Water Smart Connections: Student Grades 4-12

8/9/2019 Water Smart Connections: Student Grades 4-12

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WaterSmart

Connections

A publication of theSouthwest Florida Water Management District

for grades 412

TOPICWater Quality


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This information will be made available in accessible formats upon request. Please contact theCommunications Department at (352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4757; TDDonly at 1-800-231-6103 (FL only).

Hello,In order to become a responsible user of Floridaswater resources, it is important to rst understandthe connections between your actions and theenvironment around you.

ThisWaterSmartConnections booklet will helpyou discover amazin facts about Floridas waterresources and the importance of doin your part to

protect water quality.

If you have questions about any of the informationin this booklet, please feel free to call us at(352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only),ext. 4757. For more information, visit our web siteat WaterMatters.org.


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CONTENTS

UNIT 1Why Is Water So Important? P 2

UNIT 2Watersheds & Ecosystems P 4

UNIT 3Pollution Sources & Their Effects P 6

UNIT 4Stormwater Runoff P 9

UNIT 5Water Quality Manaement P 11

Water Smart

ConnectionsTOPICWater Quality


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INTRODUCTIONJust as children grow and change as

they get older, a drop o waterchanges. It can become part o amighty ocean or a clear, quiet pond. Itcan be absorbed by soil or plants touse. It can travel through yourcountys water system and right outthe end o your garden hose orkitchen aucet.

But not just any water will keep usalive and healthy. We need clean, reshwater. Thats why its important to use

our water careully and protect it rompollution.

As you go through this booklet, youwill learn about the many paths watercan take.

You will examine the kinds o waterthat exist on earth and where to

nd them, what aects the qualityo water, how water gets pollutedand what you can do in the struggle

or clean water. You will discover thequality o our water today and whatprivate organizations and publicagencies, such as the SouthwestFlorida Water Management District,are doing to protect our resources andrestore our water bodies or tomorrow.

You will learn what you can do to bewater smart.

WHO NEEDSWATER?Water is important to all living

things. Most people can live only

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UNIT 1WhyIsWater So

Important?

several days without water. Did youknow that two-thirds o your body iswater? Why do we need so much?

Well, water carries oxygen andnutrients through your bloodstreamand helps you digest ood. The waterin your blood also carries chemicals to

your brain. These chemicals allow youto think and eel.

And were not the only ones whoneed clean water to survive. Plantsand animals need it too. Almost everyliving organism depends on water or

more than 50% o its body weight.For example, Alivingtreeis75%water Anelephantis70%water Atomatois95%water Anearofcornis80%water

In this sense, we are all connected to asimilar need or survival: WATER.


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1. People are interconnected with other living things and with the waterthat keeps them alive. Start a water notebook. Search newspapers,

magazines and the Internet or water-related articles. Paste the articlesin a notebook and decide what impact the water mentioned in thearticles would have on people and the environment. How manyconnections can you make?

2.The hydrologic cycle is the movement o water in the environmentin a never-ending process, another example o how all o nature isinterconnected. Search newspapers, magazines and the Internet oran article that mentions something that happened in a cyclical pattern.Put the article in your notebook and write the events mentioned belowthe article. How did one event lead to the next?

3. Rainall is an example o water in liquid orm. Search the Internet orlook in the newspaper and record the amount o rainall or the week.Now check other sections. Are there any articles that mention howpeople and the environment have been aected either by a lot orainall or by a lack o it?

WHERE DOESWATER COMEFROM?

To protect our water, we must rstunderstand where it comes rom.

Water travels through the environmentin a process known as the hydrologiccycle. The cycle begins when the sunsenergy warms water bodies on theearths surace, such as lakes and rivers.This heat leads to waterevaporation,or change rom a liquid to a vapor. Theheat o the sun also causes plants torelease water vapor in a process calledtranspiration. These vapors then riseinto the sky. When enough tiny water

drops stick together, they orm cloudsin a process called condensation.The clouds eventually become ull owater and release it back to the earththrough precipitation such as rain,snow, sleet or hail.

Ater rain alls to the ground, someo it lands in rivers, lakes or other waterbodies. Some is absorbed into theground through percolation. Once inthe ground, water is used by plantsor stored in aquiers. An aquieris a

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spongelike underground layer olimestone or rocks that can hold andrelease water. When we dig wells, weare usually retrieving water rom anaquier.

