Cover: Artwork from The River of Words 2000 art contest

“River Otter in the Wilderness,” Molly J., Age 10, California, Art Finalist (top left)

“Quick as My Thought,” Rachel R., Age 8, California, Art Winner Category II (Grades 3-6) (top center)

“Submerge in the Wonder,” Courtney M., Age 17, Georgia, Art Finalist (top right)

“Heal the World,” Eon H., Age 15, Georgia, Art Winner Category IV (Grades 10-12) (bottom)
1

What’s up with our nation’s waters?

What’s inside?

Inside this report you’ll find out the following:

• What scientists measure in our water

• What percentage of our waters are clean

• Major pollutants in our waters

• Suggestions of what you can do to help

• Projects you can do for school or fun

• A quiz to test your water smarts

• A glossary that defines some common terms

We all need 

clean water. 

After all, our 

bodies are at least 65 

percent water. Fish and 

wildlife depend on 

clean water to survive. 

We need clean water 

to grow crops and 

to operate factories, 

and we need clean 

water for drinking, 

swimming, 

surfing, fishing 

and sailing.

A status report on the quality of our waters 

and what you can do to make a difference

1
2

How do we measure the 

quality of our waters?

Doctors use instruments like thermometers and stethoscopes to check on your health. Scientists use instruments 

like Secchi (sek’-ee) disks, probes, nets, gauges, and 

meters to determine how healthy the water is. They take 

measurements of the physical and chemical condition of 

the water and the health of the critters that live in it.

Scientists collect water in lots of different ways. They 

use boats to go out in the middle of lakes, they wade 

into streams wearing rubber boots that go up to their 

chests, they drop buckets over the sides of bridges—

they’ll do almost anything to get a sample.

Water samples aren’t the only things scientists collect. 

They take photographs from airplanes and even 

satellites. They use their eyes to observe what’s 

happening along streams, lakes, and bays to get 

an overall sense of the health of the water. They 

also collect fish, plants, dirt, and aquatic bugs, 

and study what’s happening on the land that’s next 

to the water.

What is the 

U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency?

The U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, or EPA, is responsible for 

protecting human health and the natural 

environment from pollution. EPA does 

this by conducting research, enforcing 

laws, developing national policies, and 

providing information and technical help to 

states and communities.

How often does EPA report on the 

nation’s waters?

EPA and the states* are directed by the 

Clean Water Act (CWA) to help protect the 

health of our nation’s waters. The CWA 

gives states the authority and responsibility to establish water quality standards, 

which set minimum requirements for fish 

habitat, swimming, and drinking water 

sources. States, under Section 305(b) of 

CWA, are required to assess the health 

of their waters and submit the information to EPA every two years. EPA 

gathers the information from every 

state and prepares a report called 

the National Water Quality Inventory. To see the latest 305(b) 

report or other information on the quality of our 

nation’s waters, visit 

www.epa.gov/305b 

on the 

Internet.

secchi disk

dissolved oxygen probe

Test your water smarts!

1. True or false: Watersheds are located mainly 

in mountainous regions with high rainfall.

2. Circle the correct answer: Most of the 

pollutants entering our waters come from the 

following sources:

 A. Wastewater treatment plants

 B. Runoff from fields and streets

 C. Factories along rivers

3. True or false: Students can join organizations 

to help monitor their waters.

Now read the rest of this booklet and then take 

the rest of the quiz at the back to test your water 

smarts!

*When EPA says “state,” 

it means states, 

territories, Indian tribes, 

and other jurisdictions.
3

What do scientists measure?

Temperature - When you don’t feel well, chances are the first thing someone does 

is take your temperature. Scientists measure water temperature for several 

reasons. First, it determines the kinds of animals that can survive in 

a stream. If the temperature gets too hot or too cold for 

some organisms, they die. Temperature also can affect the 

chemistry of the water. For example, warm water holds 

less oxygen than cold water. A healthy cluster of trees 

and vegetation next to a stream or river helps keep 

temperatures cool for trout and other fish.

Dissolved oxygen - Scientists measure dissolved oxygen, 

or DO (pronounced dee-oh). This tells them how much oxygen is 

available in the water for fish and other aquatic organisms to breathe. 

Healthy waters generally have high levels of DO (some areas, like 

swamps, naturally have low levels of DO). Just like human beings, 

aquatic life needs oxygen to survive. Several factors can affect how 

much DO is in the water. These include temperature, the amount and 

speed of flowing water, the plants and algae that produce oxygen 

during the day and take it back in at night, pollution in the water, and 

the composition of the stream bottom. (Gravelly or rocky bottoms stir up 

the water more than muddy ones do, creating bubbles that put more oxygen into 

the water.)

pH - Scientists measure pH to determine the concentration of hydrogen in the water 

(The p stands for “potential of” and the H is hydrogen.) pH ranges from 0 (very acidic) 

to 14 (very basic), with 7 being neutral. Most waters range from 6.5 to 8.5. Changes 

in pH can affect how chemicals dissolve in the water and whether organisms are 

affected by them. High acidity can be deadly to fish and other aquatic organisms.

Nutrients - Just as nutrients are critical for you 

to grow (check out what’s inside a box of cereal—

essential nutrients), they are critical to plants 

and animals. The two major nutrients scientists 

measure are nitrogen and phosphorus. The 

presence of too many nutrients can hurt aquatic 

organisms by causing lots of algae to grow in the 

water. Nutrients can also affect pH, water clarity 

and temperature, and cause water to smell and 

look bad. 

Toxic substances - Scientists also test for many harmful (toxic) things like 

metals, pesticides, and oil. For example, scientists are finding mercury in certain types 

of fish, especially in lakes and estuaries. Mercury comes from mining, natural sources and 

air pollution from power plants and incinerators. People are warned not to fish if mercury 

or other harmful substances are a problem in a stream, lake or bay.

Turbidity - Scientists measure the clarity of water to determine how many 

particulates (little bitty particles of stuff) are floating around. If you’re sitting on a 

! 

The words highlighted in bold are 

defined in the 

glossary.

Aren’t nutrients good for you?

Just like anything in life, moderation is the key 

(consider television). Although every living thing 

needs nutrients to grow, too many nutrients in the 

water cause algae to grow out of control. At night, 

they suck all of the oxygen out of the water so the 

fish and other organisms can’t breathe. Also, when 

algae die, they are decomposed by oxygen-breathing 

bacteria that pull DO out of the water.

hellgrammite

(larva of a 

 dobsonfly)
4

dock in a pond on a warm summer day, you might be able to see to the bottom. 

That’s low turbidity. On the other hand, if you visit the dock after a rainstorm when all the muck has been stirred up, you won’t be able to see 

the bottom; that’s high turbidity. Scientists use turbidity measurements to calculate the inputs from erosion and nutrients.

Bacteria - Scientists sample for certain types of bacteria that are 

found only in the stomachs and intestines of warm-blooded animals and humans. These bacteria are not necessarily harmful, but 

they usually hang out with some bad characters like viruses and 

germs that can make you sick. Scientists test for bacteria that indicate that those more dangerous organisms might be in the water.

