic
map and viewing what happens to our watershed when it rains.
8. Have students crumble the piece of cardstock to create ridges, valleys, etc. Have groups pick the high elevation side of the
paper and low elevation, which will be close to the bay.
9. Next, have groups add water and natural areas to their topographic map. Encourage students to think about the location of
these areas. i.e. the water will be in lower elevation. Have them also consider putting in urban areas (houses, parking lots,
shopping centers, etc.) Allow for this to occur for 5-10 minutes.
10. Help students place and tape their map into the paint tray. Try not to let there be space between the paper and the sides of
the tray. Also allow there to be about an inch, between the paper and the bay. Also, make sure the high elevation end is at the
top of the paint tray. If needed add a marker to help prop up one side of the tray to ensure water will travel downhill.
11. Divide the groups into two separate categories: watershed with Salt Marsh, Watershed without Salt Marsh. The groups that
have a salt marsh pass out a damp sponge. This represents the vegetation in the salt marsh.
12. Allow for the watershed groups without the salt marsh to set up their model. Discuss what will happen to the rainwater
when it falls on the watershed. Discuss runoff briefly. Where will all of the rain end up?
13. Sprinkle a little glitter in areas the students think pollution exists.
14. Allow group members to spray their models about 15-20 times.
15. Discuss what happens to the rain, pollution and run off.
16. Now allow for the watershed with a salt marsh to set up their models. Repeat steps 13-15.
17. Compare the two different watersheds and how this correlates to their smooth cordgrass. There should be less liquid and
pollution in the bay with the salt marsh. The smooth cordgrass acts as a filter. What do these two models show us about our
watershed?
18. Have students, if time allows, answer the questions in their folder.
Station 2: Sum of the Parts
1. Before the activity, draw and color a river on the poster board down the center of the poster. Then divide the river down the
middle and cross wise into sections.
2. Each section should include a bit of the river and blank space for the students’ property. Number the sections to
approximately how many students will be in each group.
3. Inform students that they have just received a piece of river front property. Hand out property sections and how their
property should be used.
4. Have students brainstorm about how they want to use their land. Draw and explain how they use their land on a post-it.
5. Put back together the river puzzle, and have student’s individually explain how they developed their land and how they use
water. Ask if there is any nonpoint or point source pollution occurring that could affect the water? Have students select items
to represent their land’s possible pollution.
6. Now have students line up with their pollution in the same order as their river front property. Begin with the number ones.
Have them pass their pollution to the number twos, and further down the line. The last students (downstream) should be
holding a lot of pollution.
7. Ask the students what happened at the end of the stream? How does this relate to our watershed?
Station 3: Enviroscape/Worksheet:
1. At this station review the concept of a watershed. Begin by looking at the Branching Patterns worksheet. Discuss similarities
and how this relates to the transfer of water throughout the watershed.
2. Go over the watershed fact worksheet. Discuss these points and how it pertains to the health of the Choctawhatchee Bay
Watershed.
3. Continue to explain and review using the enviroscape. Use the model to explain complex concepts.
4. Answer and review questions in the students’ folders.
Conclusion
Go over questions on the handout. Answer any other questions the students may have.
Sunshine State Correlations
SC.5.E.7.2 Recognize how the ocean is an integral part of the water cycle and is connected to all of Earth’s water reservoirs via
evaporation and precipitation processes.
SC.5.L.15.1 Describe how, when the environment changes, differences between individuals allow some plants and animals to
survive and reproduce while others die or move to new locations.
Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Choctawhatchee Bay
Watershed Fact Sheet
-A watershed is an area in which all
water, sediments, and dissolved
materials drain from the land into a
common body of water
-The Choctawhatchee River and Bay
watershed covers 5,350 square miles.
- Only 42% of the watershed is in
Florida, the remainder drains from
southeastern Alabama.
- The Choctawhatchee River is an
alluvial river; this means the river has
a broad floodplain, seasonal flooding
and a heavy sediment load.
- The Choctawhatchee River is the 4th
longest river in Florida and the 3rd
largest in annual average discharge.
-The Choctawhatchee River has
several freshwater tributaries
including the Pea and Little
Choctawhatchee River in Alabama
and Seven Runs, Sandy, and several
other creeks in Florida.
-The Choctawhatchee Bay is 27 miles
long and covers 129 square miles
- More than 90% of commercially
harvested fish rely on the bay at some
point in their developmental stage.
“We all live upstream from one
another. No matter where you live,
your actions affect our world’s oceans
and waterways.”- Philippe Cousteau
-The Choctawhatchee Bay joins the
Gulf of Mexico through the Destin
Pass. The bay is also connected to the
Santa Rosa Sound on the west side,
and the Intracoastal Waterway on the
east side.
-According to legend, the bay once
attracted pirates who repaired their
boats along its shoreline and married
Choctaw Indian maidens.
What is a Watershed?
1. A watershed is
A. the amount of water a river empties into the bay
B. an area that drains to a common point
C. all the water a community uses
D. the amount of water the bay empties into the gulf
2. What might happen if fertilizer and storm water runoff constantly pollute the tributaries to the
Choctawhatchee River in Alabama?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Circle two bodies of water that are found in the Choctawhatchee Bay Watershed.
Turkey Creek
Shoal River
Apalachicola River
Choctawhatchee River
4. How does a natural shoreline protect the Choctawhatchee Bay Watershed?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. True or False: A watershed encompasses not only the water but the surrounding land from
which the water drains.
6. List three ways that you think you are connected to the Choctawhatchee Bay Watershed.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________