Water goes around and around,always passing through some stage o

the hydrologic cycle. The amount owater on earth today is the same as itwas millions o years ago. It simplygets recycled over and over.

TODAYS WATERThe quality o earths water is

constantly changing. Whatever we doon land may aect the quality o ourwater. Today there are a number o

public and private agencies that workto improve water quality and limitpollution. The Southwest Florida WaterManagement District is one o theagencies that helps protect the qualityo your water. But it takes every one ous to keep our water clean. Letsinvestigate what causes water pollutionand what you can do about it.


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UNIT 2Watersheds&Ecosystems

WATERSHEDSEveryone lives in a watershed, but

what is that? A watershed is an area oland that water fows across as itmoves toward a common body owater, such as a stream, river, lake orcoast. It is important to remember thatwater always fows downhill. Sincewatershed boundaries are higher inelevation than surrounding land,rainall within a watershed drains intoa common water body. I you haveever seen a puddle orm in your yardater a rainall, you have seen an

example o the way a watershedworks. The puddle is a low spot wherewater has drained rom surroundingareas.

In many places, watersheds arealtered by people. When large areasare paved over to make room orparking lots, roads and buildings,water cannot soak into the ground aseasily and fows quickly o to streams,lakes and rivers. That means all the

harmul things on the surace can godirectly into our surace waters.

A watershed is an excellent exampleo how all living things are moreconnected than we realize. What your

riend does in another community canhave an impact on your water i youboth live in the same watershed.

Anything we do on the land within awatershed may have an eect on the

water within that watershed. As aresult, water management scientistsnow look at the land and waterresources in a watershed as one largeunit instead o separate parts.

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ECOSYSTEMSJust as all activities within a

watershed aect each other, allactivities within an ecosystem canaect each other. An ecosystem is theinterrelationship between living thingsand the environment.

You are part o your amily, school orneighborhood community. Similarly,

ecosystems are communities o plantsand animals relating to each other andthe environment around them. Otherelements like sunlight or air also arepart o an ecosystem. In an ecosystem,all the parts must work together tokeep it balanced.

Aquatic ecosystems include oceans,guls, lakes, rivers, streams, estuariesand wetlands. These systems are verysensitive to changes. Within aquatic

ecosystems are sh and plants, as wellas microscopic organisms such asbacteria, viruses and protozoans. I thebalance o the ecosystem is disturbedby actors such as contamination,which involves the introduction oimpurities into the system, it may bealtered or even destroyed.

Each element within the systemdirectly or indirectly depends on the

others or survival. For example, somesh survive by eating organisms in thewater. Polluted water may cause manyo these organisms to die, leaving some

sh without a ood source.


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1.A watershed is an area that drains to water bodies, including lakes,rivers, estuaries, wetlands, streams and the surrounding landscape.Look around your schoolyard. Is there an area where water collects?

What paths does water take as it fows through the watershed?

2. Water on earth is classied as either surace or ground water. Pour abowl o water on your driveway. What will happen to it? Then pourwater on the grass. What happens to that water? Which bowl owater becomes surace water and which becomes ground water?Search newspapers, magazines and the Internet or articles thatmention surace water and ground water. Include them in your

notebook. Do any o these articles mention pollution?3.There are a lot o things you do that may aect the quality o your

water. Search newspapers, magazines and the Internet or articlesabout activities that may aect your water. Why do you think thoseactivities may harm your water?

SURFACE ANDUNDERgROUND

WATERCONNECTIONS

Water that fows within a particularwatershed will either drain into asurace water body, seep undergroundor evaporate. Surace wateris waterthat can be seen on the earths surace.

Water bodies such as lakes, rivers,streams and wetlands are consideredsurace water. When rain alls, much oit will drain into one o these waterbodies. However, some surace waterseeps into the ground to be absorbed

by the plants and soil, or it passesthrough the soil to become part o theunderground water system.

Underground water is called groundwaterand is part o a complex system.Rainwater soaks through the groundby a process called percolation. Aneasy way to understand this concept isto think about what happens whensomeone brews coee. The waterpoured into a coee lter bubbles

down, or percolates, through thecoee grounds and into the bottom othe pot or cup. In nature, rainwaterpercolates down through the

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surace soil and into the aquier belowthe ground.