Visual surveys - Not all measurements are chemical or physical. Scientists take measurements of 

the landscape surrounding a stream to determine 

things like the amount of trees and shrubs along 

a stream, the amount of shade that is created by 

trees overhanging the stream, and woody debris 

(sticks and leaves) in the stream. The more vegetation, tree cover, and woody debris, the more 

habitat is created for wildlife and fish. Vegetation can even trap 

pollutants before they enter the stream. Tree cover also helps 

regulate water temperature, which is important to trout and 

other fish that need cold water to survive.

Biological sampling - Scientists determine the health of waters 

by taking samples of fish, plants and smaller organisms called 

macroinvertebrates (mack-row-in-ver-tuh-bretts). Macroinvertebrates include things like 

snails, worms, fly larvae, and 

crayfish (“crawdads”). You find 

them under rocks and tree roots 

in the water. These critters tell a 

story about the health of the 

stream. Some of them love to 

live in water that’s dirty, so if 

scientists find a lot of those in a 

sample, they know there’s a problem. Other organisms can survive only in water that’s very 

clean, so finding those means 

the water is probably healthy.

riffle beetle—

found in clean water

colonies of 

bacteria

(not actual size)

Raise your hand if you live 

in a watershed

Is your hand up? Good. Everyone 

lives in a watershed. A watershed is 

simply an area of land that 

drains the rainwater 

(or snow) into one 

location such as 

a stream, lake, 

or wetland. This 

means that the 

runoff from 

streets, fields, and 

lawns will eventually 

drain into those 

streams, lakes, or 

wetlands. Cup your 

hands as if you are 

going to drink water from a faucet. 

Your thumbs and fore fingers are like 

the ridges of a watershed and your 

palms are like the waterbody that 

catches the rainwater. Watersheds 

can vary in size and shape from a 

couple of square miles to hundreds 

of thousands of miles. We all live, 

work, and play in watersheds, and 

what we do affects everything and 

everyone else in the watershed.
5

How is the quality of 

our waters determined? 

Every state adopts goals or standards that need to be met 

for its waters, based on the intended uses of the waterbodies. Different goals are set for different waterbody uses. For 

example, if the water is going to be used for cooling machinery in a factory, it doesn’t have to be as clean as water used 

for drinking. Scientists monitor the waters and give them one 

of the following scores:

(GOOD) The waterbody fully supports its intended uses

(IMPAIRED) The waterbody does not support one or more of 

its intended uses 

What is the quality 

of our waters?

Surface waters are waters that 

you can see. These waters 

include rivers and streams, 

lakes, ponds, reservoirs, 

wetlands, coastal waters, 

and estuaries. 

For the U.S. waterbodies 

sampled most recently, about 

45% are rated as impaired. 

The charts here show, by 

the type of waterbody, what 

percentage of the assessed 

waters were rated GOOD and 

what percentage were rated 

IMPAIRED.

What percentage 

of all waterbodies

are assessed?

We don’t have the money or technology to sample all the waterbodies 

in the U.S. The nation has more 

than 3,600,000 miles of rivers and 

streams alone! If all the rivers and 

streams were placed end-to-end, they 

could wrap around the earth 144 

times. Each state assesses only a 

portion of its waters. Here are the 

latest numbers we have for percentage of U.S. waters assessed:

19% of rivers and streams 

43% of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs 

36% of estuaries 

6% of ocean shorelines 

92% of Great Lakes shoreline 

How many uses for 

water can you think of?

Make a list of how water is 

used by people, plants and 

animals. Here are 

a few ideas:

 drinking

 swimmimg

 showering

 watering the 

lawn

 homes for fish, bugs and 

wildlife

 irrigating crops

 navigation

Scientists group 

these uses into 

a few overall categories, like Aquatic Life, 

Drinking Water, and Recreation. They then decide 

what categories of uses a 

waterbody should support 

(for example, virtually all 

waterbodies should support 

aquatic life), and monitor the 

waterbody to see if it supports its uses.

Assessed River

and Stream Miles

Assessed Estuary

Square Miles

Assessed Lake, Pond,

and Reservoir Acres
6

Bacteria are a big water quality 

problem in our nation’s waters. Not all bacteria 

are harmful (yogurt contains live bacteria cultures!), 

but the presence of some indicator bacteria is a clue 

that other germs and viruses that can make you sick 

might be in the water too. 

Where do the bacteria come from?

The major sources of bacteria are combined sewers

(which can overflow in a rainstorm and dump untreated 

sewage directly into our waters) and runoff of animal 

waste (including wild animal droppings!) from farmland 

and city streets.

What’s being done to control bacteria?

Cities and towns are improving their sewage systems 

to keep untreated sewage from overflowing. Farmers are developing better ways to manage livestock manure. Dog owners are picking up 

after their pets (yes, dog waste 

pollutes too).

Nutrients were 

listed as the number one 

cause of water quality pollution in our lakes, ponds, and 

reservoirs. They caused impairment 

in more than 3.8 million acres! 

(That’s more than 2.9 million football fields!) The two most common 

nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorus, 

which cause algae to grow and can turn 

the water green.

Where do nutrients come from?

The major sources of nutrients are runoff of fertilizers and animal waste from farms and cities (lawn 

fertilizers can wash away in heavy rain), sewage treatment 

plants, and failing septic systems.

What’s being done to control nutrients?

Farmers are learning new ways to apply fertilizers and manage livestock. Homeowners 

are being educated about maintaining their lawns and septic systems. Cities 

and towns are fixing their sewage treatment plants.

Bacteria

2

That’s right, dirt. Dirt was 

listed as a leading cause of 

pollution in our rivers and streams. When 

rain washes dirt into streams and rivers, 

it smothers the little critters in the stream 

and kills any fish eggs clinging to rocks. 

Dirt can also clog the gills of fish, suffocating them. Have you ever walked into a pond 

or lake and noticed huge swirls of muck rising 

up and clouding your view of the bottom? Well, if 

the plants that use the sun to make food (yes, that’s 

right, photosynthesis) can’t get enough sunlight 

because the water is murky, they die. 

Where does all this dirt come from?

Most of the dirt washing into lakes and streams comes from activities 

that remove trees and shrubs and leave the earth exposed. This exposed earth 

includes fields that have just been plowed, construction sites that have been 

bulldozed, and areas that have been logged or mined. Bare patches in your 

lawn or ballfield can also contribute to the problem. Some of the dirt polluting 

streams comes from the stream banks. The problem is that fast-moving water 

erodes the banks of streams. The water moves faster because the vegetation 

that would slow it down has been replaced with pavement and buildings.

What’s being done to control dirt?

