Creek Report
Scenario
Objective:
As we study Cane Creek, you will be making visual, chemical, biological, and physical observations. Research will be completed regarding the watershed’s natural and human interactions with the creek. The information you gather will then be generated into a report.
Scenario:
You have been asked to implement a scientific study of Cane Creek, you will be writing a report to a local North Carolina legislative delegate. This report was requested to determine if any further legislation is warranted for maintaining Cane Creek’s healthy role in the community.
Cross Curricular Guidelines:
Data Collection:
Several chemical tests will be conducted on the water: pH, nitrate levels, ammonia levels, and dissolved oxygen. Using a kick net, an attempt will be made to get a population estimate and identification of the aquatic insects found in the stream. Finally, we will be gathering general information regarding Cane Creek including, but not limited to: water temperature, stream depth, flow speed, vegetation, stream bed conditions, and water color & smell. These physical attributes will be logged on a Stream Survey form.
Community Awareness:
A map will be drawn of the Creek’s movement through the campus of Cane Creek Middle and how natural and human interactions impact its health. You will determine which watersheds this water continues to flow through, prior to reaching the ocean. You will research key legislative efforts made to safe guard waterways.
Statistical Analysis:
The data gathered will be plotted and analyzed. A spreadsheet will be prepared to generate the graphs, one of which will later be imported into your presentation. All computations will be maintained within the report folder for future verification. Students will be required to create a pictorial graph of the life forms found in each category, a concurrent graph of temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen as the numbers change over the day. An analysis of these relationships will be examined.
Communication Skills:
Upon completion of the initial draft of the report, students will assemble in peer pairs to evaluate each other’s report to confirm information is presented in a clear manner, all information requested is present, and to verify the grammar is cohesive.
Final Report Components:
Each report should include, but not be limited to the following:
Where is Cane Creek located? What other waterways does the water flowing from Cane Creek impact? Which major body of water does Cane Creeks effluents finally reach?
What is the health status of the river according to the chemical test results? Discuss what each reading means about the creek. Insert a graph explaining the relationship between the temperature readings taken over time.
What is the condition of the river according to the bug survey? Discuss the kinds of bugs found and what they indicate. Insert pictorial information indicating the type bugs populating the creek.
What interacts with the river – plant life, animal life, and human activity? Include in this section the path the water must travel prior to getting to the creek bed. Discuss watersheds. Discuss the give and take relationship between humans and the creek – keywords in this section would include flooding and pollution
What are the physical attributes of the river – size (width & depth), water appearance, streambed condition, flow direction, and other general notes made?
Discuss the effects of present legislative policies – are they enforced, effective, and environmentally practical?
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Assessment Information & Report Rubric – Use as a checklist.
Watershed Map Exercise:
The watershed map will be assessed for completion. Each of the following components must be include. The Watershed Map will be a lab grade.
c Map Directions
c Walk about note/sketch page
c Completed map (Including Travel Routes, Buildings, Sport Fields and Other Points of Interest)
Data Collection Exercise:
Data Sheet will be assessed for completion. Each of the following components must be entered for your class with averages entered for the other classes as needed. Data Collection will be a lab grade. Some of the tests will require a Chemical Analysis of the Creek Water. You will have an analysis page and for, each test there must be the reason stated for the identified test, the results obtained, and the implications these results have on the water quality.
Creek Report
c Visual Check
c Creek Odor
c Temperature
c Depth & Width
c Stream Flow
c Coliform Bacteria
c Animal Evidence
c Turbidity Data
c Phosphates
c Nitrates
c Conductivity
c pH
c Bioindicators
c Dissolved Oxygen
c Riparian Zone
c Stream Classification
Creek Report
Waterway Notes:
Student will submitted a map of the Southeastern United States outlining the path the water travels from behind our school to the ocean into which its effluents are deposited. A written list of the waterways will also be submitted. Waterway notes will be a class work grade.
Draft Report Preparations:
The pages for the Draft Report Process must be submitted. Each sheet must be complete, including notes from class, personal data logs, and group discussion. The following pieces must be with your Draft Process Pages. The Draft Report Preparations will be a test grade.
c Paragraph Worksheet/Note pages
c Handwritten Paragraphs
c First Typed Copy with Peer Review Attached
Final Report Rubric (10 points each):
The Final Report must be submitted for evaluation. The Final Report will count as two test grades.
Creek Report
c Correct Grammar
c No Spelling Errors
c Five Imported Images
c Appropriate Captions
c Formatting Appropriate
c Location/Flow
c Chemical Test pH/Amm/Nit/DO
c Bug Survey/Score
c Interactions Human/Plant
c Physical Attribute
Creek Report
Requirements for Watershed Walkabout
Refer to your notes from the walk-about and on a sheet of paper draw a map of the surrounding watershed. Include the Middle School Campus and any community structures. Show how the creek runs through this area. Caution: Do not make any one item OVER-sized!!! Try to do everything to scale. For instance, the pool building is about as big as the cafeteria at Middle School. Lightly sketch with a pencil, add the color and outline with darker lines. Be sure to include on the map the following locations.
Travel Routes
All automotive travel areas: Roads (include bridges), driveways, parking lots, etc.
Buildings
The Middle School
Treatment Facilities (Septic plants)
Swimming Pool Changing/Restroom/Office Building
Homes
Churches
Doctor’s Office
Animal Hospital
Gas & Grocery Establishments
Sport Fields
Baseball Fields
Softball Field
Football Field
Soccer Field
Track
Tennis Courts
Other
Cow pastures, Tomato & Cornfields, hayfields, forests, and other land uses.