Ground water sometimes fows intoa surace water body. In other words,what enters our ground water can alsoget into our surace waters.

For example, a spring is water

returning to the surace ater beingabsorbed as ground water. There aremany springs throughout Florida.

Ground water in our area is held inthe Floridan aquier system, which liesbeneath much o Floridas surace. Insome areas o Florida, the aquier iscovered by clay, making it dicult orwater to seep through. In these places,rainwater will run o more quickly. Inother areas o Florida, the aquier iscloser to the surace and is coveredwith sand, which is more permeablethan clay. Permeability involves theability o something to let liquids runthrough it. Unortunately, this meansthat pollutants, as well as water, caneasily enter the aquier.

Are you beginning to understandhow all o our water is connected insome way? What we do to our water

can aect somebody elses water orplant and animal lie.


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POLLUTIONSOURCES

I a dab o ink or a speck o dirt is

put into a glass o water, the waterbecomes polluted. Pollution occurswhen oreign substances get intosoil, water or the atmosphere andcontaminate them. Very oten thesesubstances are harmul to people andthe environment. Thereore, waterpollution is any change in water thatcan hurt the living things that use it.

There are many sources o pollution,but they are divided into twomain categories:point and non-point. Point-sourcepollution is whena pollutant isdischarged at aspecic locationor, in other words,the source o the

pollutant is easy toidentiy. Examplesinclude polluted water leaving a

actory or garbage being dumped intoa river. This source o pollution is oteneasier to prevent because you cansee the cause o the pollution and dosomething about it. Nonpoint-source pollution is muchharder to identiy, yet it is also morelikely to occur. This source o pollution

may come rom pesticides, ertilizers orautomobile fuids washed o lawns androadways during a storm. This sourceo pollution may also come rom leakysewers and septic tanks, sediment rom

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UNIT 3PollutionSources&

Their Effects

soil erosion or metals ound in somepaints.

Even though many pollutants arerom natural sources (organics,

sediments, bacteria, viruses, etc.), inlarge quantities they can have anegative eect on the environment orwhen they get into the water supply.

TYPES OFPOLLUTION

Many o the ollowingtypes o pollution

aect the oxygenlevels in suracewaters. Loweredoxygen levels insurace waters aectthe lie a waterbody can support.This also makes itharder to cleanout impurities

rom the water.

organicpollution Organic pollution comes rom thedecomposition o living materials andtheir byproducts. Plant residue, humansewage, animal wastes and oodbyproducts are examples o this kindo pollution. When dumped in or nearwater bodies, organics act as nutrients.These nutrients can eed unwantedvegetation, which reduces oxygen inthe water.

An example o this type o pollutionis red tide. Red tide is a bloom osingle-cell marine organisms that kills

sh and plant lie by consuming


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oxygen, oten using all availableoxygen. It is called red tide becausethe organisms turn the water a dull,rusty-brown color.

nutrients Nutrients are essential to plant

development but can be harmul inextreme quantities. A large amount onutrients are ound in lawn ertilizers.Fertilizers are natural or syntheticmaterials that encourage plant growth.The misuse o ertilizers producessimilar eects to those o organicpollution. Fertilizers may increaseunwanted vegetation, which reducesoxygen in the water and kills sh.Other nutrients include phosphates

rom laundry detergents.

pesticidesandherbicides Pesticides and herbicides can be

ound in insect and weed killers. Theseproducts kill weeds and insects, butthey can also kill plants, birds and shi not used properly. They alsocontribute a signicant amount opollution. When more rain alls than

the ground can soak up, it runs o intowater bodies, carrying pollutants romthe land as it travels.

bacteriaandvirusesBacteria and viruses are ound in

animal and human wastes. They cancause and spread diseases that poison

sh and contaminate water.

heavymetals Heavy metals are ound inautomobile exhaust, tires, paints andhousehold batteries. Heavy metals aretoxic (poisonous) to sh and watersupplies.

petroleumproducts Petroleum products can causepollution through automobile leaksand illegal dumping o used oil and

gas. Although oil and gas foat, theheavy metals contained in them settleto the bottom o water bodies,smothering plants, starving sh andpolluting the water.

sedimentOne o the most destructive

pollutants is sediment, or soil particles.Sediment pollution can be caused byruno rom city streets, parking lots

and buildings, construction andagriculture. This loose soil is dangerousbecause o its ability to carry other

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pollutants through runo. Sedimentcan clog the gills o sh and decreasethe amount o sunlight aquatic plantsreceive.

saltwaterintrusionThink about swimming at the beach.