The solution is to stop the dirt from getting into the stream in the first 

place by disturbing the land as little as possible. Farmers are using different methods to grow their crops so they leave less earth exposed, 

and they plant grasses in fields that aren’t being used. Construction workers are putting up silt fences and hay bales to trap the 

dirt and contain it while they build. Developers can design 

new home sites that leave more natural areas and less 

pavement to reduce the amount of earth 

they disturb. 

Nutrients

Three Big Pollutants

For the waterbodies listed as IMPAIRED in 

the National Water Quality Inventory, top 

pollutants causing problems are dirt, 

bacteria, and nutrients.

Dirt 1

3
7

Where are These Pollutants Coming From? 

True or false? Factories are the major source of pollutants in our waters. 

False. Thirty years ago that statement was true, but since then we’ve made a lot of progress cutting 

down on pollution from factories and sewage treatment plants. Although these can still pollute in 

some areas, today most of the problems in our waters comes from polluted runoff draining into 

rivers, lakes, and bays after a rain storm. Rain washing over the landscape carries dirt, oil, fertilizer, 

pesticides, animal waste and many other substances off streets and farms and into our waters.

As we pave over natural areas to make parking lots, driveways and roads (known as impervious

surfaces) the rainwater doesn’t slowly soak into the ground like it used to. Instead it’s channeled 

into gutters, culverts, and storm drains. These tend to be convenient places for people to illegally 

dump used motor oil, trash, and yard waste. These pollutants then are whisked directly into our streams, wetlands, 

bays, and lakes.

And there’s more. All over the country, streams have been 

straightened and physically altered to flow in a certain 

direction; some have been lined with concrete. This makes 

water rush faster after a rainstorm (increasing erosion) 

and makes it difficult or impossible for plants and aquatic 

Areas where water can 

slowly soak into the ground 

are described as pervious. 

Pervious areas include lawns, 

fields, wooded areas, and 

even brick walkways and 

gravel driveways that allow 

rainwater to soak in.

7
8

If you 

were a 

trout or 

a mayFly, 

where 

would you 

rather 

live?

Does your 

nearby 

stream look 

like this?

or this?

creatures to live and thrive. Wetlands 

have been dredged and filled to make 

way for houses, golf courses, and shop-

ping malls. Dams constructed to control 

the flow of water also prevent migratory 

fish, such as salmon, shad and sturgeon, 

from swimming upstream to spawn.

What’s being done?

We all need to work together to reduce 

and prevent polluted runoff. For exam-

ple, the federal government works to 

ensure that lands belonging to the gov-

ernment are properly managed to cut 

down on soil erosion. Farmers are learn-

ing how to manage their land, crops, 

and animals to keep them from affecting 

nearby waters. Your city, town or county 

has local laws controlling what can be 

built where, and how construction sites 

should be managed to keep rainwater 

from washing bare dirt away. You can 

play an important role by practicing 

water conservation and by changing 

certain everyday habits (see What Can I 

Do??? on p. 11).

As for all those straightened and chan-

neled streams and impervious surfaces, 

prevention is the key. Once a stream has 

been altered or an area has been paved 

over, it’s very difficult (and it costs a lot 

of money) to undo the damage. Some 

communities are beginning to realize the 

value of clustering new buildings where 

roads and paved areas already exist, 

and leaving open spaces like woods 

and farmland alone. Laws that make 

it illegal to drain or fill a wetland are 

being enforced. And many streams that 

were altered in the past are now being 

restored to flow in a more natural way.

8
9

Over one-third of all the threatened and endangered 

species live in wetlands, and nearly half use wetlands at 

some time in their lives.

Back in 

the early 

1970s the 

United States 

was losing over 

450,000 acres 

every year to development. Since then we’ve 

tried harder to protect 

wetland areas. But, today we 

are still losing over 58,000 acres 

of wetlands EVERY YEAR. 

That is an area equal to 

about 44,000 football fields! 

Wetlands are being destroyed 

to make way for farmland, highways, houses, and development 

of commercial sites like malls. 

We need to try harder to control 

changes in our watersheds so we can stop 

losing wetlands.

Other names 

for wetlands 

include swamps, 

bogs, marshes,

fens, and

pocosins.

What are wetlands?

Wetlands are a very important part of the environment. 

They help slow down and clean 

up polluted runoff from the land 

and provide habitat for animals. 

You will find wetlands in areas where 

water covers the soil or is present at or 

near the ground surface for part or all of 

the year. Sometimes a wetland will actually appear dry at certain times of the year! 

You can often tell if something is a wetland 

by the types of plants that are growing in 

it. Most of these plants, like cattails and 

swamp roses, are adapted to living in the 

water and can’t live in dry soil for very 

long.

Why are wetlands 

important for our environment?

Wetlands as sponges

Have you ever poured water onto a damp sponge? The sponge will hold a 

lot of water before it slowly starts to leak. The same happens in a wetland. A 

wetland will trap runoff water that flows into it during a rainstorm and will 

slowly release the water later. This helps to prevent flooding.

Wetlands as filters

After being trapped by the wetland sponge, polluted runoff water moves 

slowly through a wetland, finding its way around plants and through small 

spaces in the soil. While it moves, the nutrients are absorbed by 

the plant roots that poke through the soil spaces. Some spaces are very small 

and pollutants get trapped. Sometimes the pollutants just stick to the soil. By 

the time the water leaves the wetland it is much cleaner than it was when 

it entered. This is why many people think of wetlands as nature’s filter 

system.

Wetlands as habitat

Wetlands are home to many types of macroinvertebrates, 

fish, amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. 

These animals rely on the plentiful food, water, 

and shelter that the wetland offers. While 

some animals spend their whole lives 

in a wetland, many use it only for 

a particular time in their lives, 

such as for hatching eggs and 

raising young.
10

What is Ground Water?

Ground water pollution can also begin above 

ground. If man-made ponds that are used to 

treat wastewater are not properly installed and 

maintained, they can leak polluted water into 

the ground. Pollution such as chemicals spilled 

on the ground, bacteria and nutrients from livestock areas, and pesticides and nutrients from 

farmland can also seep down to the ground water.

Can We Fix the Problems?

Sometimes ground water pollution is caused by 

different types of sources that slowly leak a little 

pollution. Because the sources are spread out, 

environmental managers have a difficult time 

finding and controlling the pollution. In other 

cases, one pollution source (such as a buried fuel 

tank) can leak a large amount of pollution into 

the ground water. Once this pollution is discovered, 

environmental managers can often pinpoint the 

source and stop the pollution. However, even if a 

source is pinpointed and removed, the pollution 

already in the ground water is difficult to clean up. 

Therefore, the best way to fix ground water pollution 

is to keep it from happening in the first place.

What Can I do to Protect My 

Ground Water?

First of all, become informed. A great place to 

start is EPA’s ground water and drinking water 

homepage at www.epa.gov/ogwdw. Does your 

drinking water come from ground water? How 

often is it tested? What products in use around 

your house (paints, cleaners, lawn chemicals) 

could pollute your ground water if they were 

poured down the drain or dumped outside? 

