© 2022 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 12 The Earth Scientist

Abstract

Students in a rural Illinois high school Earth and Space science class were challenged to consider how to better manage our land in central Illinois to positively 

impact water quality. The students learned about watersheds, their local Little 

Wabash River and how our land use choices affect all of the bodies of water it 

empties into. They mapped the watershed, determined its threats, and gained an 

understanding of the effects of different land uses on the Little Wabash and all the 

watersheds downstream to the Gulf of Mexico. Students collected and analyzed 

water quality samples. They also used online tools to determine how changing a 

specific land use practice could impact runoff, siltation, and nutrient pollution. 

Students proposed and implemented a tree planting project to reduce runoff 

from part of an agricultural field of a local landowner. Students prepared detailed 

reports and showed improvement from pretest to post-test about their knowledge 

of watersheds. Results from this project will be used with future classes as the tree 

planting matures. 

Introduction

Water pollution is a global problem. Everyone has seen sad pictures of animals swimming 

around and ingesting plastics in the ocean, and many in coastal communities have been 

impacted by beach closures at various times. My students in central Illinois may have seen 

these things as well, but they don’t feel personally connected to them. We live in the very 

center of the continent, far from the ocean. Some students live on or near a local lake, Lake 

Mattoon, and sometimes they will describe the water as polluted, or “gross,” but when 

pressed to explain what that means, they do not have much knowledge about what could 

be polluting the lake. Students rarely consider the river that feeds the lake and drains our 

farmland and towns, the Little Wabash River. Water pollution is an everyone problem. We 

all produce sewage. We all eat the food and use the products produced by farming. We all 

want the rainwater to drain from our yards and properties as soon as possible, and not flood 

our homes. But we all also want clean water to drink. We want clean water for recreation. 

Watershed Studies and Restoration

Amy Brown, Neoga Jr/Sr High School, Neoga, IL
© 2022 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XXXIX, Issue 2 Page 13

And we don’t often make any connection between our lifestyle and land use choices and the 

quality of our water. 

Project Implementation

The challenge we attempted to address with a NOAA Planet Stewards grant was “How do 

our land use choices affect the Little Wabash River and all of the bodies of water it empties 

into, including its estuary, the Gulf of Mexico, and how can we better manage our land in 

central Illinois to positively impact water quality?” The impairments in the Little Wabash 

River can be attributed to grain and livestock farming, and sewage treatment by several 

small towns along its length. (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, 2008) Siltation and 

excess nutrients are the primary concerns, and these are tied directly to stormwater runoff 

and the associated erosion of soil from agricultural lands. (NOAA, 

2019) As the Little Wabash makes its way downstream into the Wabash 

River, the Ohio River, and the Mississippi River, these same pollutants 

continue, until they are released into the Gulf of Mexico, which develops 

a dead zone every year (NOAA, 2021). In 2019, NOAA predicted the 

yearly dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico to be one of the largest ever, due 

to excessive amounts of agricultural runoff associated with increased 

rainfall throughout the Mississippi watershed during the year. Spring 

is the most significant season for the increased nutrient load, and in 

2019, the USGS was estimating that 156,000 metric tons of nitrate and 

23,300 metric tons of phosphorous was being discharged into the Gulf 

in May alone (NOAA, 2019). Some of these nutrients are coming from 

the Little Wabash watershed and the farmland in our school district. 

On a small scale, this project showed students in the Neoga Community 

School District and their families and community that land use changes 

can have an impact not just on local water quality, but on global water 

quality because of the effect in the Gulf of Mexico. This project involved 

installing a riparian forest area on the edge of an agricultural field 

currently experiencing significant erosion. 

This erosion is the result of stormwater runoff, which also carries agricultural chemicals into the adjacent creek. The goal of the tree planting 

was to reduce erosion and runoff from the agricultural field, and 

improve the quality of the stream) therefore improving the quality of all 

downstream waters in the process. 

Riparian restorations are valuable tools in maintaining or improving 

water quality, with the added benefit of removing carbon dioxide from 

the atmosphere. (Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network, 2016)

Students in Earth and Space science class were challenged to first learn 

about watersheds, in general. We spent time identifying our watershed, 

the Little Wabash River. Students researched information about the 

watershed and impairments to it, and drew detailed maps of the area. We 

learned about pervious and impervious surfaces, and the impact those 

might have on runoff and infiltration. We mapped our school property, and identified areas of runoff from the property, as well as where 

it leaves the property. We also mapped the site about 10 miles from 

school, where a landowner had asked to have a riparian forest planted. 