When you rst get in the water, youaccidentally drink a little. It doesnttaste too good, does it? None o usreally like to drink salt water.

Salt water can get into ourreshwater supply, making it moreexpensive to clean. Salt water can workits way into our reshwater sourceswhen too much resh water is taken

rom the aquier. This is called saltwaterintrusion.

How does the salt water get there?Above and below the Floridan aquiersystem are layers that may contain

resh or salt water. Fresh water foatson top o denser, or thicker, salt water.

When too much o the resh water istaken out, the salt water moves upbecause it doesnt have as muchpressure on it.

Once it moves into the reshwater

zone o an aquier, the damage may bepermanent.

EFFECTS OFPOLLUTION

We have looked at the dierent typeso pollution and what kinds oproblems they can cause. The mainproblem with water pollution is that itdamages the one thing that is essentialto all lie water! Whether thepollution is directly killing sh andplant lie or causing health problems tohumans, it can be dangerous.

As discussed, nonpoint-sourcepollution is very signicant and can becaused by many o the day-to-daythings you or your amily do. Usinghousehold cleaners, washing yourclothes and putting ertilizer on the

lawn can all create pollution. Asignicant type o nonpoint-sourcepollution is stormwater runo, which isthe topic o the next unit.


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1.There are two main categories o pollution sources, point andnonpoint. Point-source pollution is easy to recognize. It comes romsome specic place, such as waste dumped into a river. Nonpoint-

source pollution is harder to recognize. It could be storm watercarrying a variety o pollutants. Search newspapers, magazines andthe Internet or photographs that depict either pollution sources orpotential pollution problems. Place them in your notebook. Identiyeach photograph as being a point or nonpoint source.

2.Can you describe the dierent types o pollution and give examples oeach type? Check newspapers, magazines and the Internet or articlesthat give examples. How many can you nd?

3. Find an article in the newspaper, a magazine or on the Internet that

identies a specic pollution problem. Place the article in yournotebook. Underline the word that reveals what the causes o thepollution problem may be. Then write an editorial or a letter to theeditor o a newspaper taking a position on the problem and makesuggestions as to how to solve it. Share your editorial with the class.

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In Florida, one o the biggest sourceso water pollution is stormwater runo.The next time it rains, think about allthe paths a water drop might take. Itmight be absorbed into the soil or rollo your roo, onto your driveway anddown the street. Rainwater that runso a paved surace and does not soakinto the ground is called stormwater

runo. Water drains rom lawns,streets, highways, parking lots andother hardened suraces, usually

fowing into the nearest body o water.I this is the case, what do you think

happens when you put things likeertilizers on your lawn? They may fowdirectly into our lakes, streams andother surace waters or soak into theground.

To understand the problem oruno, consider the act that west-central Florida receives about 53 incheso rain each year, much o it duringheavy downpours. When rain is allingheavily, the soil cannot soak up all themoisture. This extra rainwater becomesruno. Untreated stormwater runo isconsidered the states leading source owater pollution.

What eect does runo have on

human, plant and animal lie? Itcontributes almost all the sediment, orloose soil, in our waters. It carriesviruses and bacteria into our water

UNIT 4Stormwater

Runoff

bodies, shutting down recreationalactivities and killing aquatic lie. Stormwaterdeposits80to95percentoftheheavy metals that get into Floridawaters. Heavy metals are toxic to manyaquatic organisms and reduce theirability to reproduce.

How we use our land is important. Alarge part o the stormwater problem

has come about because ourbanization. Urbanization is whenstreets, sidewalks, parking lots andbuildings begin to cover the soil. Asmore and more buildings, roads andparking lots are built, we are let withless and less open space. In openspace, storm water can soak into theground. When there isnt enoughopen space, storm water runs acrossthese covered suraces, washingharmul pollutants into our lakes, riversand bays.