What activities on the land might affect your 

ground water quality? Next, do something 

with what you’ve learned. Encourage your family 

to switch to environmentally safe products. Help 

others learn about the importance of ground 

water through a class project or a booth at a 

fair. Visit the Ground Water Foundation’s web 

site at www.groundwater.org for more ideas and 

information on the annual Children’s Ground 

Water Festival and Ground Water University.

Ground water is the water 

that is found beneath the 

earth’s surface. Have you ever 

driven on a road cut along the 

side of a hill and seen what looked 

like layers inside the earth? If we 

could see the ground beneath us, it would look 

very similar. The top layer of earth is dirt, but 

as you get deeper, the dirt changes into layers 

of solid rock. Believe it or not, each of these 

layers has many small spaces and cracks filled 

with water. Ground water moves slowly as it 

finds its way from space to space in the rock. 

Why is Ground Water Important?

Ground water is an important water source for 

all of us. The United States uses about 77,500 

million gallons of ground water each day for 

all sorts of uses like drinking water, washing 

clothes, watering crops, and making food products. Over half of the people in the U.S. rely on 

ground water for drinking.

Is our Ground Water Clean?

States report that their ground water quality 

is good overall. Unfortunately, many states do 

have areas with polluted ground water. The 

most commonly cited pollutants in ground 

water include manufactured compunds (like 

gasoline products) and nitrates.

What causes Ground Water 

Pollution?

States report that most pollution is caused by 

gasoline and other fuels that leak from tanks 

buried underground. Gas stations aren’t the 

only places with buried tanks. People who 

use oil for heat in the winter often have tanks 

buried in their backyards. Other potential pollution sources that you can’t see include leaky 

septic systems and leaky landfills. 
11

1. Survey your home. Before 

we can come up with solutions, 

we have to know the problems. 

Use the survey at the end of 

this booklet to see how you and 

your family rate and how you 

can help be part of the solution 

instead of part of the problem. 

2. Conserve water—inside and 

out. By conserving the amount 

of water we use, we reduce the 

amount that needs to be treated. 

 Check to see if your toilets 

are leaking. Squirt a couple 

drops of food dye into the 

top of the tank and wait a 

few minutes to see if the dye 

shows up in the toilet bowl. If 

it does, you’ve got a leak. 

 Help your family install lowflow devices for your showers 

and toilets that reduce the 

amount of water used. 

 Water the lawn early in the 

morning or in the evening 

to reduce evaporation and 

increase the amount the 

plants drink. Make sure the 

sprinkler isn’t also watering 

the driveway or sidewalk. 

3. Love your lawn—naturally. 

Ask your parents to convert 

some of the grassed areas in 

your yard into natural areas. 

This eliminates the need for 

fertilizers, provides habitat for 

birds and animals, and frees 

up your time from mowing the 

lawn. Where you do have to 

mow, leave the grass clippings 

on the lawn to provide natural 

fertilizer to the grass, and let the 

grass grow to at least 3 inches 

before you cut it.

4. Build a compost pile. Composting yard and 

food wastes is a 

great way to make 

your own organic 

fertilizer and reduce 

waste that goes into 

landfills. Be sure to 

keep meat and dairy 

products out of your 

compost pile—they can 

attract rodents. Call 1-

888-LANDCARE for more 

information on backyard conservation or go to www.nrcs.usda.

gov/feature/backyard/.

5. Take a day off each week 

from using cars. Many of the 

metals and pollutants that wash 

into streams come from our 

cars—copper from brake pads, 

cadmium from tires, oil from 

the crankcase. Get your whole 

family involved. Ride bikes, 

walk, or take public transportation at least one day a week. 

Convince your parents to treat 

to you to a movie with all the 

money they save in gas.

6. Stop storm drain pollution. 

Those hollow drains along your 

curb are meant to carry storm 

water off the street during heavy 

rains. Chances are that whatever goes into a storm drain 

winds up in your local stream. 

Storm drain stenciling is a good 

way to let others know not to 

dump anything down there such 

as oil, leaves, pet waste, grass 

clippings, or cigarette butts. 

Produce and distribute a door 

hanger or flyer for local households to make them aware of 

your stenciling 

project and 

remind them that storm drains 

dump directly to the local 

waterbody. Visit www.earthwater-stencils.com for more information on how to do a storm 

drain stenciling project. 

What can I do???

These problems didn’t happen overnight, so it’s going 

to take time to clean them up. People in your state 

and county are doing lots of things to keep waters 

healthy, but they can’t do it all. Do you think someone is 

watching how much fertilizer your mom puts on her garden 

or whether you pick up after your pup? Everyone’s actions 

every day can make the difference. Here are 12 ideas to get 

you started, but don’t stop there!
12

7. Dispose of hazardous 

waste properly. We’re not 

talking about drums of nuclear 

waste. We’re talking car batteries, solvents, pesticides and 

cans of oil-based paint. Contact 

your local waste 

collection facility 

to find out how to handle 

these materials. Many facilities 

have free collection days when 

you can bring in these materials for disposal.

8. Adopt a stream. Find out if 

there is a volunteer monitoring organization or watershed 

group in your community—and 

join it. If not, start one as part 

of your science class or other 

local organization. Check out 

EPA’s web site (www.epa.gov/

adopt) for a list of watershed 

groups in your community. 

Read EPA’s brochure Getting 

Started in Volunteer Monitoring

at www.epa.gov/owow/

monitoring.

9. Participate in the International Coastal Cleanup. The 

annual event is sponsored by 

the Ocean Conservancy every 

September. For more information 

call 1-800-CMC-BEACH or visit 

www.oceanconservancy.org.

10. Get informed. Knowledge 

is one of the 

most powerful tools 

around. Find 

out all you 

can about 

your watershed. What 

are the boundaries? Where 

does your 

drinking water come from? 

How is it treated? Get a copy of 

your state’s water quality report 

(visit www.epa.gov/305b) to 

find out the major water quality issues in your area. A good 

starting place is EPA’s Watershed Information Network at 

www.epa.gov/win.

11. Enter the River of Words 

Poetry and Art Contest. Cosponsored by the Library of 

Congress and United States 

Poet Laureate (1995-1997) 

Robert Haas, the River of 

Words Poetry and Art Contest 

seeks to foster responsibility, imagination and action in 

young people and to publicly 

acknowledge their creativity 

and concerns. Visit www.riverofwords.org, send an email to 

info@riverofwords.org, or call 

(510) 548-POEM.

12. Spread the word. Once 

you’ve learned about your 

watershed and its major water 

quality issues, tell others. Make 

a presentation in your school. 

Write an article for your school 

or community newspaper. 

Organize an environmental 

fair at your school. The Groundwater Foundation (1-800-858-

4844) has several guides on 

hosting water festivals, including

Making More Waves: Ideas from 

Across the U.S. and Canada for

Organizing Your Watershed 

Festival.

Make others aware of what’s out there...

Make up a rap song about the big three and 

present it to your friends. Come on, here’s 

something to get you started . . .