Include BOTH sides of the creek and all visually available information. Remember your notes from the walk-about. Include the details we discovered as we did a visual recognizance of the area.
ONCE AGAIN DO NOT START OUT MAKING ANYTHING TOO BIG!!!! The school should be about center on the page and should not be much larger than quarter with the three halls coming off it like a spider. Don’t forget to have the creek traveling through your map!!! COLOR your map!!! Roads should be……Black. The school should be…..Red. The swimming pool should be……Blue. The sports fields should be……can you guess?
Points to Consider ON WATERSHED Walkabout
What attributes of a watershed impact the quality of the water? Think about the watershed as a large bowl made of sponge material. When it rains – the much of the water soaks into the ground and is used by the plants – however, if we wait water will slowly begin to move to the base of the bowl. In a watershed, like Cane Creek’s, the rainfall moves through the soil and eventually reaches the river. As it travels, much can be brought along with the water – chemicals, microorganisms, soil particles (erosion). This impacts the quality of the water in the creek.
We will be walking around the school today to consider potential hazards to the creek – not all hazards are presently having an effect on the creek. However, these hazards are, none the less, present and need to be monitored.
Station 1: End of 8th Grade Hall
Septic system for the school – waste matter from the school is sent to this building to be processed and then the water (and chemicals used to process it) travels through a pipe to the creek.
Cow pasture - cows have been known to trample fencing and get into the creek – farmers can get fined for such infractions because cows do not just go down to the creek to drink water….
Station 2: End of 7th Grade Hall
Up keep and maintenance of the Ball fields means grass clippings and sometimes fertilizers - Depending on the amount of any given rain fall, some of the clippings and fertilizer could be deposited into the creek
Station 3: End of the 6th Grade Hall
Note the housing development and the tomato farm, both of these locations can cause a change in water quality – either with erosion or the pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used.
Station 4: Car Rider Circle
Once again the upkeep of the field (grass clippings and fertilizers) can impact the creek.
Also, draw attention to the tree line on the other side of football field – this is a feeder ditch that carries water and any other matter down to the creek.
Station 5: Corner near Softball Field
Have students look across the street and notice the community – some farm animals; however there are several house in that neighborhood. Each home has a septic field into which their waste goes - septic systems over time can leech (seep) pollutants which could run into the feeder ditch.
Station 6: Corner on driveway near pool
There is another feeder ditch on this side of the property.
Not if the pool had a chemical spill – much of this chemical would travel down the feeder ditch to the creek.
Station 7: Soccer Field Crosswalk
Looking at the parking lot – the vehicles leave pollutants that might wash towards the creek – but the grass acts like filter and helps keep much of this way.
Kitchen garbage area – the grease pit and the trash cans show leakage on the pavement– luckily there is enough grass presently to prevent this from reaching the creek
Station 8: End of 8th Grade Hall
Point out the roof of the building and have students ponder where the rain that hits the roof goes…
Return to class and have students begin making their maps – Please review the rubric.
Name______Date ______Block: _____
Walk About Note Page
Points to Consider ON WATERSHED Walkabout
TEST REVIEWS
Data Description and Note Page
Below are short descriptions of some of the tests we will be conducting on the Creek. These tests can help to paint an overall picture of the health of a body of water like our creek. Organisms do not like changes in their environment of any kind. Any changes add stress and the larger and faster the changes, the greater the stress.
What does it mean to say that a creek is healthy?
VISUAL WATER CHECK – Measured simply by making observations. Take a photograph to document general visual status of the area at the time of testing. As with most situations we tend to scan the area around us with our eyes. The information gathered from this visual observation can impact your initial attitude registered regarding the health of the stream - if litter and oddly colored water are seen or clear, bubbling water flow amid pruned banks is observed; assumptions will be different. Color may indicate inappropriate discharges, especially from industrial sources. A contaminated flow may also contain floatable solids or liquids. Pollution discharges often affect surrounding vegetation and their apparent condition can add information regarding the water quality.
Visual Water Check / Creek WaterSurface Status: / Creek Bed Description: / Litter Observed: / Other Notes:
⃝ Picture Taken
Write a sentence about the visual aspects of Cane Creek and whether the creek appeared healthy or not.
WATER ODOR - Measured simply by making observations and using your sense of smell. Refer back to the Data Collection Chart of Observations on the section Odors from Creek Area. If the creek produces odors your nose can detect – this can be an indicator of pollutants that are impacting the health of the creek.
Transfer you data regarding the odors discovered at the creek:Manure / Rotten Eggs / Auto Fumes
Grass Clipping / Musky Smell / Fish Odor
Onions / Sour / Moldy
Other Odor Observations:
Write a sentence about the odors of Cane Creek and discuss whether your impression made you think the creek is healthy or not. Explain.
TEMPERATURE – Measured in degrees Celsius (°C) – temperature probe. Organisms prefer a specific range of temperatures. Too hot or too cold water can affect the health of a body of water. Temperature can affect many of the other tests done on water. As water temperature increases, dissolved oxygen levels decrease. Temperature levels can stress fish and other water organisms, making them more vulnerable to disease. Warm water temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius can result in enough stress to cause fish kills.
Temperature of water: Healthy Average UnhealthyDiscuss what attributes of the ecosystem could impact changes in temperature:
WIDTH & DEPTH
Stream width and depth affect many other characteristics of a stream. For example, a stream flowing through a wide, shallow channel will receive more sunlight throughout its water column. Increased sunlight will cause the shallow water to becomewarmerthroughout. Also, streams that have uniform depths across their entire widths tend to flow with greater velocity or speed because there is nothing to slow them.