Stormwater runo can be limitedthrough the use o stormwater ponds,which collect and lter rainwaterbeore it can reach a larger waterbody. Aquatic plants along the banksand in the shallow areas o ponds usethe excess nutrients and preventerosion. Stormwater ponds also

provide habitat or many animals.


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1. When rainwater fows over paved suraces, it picks up pollutants rom

the ground. This is called stormwater runo and accounts or morethan hal o the states water pollution. Search newspapers, magazinesand the Internet or articles about dierent types o pollution orenvironmental problems and arrange them in categories in yournotebook. Some categories might include noise pollution, solid waste,air pollution, radiation and water pollution.

2. Fresh water is essential to the environment. It is one o our mostimportant natural resources. Search newspapers, magazines and theInternet or an article that mentions another natural resource. Placethe article in your notebook and summarize why you think this

resource is important.3. Check your Water Smart vocabulary (see page 15). How many ofthe

words can you nd in the newspaper or a magazine? What are thetopics o the articles that have the words? Who in class can nd themost?

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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINgS THATRAINWATER MIgHT PICK UP ON ITS WAY

TO A WATER BODY? Pesticides and fertilizers from lawns and agriculture Bacteria from animal wastes Top layer of soil from the ground or sediment

(loose soil) Grease and oil from paved areas Metals and chemicals Litter


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UNIT 5Water QualityManagement

system. Most o these lands are open

to the public or shing, bike ridingand hiking.

studieswaterqualityThe SWFWMD does research to

investigate current water quality anddetermine whether it is possible toimprove water quality.

enhancesorrestores

waterbodiesThrough programs such as theSurace Water Improvement andManagement (SWIM) Program andthe National Estuary Program, theSWFWMD improves water quality insurace waters. These programs ocuson elimination and treatment opollutants.

promotes

education

It is important that peopleunderstand how their actions may hurtthe water they use. By educatingpeople about what actions hurt ourwater and giving them choices,nonpoint-source pollution can belessened. There also are many otherlocal agencies, businesses,environmental groups, communityorganizations and individuals who are

working to improve and protect thequality o your water. Join the ghtagainst water pollution by makinggood choices and educating yourneighbors, riends and amily.

Now youve learned about activities

that aect water quality and aboutdierent kinds o water pollution. Whatcan be done to stop water pollution? Alot! Many things are already beingdone to protect and improve waterquality.

The states ve water managementdistricts are authorized by the FloridaLegislature and the Florida Departmento Environmental Protection toregulate water quality and stormwater. The Southwest Florida WaterManagement District (SWFWMD) is

your regional water managementdistrict.

The SWFWMDs goal or waterquality is to prevent urther waterpollution and enhance water qualitywherever possible. The SWFWMDlooks at surace and ground water asparts o an interconnected system.

Some SWFWMD programs includestudying and protecting water qualityand natural ecosystems.

Since it is expensive to clean waterater it has been polluted, theSWFWMD emphasizes the importanceo protecting existing water quality.How does the SWFWMD do this?

buyslandsforpublicprotection

The SWFWMD buys sensitive landsor lands that oer important resourcebenets, such as wetlands or highrecharge areas to the Floridan aquier


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WHO HELPS PROTECTYOUR WATER QUALITY?

FloridaDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection

Watermanagementdistricts

Cityandcountygovernments

Environmental/communitygroups

Individualslikeyou!

1.Water management is important or the protection o your watersupply. The SWFWMD is the state agency in your region that carriesthe primary responsibility or managing and protecting waterresources. Look or its name in the newspaper. Who can nd it themost? What do the articles discuss?

2.There are lots o way to preserve the quality o your water. How manycan you imagine? In your notebook, develop your own list o ideas on

how you can be water-quality smart. Then share the list with youramily. How many o your ideas can you use in your own home?

3.Conservation is important or protecting your water. A non-conserving shower uses about 5 gallons o water per minute. Countall the people in your class. Assume everybody takes a 10-minuteshower. Imagine i each o those people put in a showerhead thatuses only 2.5 gallons a minute. How much water could be savedevery day? Every week? Every month? Every year?