Bacteria, nu-tri-ents, and dirt

Are bad dudes mucking up 

our earth...

1

Describe a 

problem and 

formulate a 

question to 

answer.

2

State your hypothesis. A hypothesis is 

a statement that predicts what you think 

will happen.

3

Conduct the 

experiment. 

Make observations about what 

is happening.

4

Analyze the 

information.

5

State your conclusion. Was 

your hypothesis incorrect? 

What have you learned, 

based on the information 

you collected?

12

The following pages contain ideas for projects that you can do for school or for fun. Before 

starting any of them, check with your parent or teacher first. These projects are designed 

to increase your awareness and concern for the environment. Make sure you share what you 

learn with your family and friends.

Scientists use the scientific method to solve problems. For each of the projects listed in this 

report follow the same steps:

There’s a method to this madness:

How to use the scientific method
Science Project – The Wonders of Wetlands

Build a Working Wetland Model

Materials:  2 large aluminum roasting pans  Carpet

 Sand  Ground pepper

 Modeling clay  Twigs, branches

Background: Wetlands are amazing natural areas that are in between deep open water 

and dry land. Sometimes it is easy to see the water in a wetland. At 

other times the wetness lies just below the surface of the soil, where 

the plant roots grow. Maybe you think of wetlands as swamps, bogs, or 

marshes—muddy places that smell like rotten eggs, are full of mosquitos 

and leave your sneakers caked in muck. Maybe you think of them as cool 

places full of turtles, frogs, and birds.

Wetlands provide more benefits than most people realize. First, wetlands 

provide nurseries and homes for birds, fish, reptiles, insects, amphibians, 

and mammals. Wetlands also can filter out pollutants before they reach 

the stream. Wetlands can slow down the flow of waters to reduce the 

chances of flooding and protect areas from erosion. Finally, wetlands 

provide opportunities for recreational activities such as canoeing and 

birdwatching. When you finish this experiment, you will be better able to 

understand how wetlands are beneficial to our environment.

Hypothesis: State a hypothesis about the ability of a wetland to filter pollutants and 

soak up excess water. Give reasons for your hypothesis.

Experiment: In the first roasting pan make a model of a wetland. Build the wetland 

using materials such as sand, clay, carpeting, and twigs (hey, be creative). 

Leave the other pan empty. Raise both pans at one end approximately 2 

inches. Measure equal amounts of water. Pour the water over the wetland 

pan and into the empty pan. Observe and record what you see. How long 

did it take the water to settle in the end of the pans? How much water 

was in the lower end of both pans?

Repeat the experiment several times. Each time, add more and different 

materials to the empty pan. Observe and record how long it takes the 

water to travel to the ends of the pans. Which materials soaked up the 

most water?

Repeat the experiment with your wetland pan adding pepper to the water. 

Observe and record how much pepper ends up at the end of the pan. 

What happened to the remaining pepper?

Conclusion: What conclusions can you draw from this project? In what 

ways are wetlands beneficial to an ecosystem? 13
Science Project - From the Rain to the Drain

Measure changes in pH as water goes from your house to a stream

Materials:  4 clean containers to collect water samples (cut the tops off empty

plastic 1⁄2-gallon milk containers)

 pH testing kit (ask your science teacher where you can get a kit)

 Graph paper

 Measuring tape

Background: As rainwater falls and moves across your yard, down the driveway, and 

into a storm drain, it picks up pollutants. These pollutants come from 

many sources such as the exhaust from our cars, fertilizers on our lawns, 

dirt from bare patches, and wastes from our pets. These pollutants can 

affect the pH of the water, making it more acidic. pH is the measure of 

how acidic or basic a solution is. Changes in pH can affect how chemicals 

dissolve in the water and whether organisms can use these chemicals to 

grow. Most aquatic organisms prefer a pH range of 6.5–8.0 

Hypothesis: State a hypothesis about how the pH readings of your water samples will 

change as the water flows from your yard down to a storm drain. Record 

your hypothesis. 

Experiment: Identify four sampling locations starting at the highest point (hopefully 

near your house) and ending in a storm drain. Measure the distance 

between your sampling locations, and space the locations at least 30 feet 

apart (or measure 30 paces with your feet). Leave the first container 

outside your door to collect rainwater. Laying each container on its side, 

collect the runoff from the other three locations. Test the pH of each 

container and record your findings. Repeat the sampling two more times on 

different days. Each time record the number of days since the last rain 

event before you sampled.

Plot your measurements on a graph with the pH concentration on one axis 

and the sampling location (distance from your house) on another axis.

Conclusion: Does the pH in the water samples increase, decrease, or stay the same? 

What conclusions can you make about the changes in the pH from your 

house to the storm drain? How do you think these changes affect the 

pH level of the river water? Did the pH level change from one rain event 

to another? What do think are the major sources of pollutants in the 

rainwater?

14
Science Project - Watershed Awareness Campaign

Background: Clean, healthy watersheds depend on an ”informed public“ to make choices 

that help the environment. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are poured 

into education campaigns each year to make communities aware of the 

sources of water pollution in their watershed and what can be done 

to prevent these problems. Marketing firms conduct research on their 

markets before they develop an ad campaign. They identify their markets, 

find out what messages appeal to them, and then develop ways to get 

the messages out. 

Conduct your own research to gauge the awareness of your community on 

watershed issues, and design a marketing campaign to improve awareness 

of the issues.

Hypothesis: State a hypothesis about the current understanding of watershed issues 

in your community. Predict which audiences are the most informed and 

which messages you think will appeal to which audiences. 

Materials: Interview forms

 List of questions

Experiment: Identify at least three different audiences from which to gather 

information on watershed issues (for example, students in grades 6-9, 

homeowners, local elected officials). Develop a 1- or 2-page interview form 

to ask questions that will help you determine their level of knowledge on 

various issues. (For example, do they know what a watershed is? Where 

does their drinking water come from?) [Hint: Use some of the questions 

on the Test Your Water Smarts in this report to get you started.] 

Determine how you will get the information. (During lunch period? 

Stopping people at the grocery store? After a board of supervisors 

meeting?) After you collect and analyze the information, develop a 

campaign to address the major gaps of knowledge in your community and 

outline strategies to fill in these gaps (a watershed fair, articles in the 

local newspaper, etc.). Show examples of materials you would use to get 

the message out.

Conclusions: What audiences were the most informed about watershed issues? Which 

messages appealed to the different audiences? How did the different 

audiences get their information on watershed issues? 

15
16

Want to know more?

This is just a starting point. There’s a ton of information out there about the water 

quality in your state and who’s doing what to protect it. Thanks to the cyber world, 

much of this information is only a mouse click away. Dig in to find out 

what the water quality is like in your local watershed and what you can 

do to make a difference.

Organizations/Con- tacts

Use the government pages of 

your telephone book to locate 

addresses and phone numbers 

of local agencies in your community or state. The following 

list includes some of the organizations that may be helpful 

to you:

Cooperative Extension 

Service

Department of Agriculture

Department of Health 

Department of Natural 

Resources

Environmental Quality 

Department

Soil and Water 

Conservation District

Waste Water Departments

1-800-RECYCLE. You can 

call anytime to get information on how and what 

to recycle.

Adopt-A-Watershed.

Adopt-A-Watershed uses a local 

watershed as a living laboratory in which students engage 

in hands-on activities, making 

science applicable and relevant 

to their lives. To get more 

information on activities you 

can do in your state/community go to www.adopt-a-watershed.org/contacts.htm and 

click on your state. You can 

also call (530) 628-5334 for a 

list of contacts for your state.

Coastal Cleanups (www.

oceanconservancy.org). Visit 

this site or call the Ocean Conservancy at 1-800-CMC-Beach 

for information about beach 

cleanups or to participate 

in the annual International 

Coastal Cleanup.

Earth Force (G.R.E.E.N)

Earth Force is youth driven. 

Through Earth Force, kids 

discover and implement lasting solutions to environmental 

issues in their community. In 

the process they develop lifelong habits of active citizenship 

and environmental 

stewardship. For 

more information, call (703) 299-

9400 or visit the web site at 

www.earthforce.org.

Earthwater Stencils. Their 

mission is to foster public 

awareness of, involvement in, 

and support 

for stormwater 

pollution prevention. This is 

accomplished through community-based storm drain stenciling and related programs in 

local watersheds. For more 

information, call (360) 956-

3774 or visit www.earthwaterstencils.com.

EPA Safe Drinking Water Act 

Hotline (1-800-426-4791). 

You can call this number to 

report problems or to get information on safe drinking water 

practices.

EPA Wetlands Helpline

(1-800-832-7828). You can 

obtain free fact sheets, coloring 

books, and other useful materials on wetlands.

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the 

Environment (GLOBE) is a 

worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists 

working together to study and 

understand the global environment. GLOBE students make 

environmental observations 

at or near their schools and 

report their data through the 

Internet. For more information 

on getting involved, call 1-800-

858-9947 or visit GLOBE’s web 

site at www.globe.gov.
17

Izaak Walton League of 

America’s Save Our Streams

program provides educational 

material on stream and wetland 

monitoring. Visit www.iwla.org/

sos or call 1-800-BUG-IWLA.

National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife 

Habitat program shows you 

how to help save a place for 

wildlife in your own backyard. 

Visit www.nwf.org/

backyardwildlifehabitat/.

Project WET is a 

nonprofit water 

education program for educators 

and young people, 

grades K-12, 

located on the Montana State 

University campus in Bozeman, 

Montana. The goal of Project 

WET is to facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation, 

knowledge, and stewardship 

of water resources. At project 

WET’s homepage (www.ProjectWET.org) you can get more 

information from the contact 

in your state (see the State 

Contacts list) or call (866)337-

5486.

River of Words Poetry and 

Art Contest. The River of 

Words Contest is a national 

poetry and poster contest for 

grades K-12 that invites children to explore their own 

watershed, discover its importance in their lives, and express 

what they learned, felt and 

saw in words or images. For 

more information on entering 

the next River of Words contest, 

visit www.riverofwords.org, 

email info@riverofwords.org, 

or call (510) 848-1155.

River Network keeps a directory of river and watershed 

conservation groups. Visit 

www.rivernetwork.org/library/

libnetdir.cfm.

The Groundwater Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating 

the public about ground water. 

Visit www.groundwater.org or 

call 1-800-858-4844.

The Water Environment 

Federation is an international 

technical and educational services organization. Visit www.wef.

org for hands-on water 

environment activities 

for kids K–12.

Publications

50 Simple Things Kids Can 

Do to Save the Earth by 

Earthworks Group. This book 

shows kids how specific elements of their environment 

(like a light switch or a toilet) 

are connected to the rest of the 

world. The book provides practical tips to kids on how they 

can conserve energy, recycle 

waste, and take on important 

environmental projects. Available in bookstores.

Backyard Conservation.

Whether you have acres in the 

country, an averagesized suburban yard, or 

a tiny plot in the city, 

this booklet can show 

you things you can do 

to the land around your 

home to help protect the 

environment and add 

beauty and interest to your 

surroundings. Tip sheets and 

this colorful 28-page booklet 

on Backyard Conservation are 

available free by calling 1-888-

LANDCARE (single copies 

only). You can also visit the 

web site at www.nrcs.usda.

gov/feature/backyard/.

Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment by Linda Schwartz, 

Beverly Armstrong (Illustrator). 

This book contains arts and 

crafts projects, experiments, 

and experiences that encourage 

children to enjoy and heal the 

environment. The book covers 

acid rain, endangered wildlife, 

pesticides, energy, recycling, 

pollution, landfills, rain forests, 

water conservation, and related 

topics. Available in bookstores.

Getting Started in Volunteer 

Monitoring. A brochure introducing volunteer monitoring and 

how to get involved. Visit the 

EPA web site at www.epa.gov/

owow/monitoring/vol.html.

Watershed Patch Project.

The purpose of this project is 

to encourage kids to make a 

difference in their communities 

by becoming watershed stewards. For more information or 

to obtain a copy of the booklet, call the National Service 

Center for Environmental 

Publications (NSCEP) at 1-800-

490-9198 or visit the 

web site at www.epa.

gov/adopt/patch. 

Don’t forget to give 

them the EPA docu-
18

ment number when ordering 

(EPA 840-B-02-001).

Give Water a Hand Activity 

Guide (www.uwex.edu/erc). 

This guide provides information for youth about watersheds and ways to protect and 

improve them.

National Water Quality 

Inventory: Report to Congress. This report includes 

information about the condition 

of our nation’s waters. Visit 

www.epa.gov/305b or contact 

the National Service Center for 

Environmental Publications 

(NSCEP) at 1-800-490-9198.

Splash (CD-ROM). This interactive tool provides information 

on nonpoint source pollution. For 

more information, contact the 

Conservation Technology Information Center at (765) 494-9555.

Turning the Tide on 

Trash: A Learning Guide 

on Marine Debris. Call the 

National Service Center for 

Environmental Publications 

(NSCEP) at 1-800-490-9198 

or visit the web site at www.

epa.gov/owow/ocpd/Marine/

contents.html. EPA document 

number 

842-B-92-003.

Waters to the Sea: Rivers 

of the Upper Mississippi

(CD-ROM). This interactive 

tool presents fundamental 

concepts of ecology, the water 

cycle, and watershed hydrology. 

The cost is $39.95 plus shipping and handling. For more 

information, contact the Center 

for Global Environmental Education at (651) 523-2480.