HINT:Multiply number o gallons used with the number o people or aregular shower. Do the same using the gallons per minute o alow-fow showerhead. Subtract the second number rom the rstnumber. The dierence is how many gallons o water you would saveeach day.

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Reduce the amount o lawnchemicals you use. I you are going to

use pesticides and herbicides, use themsparingly and always ollow the labeldirections.

Use phosphate-ree laundrydetergents.

Take used automobile fuids, suchas oil, to a gas station that recycles. Asingle quart o motor oil can pollute250,000 gallons o water.

Userechargeable batteries.Household batteries are ull o toxicmetals and should never be thrownout in the trash. Take them to yourcountys hazardous waste disposal site.

Collectold household cleanersand take them to a hazardous wastecollection site. Dont pour them downthe drain.

Dont pour gasoline oncracks in concrete to get rid o weedsand grass. Manually pull out weedsand other plants. One gallon ogasolinecanpollute750,000gallonso water.

Support protection andimprovement projects in wetlandareas. Wetlands help keep our water

clean.If you have a septic system or

your home, have it inspected everytwo to three years and pump out asneeded.

Help the water management districts protect your water resources bybecoming water smart! Recognize the importance o water to all livingthings. Protect it and dont waste it. Wasteul water use is as harmul asactivities that directly lower the quality o our water. Look at the ollowingtips to guide you in your water quality quest:

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Use mulch around your plants. Itsattractive, helps prevent runo rom

your lawn and holds moisture in thesoil.

Drain your pool only whennecessary. Dont add chemicals or a

ew days beore draining.

If you own a boat, keep it in topcondition. Repair all oil and uel leaksbecause one quart o oil can cause atwo-acre oil slick!

Dont overll your boats ueltank. This is one o the most requentcauses o uel leaks.

Storm drains are only orrainwater. They are not containers orgrass clippings, tree limbs, used oil,letover chemicals or other garbage.

Always remember these drains carrypollution to nearby lakes or rivers.

Plant, dont pave! Any type onatural ground cover, such as plants orgrasses, reduces runo and is prettierthan concrete.

Educate your riends andneighbors! Working together, youand your neighbors can improvewater quality, provide valuable wildliehabitat and maintain an attractive

environment or your community.

WaterQualityTips

youandyourfamilycanbewatersmart!


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Stuff it in the wastebasket.Dont toss tissues and other things thatgo into a wastebasket into the toilet.

Every time you fush, thats up to 5gallons down the drain.

Limit water leaks. Check orleaks or drips in aucets and toilets.One small leak can waste thousands ogallons per year.

Dont leave water running whilebrushing your teeth. Turning the watero while you brush saves 4 gallons aminute!

Concrete doesnt needwater. So dont water the street,sidewalk or driveway. Adjust yourirrigation system so that it waters onlywhat needs water.

When washin the caror watering your lawn, use a hose witha nozzle that automatically shuts o.

Since the amount o water on earth is limited and constantly recycled,

we must do our part to keep it clean. One way to protect water quality isto practice water conservation. Overuse o our groundwater sources cancause salt water to leak into our water supply and limit available drinkingwater. So ollow these conservation tips and you'll be on your way tobeing water-quality smart!

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Water lawns and gardensearlyinthemorning(47a.m.).

Dont water your lawnwhen its windy. The water will end upwatering the sidewalk and street.

Take shorter showers or ll yourbathtub only hal ull. About 5 gallonso water are wasted each minute thewater is let running.

Follow any watering rulesor restrictions that may be in eectin your community. Look in thenewspaper or call your local waterdepartment to nd out the restrictionsin your area.

When washindishes

or clothes, use only ull loads inautomatic machines.