Web Sites

http://environment.about.com

This web site contains information on environmental issues, 

where to get free environmental materials (CDs and 

posters), kids’ stuff (fun and 

games), clip art, environmental 

news, online environmental 

mapping, and other links to 

environmental issues.

www.afandpa.org/kids_

educators/index.html

Hey Kids, Its Time to Take 

Action. All types of recycling 

programs and information for 

kids from the American Forest 

and Paper Association. One 

feature of the site lists 20 ways 

to reuse a paper grocery bag.

www.epa.gov/305(b)

At this site, you can find 

reports on the quality of our 

nation’s waters, including summaries for your state.

www.epa.gov/kids/

EPA’s Explorer’s Kids Club. Provides information and activities 

for kids to become familiar with 

the environment and what they 

can do to make a difference.

www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/vol.html

EPA’s Volunteer Monitoring 

Homepage. At this web site 

you’ll find information on volunteer monitoring, including a 

directory of U.S. programs and 

documents on how to monitor.

www.epa.gov/surf

Locate Your Watershed. Using 

the Watershed Information 

Network, you can check out 

local water conditions, find 

out about watershed training 

opportunities, identify volunteer monitoring and watershed 

programs to get involved in, or 

connect with federal and state 

agencies.

www.epa.gov/water/kids.

html

This web site is loaded with 

information for kids of all ages, 

including projects, experiments, educational materials 

and games.

www.epa.gov/win

Watershed Information Network. You can get information 

on your watershed from this 

web site.
Test Your Water Smarts

Take this quiz (don‛t worry, you won‛t get graded) to test your water smarts. Then give the 

quiz to your family and friends to test their knowledge on water quality. We can‛t solve all 

these problems if people don‛t know they exist. Be the ball . . .

1. True or false. Watersheds are 

located mainly in mountainous regions 

with high rainfall.

2. Circle the correct answer. Most of 

the pollutants entering our waters 

come from the following sources:

 A. Wastewater treatment plants

 B. Runoff from fields and 

 streets

 C. Factories along rivers

3. True or false. Students can join 

organizations to help monitor their 

waters.

4. True or false. Dirt, bacteria, and 

nutrients are the most common 

pollutants in our waters.

5. True or false. Leaves should be 

raked down a storm drain so they can 

decompose in the stream and provide 

food for the fish.

6. True or false. To test if your toilet 

is leaking, you can squirt a couple 

drops of food dye in the top of the 

tank and wait a few minutes to see if 

the dye shows up in the toilet bowl.

7. Circle the correct answer. The 

following organizations monitor the 

quality of our waters:

 A. Volunteer organizations, 

 including kids like you

 B. State, local and tribal agencies

 C. The federal government

 D. All of the above

8. Circle the correct answer. Nutrients 

that enter our waters come from 

the following sources:

 A. Leaking septic systems

 B. Excess fertilizers washing off

 lawns

 C. Pet waste

 D. All of the above

9. What percentage of rivers and 

streams assessed in the most recent 

national water quality report scored 

a GOOD rating, meaning the waters 

fully supported their designated uses?

 A. 10%

 B. 32%

 C. 65%

 D. 93%

How do you rate?

More than five wrong: Uh oh. Better read this report again!

3 to 5 wrong: You‛ve gotta do better than that if you‛re going to make a difference. Check 

out some of the web sites listed on page 18.

1 to 3 wrong: Pretty good. Find the correct answers and start spreading the word.

0 wrong: Excellent! You‛ve got the smarts to be an environmental champion. Now, go out 

there and make a difference!

Answers:

1. F, we all live in a watershed; 2. B; 3. T; 4. T; 5. F, decomposed material uses up the

 oxygen and then fish die; 6. T; 7. D; 8. D; 9. C.

19
20

Home Survey

To improve your home’s environmental friendliness, you need to know where you and your family 

stand on the environmentally-friendly meter. Please answer the questions below and then calculate 

your score. If some questions don’t apply to you, try answering them anyway, using good ol’

common sense (lots of us don’t have yards, garages, or dogs!).

1. Your family runs the dishwasher and washing machine

 a. Only when they’re full

 b. When they are about half full

 c. When they have only a few items in them

2. Your house has low-flow devices (which use less water than standard devices) in the

 Bathroom sink (number____)

 Shower (number ____)

 Toilets (number ____)

 Kitchen

 Dishwasher

3. Take a look at all of the faucets in your house. How many leak? ____

4. Your family recycles

a. Glass

 b. Plastic

 c. Newspapers

 d. Metal

5. When you look into your garage or shed, you see

a. No cans of paint, fertilizer, yard chemicals, or car batteries. Your family recycles 

 them at the local hazardous waste facility.

 Bonus: Where is the facility located? _________________

b. One can of paint, but your family is redecorating and it will be used

 c. Plenty of cans of paint, fertilizers, chemicals, and old car batteries.

 d. No cans of paint or old car batteries. Your family threw them away in the regular 

trash.

6. When you look at the floor of your garage and/or driveway, you see

 a. No oil or chemical stains

 b. A few drops of oil or chemicals 

 c. A lovely collage of chemical stains and leaked oil
21

7. If you have a family dog, whoever walks it

 a. Always picks up after the pooch

b. Sometimes picks up after the pooch

 c. Never picks up after the pooch, except when someone steps in it

8. Describe how your family deals with your lawn

 a. Constantly fertilizes, spreads chemicals for weed and bug control,

 and waters it like crazy. Your parents pay more attention

 to the lawn than to you!

 b. Hires a lawn care company to do everything in choice “a”

 c. Fertilizes infrequently, uses little or no chemicals for weed and bug

 control, and waters occasionally in the early morning or late afternoon

d. Your “lawn” only has native grasses and plants (native means that the plants grow 

 naturally in your area of the country and usually don’t require any watering or 

fertilizers), and your family removes the weeds by hand (really)

9. Your yard is mostly:

a. Patches of dirt and/or a patio

 b. Grass, shrubs, flowers, trees, and pervious (water absorbing) surfaces

10. Your family disposes of yard waste (leaves and grass clippings) by

a. Throwing it into the nearby pond or stream

 b. Raking it into the storm drain

 c. Collecting it to be recycled by the town or county public works department

 d. Composting it and using it in the garden or planting beds

11. If you have a stream or pond in your yard or neighborhood, you see

a. A healthy watercourse with lots of fish and with vegetation, like overhanging 

trees and shrubs, along the edge

b. No sign of fish and has mowed grass or impervious surfaces right along the edge

 c. No water because that’s where you dump your trash

12. If you have a septic system

a. When was the last time that it was pumped? ______________________

 b. By whom?__________________________
22

So, how did you score?

Mom Nature thinks that you’re pretty cool for doing this survey. Give yourself 5 points 

to start out.

1. To be most efficient with water and energy, the dishwasher and washing machine should 

only be run when they’re full.

 a. add 3 points

 b. subtract 1 point

 c. subtract 3 points

2. Low-flow devices can save lots of water, plus there will be less water to clean at the water 

treatment plant.

 * add 1 point for every low-flow device in your house

3. Water conservation is always environmentally friendly. Leaking water faucets 

waste precious water.

 * subtract 2 points for each leaky faucet

4. Recycling is good for the environment. Recycling materials into useful 

products uses less energy and water than using new natural resources.

 a. add 2 points

 b. add 2 points

 c. add 2 points

 d. add 2 points

5. Cans of oil-based paint and old car batteries should never be put into the regular trash. 

They are a hazardous waste and should be recycled by a special facility.

 a. add 5 points

 BONUS add 10 points (good for you!)

 b. add 5 points

 c. subtract 3 points

 d. subtract 5 points

6. When it rains or you hose down the garage, oils and other gunk on the floor of the garage 

or driveway will be washed into a storm drain that leads into a stream. That’s bad news for 

the fish and other critters living in the stream.

 a. add 5 points

 b. add no points

 c. subtract 5 points (A collage of oils and chemicals is certainly NOT art!)

7. Pet waste should always be picked up and put into the trash or flushed down the toilet. If 

left on the ground, it can wash into a storm drain or directly into a stream.

 a. add 5 points

 b. add 1 point

 c. subtract 5 points (Ewwwww! That’s gross!)

8. Lawns should be fertilized sparingly, and weed and bug chemicals applied only 

when absolutely necessary. Native plants need little care and often provide 

improved habitat for animals. If the lawn is fertilized too much, the excess 
23

fertilizer will just wash into a storm drain or directly into a stream.

 a. subtract 3 points

 b. subtract 5 points

 c. add 3 points

 d. add 5 points

9. When it rains, the runoff picks up dirt from bare patches in the yard and washes it into a 

storm drain or directly into a stream. Dirt can clog fish gills, smother stream critters, and 

change the flow of water in the stream. A yard with lots of bare patches and impervious 

surfaces is bad news!

 a. subtract 5 points

 b. add 5 points

10. Composting or recycling leaves and grass clippings creates new topsoil. Yard waste should 

never be thrown into the regular trash or any other sensitive area such as a wetland or 

stream. Too many leaves and grass clippings can clog up those sensitive areas and add too 

many nutrients. Yard waste clogs storm drains and ends up in our waterways.

 a. subtract 5 points

 b. subtract 5 points

 c. add 5 points

 d. add 5 points

11. A “buffer area” is an area with many plants along a streambed. A buffer area filters pollutants such as phosphorus and dirt out of rainwater before it enters the stream or pond. A 

buffer area also shades the water to keep it cool for the critters in the summer. And as we 

learned, cool water holds more oxygen than warm water.

 a. add 5 points

 b. add no points

 c. subtract 5 points (Try using a trash can!)

12. Septic systems require maintenance, such as regular pumping of the tank every few years. 

 a. add 5 points if it was within the past three years

 subtract 5 points if it was over 5 years ago

 b. add 5 points if it was by a certified contractor

 subtract 5 points if it was by your Uncle Bob

What Mom Nature thinks of your score . . .

50 points or more

You and your family are environmentally friendly! Mom Nature is really proud of you! Keep 

up the good work!

20 to 50 points

You and your family are really close to environmentally friendly. Mom Nature is pleased, but 

she would like you to do a bit better.

negative points to 20 (eek!)

Mom Nature is pretty upset and wants you and your family to go to your rooms and reread 

this report until you learn more about protecting the environment!
24

Technically Speaking - Glossary of Terms

Algal bloom: A sudden, excessive growth of 

algae in a waterbody.

Clarity: A measure of the amount of particles 

suspended in water; determined by using a 

secchi disk or turbidity test.

Combined sewers: Pipes that carry both storm 

water and household sewage to sewage treatment plants. During a big storm, thay may overflow and dump untreated sewage into streams, 

lakes and coastal waters. These overflows are 

called combined sewer overflows or CSOs.

Designated use: The desired use a waterbody 

should support (like fishing or swimming).

Dissolved oxygen (DO): The amount of 

oxygen dissolved in water. The amount is usually expressed in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L).

Estuary: The area where the fresh water of a 

river meets and mixes with the salt water of the 

ocean.

Ground water: The supply of fresh water that 

is found under the earth’s surface in underground rock formations or soil.

Impervious surface: A paved or other hard 

surface that does not allow water to penetrate.

Livestock operation: A facility that raises animals such as cows, sheep, or hogs. Bacteria are 

present in livestock waste.

Macroinvertebrate: Organism that lacks a 

backbone and is large enough to be seen with 

the naked eye.

Meandering stream: One that follows its natural course creating winding curves.

National Water Quality Inventory: A report 

EPA prepares every 2 years summarizing information from states about the quality of the 

nation’s waters.

Nitrogen: A nutrient that is essential to plants 

and animals.

Nutrients: Substances necessary for the growth 

of all living things, such as nitrogen, carbon, 

potassium, and phosphorus. Too many nutrients 

in waterbodies can contribute to algal blooms.

Particulates: Small pieces of material (such as 

sand) floating in the water.

Pervious surface: A surface which allows water 

to soak into it.

pH: A symbol for expressing the degree to 

which a solution is acidic or basic. It is based 

on a scale from 0 (very acid) to 14 (very basic). 

Pure water has a pH of 7.

Phosphorus: A nutrient that is essential to 

plants and animals.

Photosynthesis: The conversion of light energy 

to chemical energy. At night, this process 

reverses: plants and algae suck oxygen out of 

the water.

Runoff: Water from rain, snowmelt, or irrigation that flows over the ground and returns 

to streams. It can collect pollutants from air 

or land and carry them to streams and other 

waterbodies.

Secchi disk: A black-and-white disk used to 

measure the clarity of water. The disk is lowered into the water until it cannot be seen and 

then the depth of the disk is measured.

Septic system: A system that treats and disposes 

of household wastewater under the ground.

Turbidity: A measure of the degree of clarity of 

a solution. For cloudy water, turbidity would be 

high; for clear water, turbidity would be low.

Watershed: The area of land that drains into a 

specific waterbody.

Wetland: An area where water covers the soil 

or is present either at or near the surface of 

the soil all year (or at least for periods of time 

during the year).
Cover: Artwork from The River of Words 2000 art contest

“River Otter in the Wilderness,” Molly J., Age 10, California, Art Finalist (top left)

“Quick as My Thought,” Rachel R., Age 8, California, Art Winner Category II (Grades 3-6) (top center)

“Submerge in the Wonder,” Courtney M., Age 17, Georgia, Art Finalist (top right)

“Heal the World,” Eon H., Age 15, Georgia, Art Winner Category IV (Grades 10-12) (bottom)

A Message from the Administrator

Christine Todd Whitman

I believe water is the biggest environmental 

issue we face in the 21st Century in terms of both 

quality and quantity. In the 30 years since its 

passage, the Clean Water Act has dramatically 

increased the number of waterways that are once 

again safe for fishing and swimming. Despite this 

great progress in reducing water pollution, many 

of the nation’s waters still do not meet water 

quality goals. I challenge you to join President 

Bush and me to finish the business of restoring 

and protecting our nation’s waters for present 

and future generations.