WaterConservation

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aquifer: a spongelike undergroundlayer o limestone or rocks that can hold

and release water

condensation: the process thatchanges water rom a vapor to a liquid

contamination: the introductiono impurities that makes somethingunusable or unhealthy

ecosystem: the interrelationshipbetween living things and the

environmentevaporation: the process thatchanges water rom a liquid to a vapor

fertilizer: natural or syntheticmaterials that are put on the ground tomake plants and grass grow

round water: water that hasseeped into the ground and is held in soil

and rockheavy metals:metallic elementsthat are used to make products

herbicides: chemicals that areused to kill weeds

hydroloic cycle: themovement o water through theenvironment in a never-ending process

nonpoint-source pollution:a type o pollution that cannot be tracedto a single point; it comes rom manyplaces

nutrient: a naturally occurringelement that is necessary or plantgrowth, but it may be harmul in largequantities

oranic pollution:pollutionrom the decomposition o living thingsand their byproducts

percolation: the process o aliquid soaking into the ground

permeability: ability osomething to let liquids run through it

pesticides: chemical substancessprayed on plants to protect them

rom insects

petroleum products:automobile fuids such as oil andgasoline

point-source pollution:a type o pollution that can be traced

to a particular pointpollution: any change in water

that can hurt the living things that use it

precipitation: water rom theatmosphere in the orm o rain, snow,sleet or hail

saltwater intrusion: theprocess o salt water entering

groundwater reservessediment: particles o soil

stormwater runoff:extrarainwater that does not soak into theground

surface water: water that canbe seen on the earths surace

transpiration: the release o

water vapor rom plantsurbanization: the process odevelopment whereby cities andpaved areas cover the soil

water conservation:practices that use less water

watershed:an area o land thatwater fows across as it moves towarda common body o water such as a

stream, river, lake or coast

Vocabulary

15


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6

711

5

12

10

9

4

3

8

2

1

9

4

3

8

1. Extra rain that doesn't soak intothe ground (2 words)

2. A chemical that is put on plants tokill bugs

3. Soil particles

4. A chemical that is used to kill weeds

5. To make something unusable or

unhealthy

6. A chemical that is put on plants tomake them grow aster

7. TheSouthwestWaterManagement District

8. Point-pollutioniseasyto recognize

9. Thesearefoundinfertilizers

10. Stormwater runo is a type o

11. Food byproducts are a kind opollution

12. We need water

aboutwaterpollutionwiththefollowingcrosswordpuzzle

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Find the Hidden

Messae AboutFloridas Waters

1 = A

2 = B 3=C

4=D

5=E

6=F

7 = G

8 = H

9=I

17

.

19 20 15 18 13 23 1 20 5 18

18 21 14 15 6 6 9 19 20 8 5

23 1 20 5 18 19

13 1 10 15 18 19 15 21 18 3 5

15 6 16 15 12 12 21 20 9 15 14

15 6 6 12 15 18 9 4 1

10 = J

11 = K12 = L

13 = M

14 = N

15 = O

16 = P

17 = Q

18 = R

19 = S

20 = T21 = U

22 = V

23=W

24 = X

25 = Y

26 = Z


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TheWaterCyclewww.epa.gov/saewater/kids/fash/fash_watercycle.html

Projects, art and experimentstoinvolvekidsandstudentswithenvironmental protection.www.epa.gov/water/kids.html

TheLearningWebwww.usgs.gov/education/

ResourcesListFor more inormation about water quality and Floridas waterresources, contact the Southwest Florida Water Management Districtat1-800-423-1476(FLonly)or(352)796-7211,orviewourwebsiteatWaterMatters.org. The agencies and organizations listed below can also

provide inormation.

FloridaDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtectionSouthwest Oce13051 N. Telecom ParkwayTempleTerrace,FL33637(813)632-7665www.dep.state.f.us

Sarasota Bay NationalEstuaryProgram111 S. Orange AvenueSuite 200WSarasota, FL 34236(941)955-8085www.sarasotabay.org

TampaBayEstuaryProgram1008thAvenueSEMS I-1/NEPSt.Petersburg,FL33701(727)893-2765www.tbep.org

U.S. Geological SurveyTampa Oce10500 University Center DriveSuite 215Tampa, FL 33612(813)975-8620www.usgs.gov

FloridaFishandWildlifeConservationCommission

620 South Meridian StreetTallahassee,FL32399-1600(850)488-4676www.foridaconservation.org

WebSites:

TampaBayDesalinationProjectwww.tampabaywater.org/watersupply/tbdesal.aspx

EnvironmentalKidsClubwww.epa.gov/kids/

EducatingYoungPeopleAboutWaterwww.uwex.edu/erc/eypaw/

KHVIS 2/09

Water Smart Connections: Student Grades 4-12

Documents

Transcript of Water Smart Connections: Student Grades 4-12