Figure 1. Runoff from site of riparian restoration before tree 

planting. Photo credit: Amy Brow

Figure 2. Creek on restoration site showing silt runoff. Photo credit: Amy Brow
© 2022 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 14 The Earth Scientist

Students used tools on Wikiwatershed 

Model my Watershed (Stroud Water 

Research Center, 2022) to calculate 

runoff, infiltration and nutrient loss 

from the approximately 2-acre site, 

and then used the tool to change the 

land use on the site, and compare the 

differences in all parameters before 

and after the tree planting. Results from 

this analysis are displayed in Tables 

1 and 2. Load and concentration data 

refer to the amounts of those contaminants expected to be in the runoff as 

simulated in the Wikiwatershed tool. 

(Stroud Water Research Center, 2022) 

Runoff was simulated based on an 8cm 

precipitation event. The depth measurements show how much of the 8cm runs 

off, infiltrates, or gets processed by the plants to eventually evapotranspirate. The volume 

data refers to total volume of water for each outcome. This simulation showed a significant 

reduction in runoff and pollutants between the current agricultural land practice and forest 

land use. 

Table 1. Water quality results from Wikiwatershed analysis

Load, 

agricultural 

use (kg)

Load, 

forest 

cover (kg)

Average 

concentration, 

agricultural 

use (mg/l)

Average 

concentration, 

forest cover 

(mg/l)

Total suspended solids 42.215 4.098 203.3 

Total Nitrogen 1.505 0.096 7.2

Total Phosphorus 0.209 0.012 1.0

Table 2. Runoff results from Wikiwatershed analysis

Depth, 

agricultural 

use (cm)

Depth, 

forest cover 

(cm)

Volume, 

agricultural 

use (m3)

Volume, 

forest cover 

(m3)

Runoff 4.355 2.029 207.67 9

Evapotranspiration 0.605 0.526 28.83 2

Infiltration 3.04 5.445 144.95 25

Figure 3. (top left) Students 

planting trees on the pull behind 

tree planter. Photo credit: Amy Brow

Figure 4. (top right) Students sort 

and prepare trees for planting.

Photo credit: Amy Brown

Figure 5. (left) Students and 

volunteers measure and plant tree 

seedlings. Photo credit: Amy Brow

Figure 6. (right) Student using a 

dibble bar. Photo credit: Amy Brow
© 2022 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XXXIX, Issue 2 Page 15

On a cool spring day in March, 2021, a group of intrepid students and volunteers planted 

approximately 1800 trees and shrubs on the restoration site. We used dibble bars (hand-held 

tree spades) and a pull-behind tree planter. Conditions were very muddy, which made tree 

planting easier, but walking and carrying muddy equipment harder.

We also collected water quality 

samples from the creek on the 

tree planting site and another 

site further downstream.

These were analyzed for typical 

freshwater quality parameters, 

including dissolved oxygen, 

ammonia, nitrites, pH, carbon 

dioxide, chloride, hardness, 

and alkalinity.

Results from the analysis of 

these water samples is shown in 

Table 3. Future classes will use 

these results to compare future 

water quality as the trees in the 

planting mature.

Students were given a pretest 

before beginning the activities in the unit, and after 

completing the unit to find out their knowledge about 

watersheds, both in general as well as about their own 

specific watershed and its impairments. Students 

showed a 49.7% increase in scores after completing 

the unit, reflecting the learning about watersheds as a 

result of the lessons. Students also prepared detailed 

reports of the results of our watershed study. These 

reports included recommendations for further land 

use changes that could improve water quality, both in 

the Little Wabash River and in the Gulf of Mexico. Some 

of these recommendations included more riparian tree 

planting restorations, installing saturated buffer strips 

along agricultural fields, and bioreactors to absorb 

excess nitrogen and phosphorus from field runoff. 

Conclusion

Real world problems provide actionable phenomena for students to engage with science. 

This project introduced students to their local watershed and concerns with its quality. 

Students quantified the water quality concerns, and learned about methods to improve 

some of the land management practices causing pollution issues. Students then proposed 

and carried out a tree planting project on former agricultural row crop acreage. Students 

produced positive quantitative and qualitative results, and were able to articulate how the 

land use changes would positively impact not just their own watershed, but all those downstream, as well. Students showed learning improvement through pre and post-test scores, 

Figure 7. Student collecting water quality samples in 

the creek below the field.

Photo credit: Amy Brown

Figure 8. Student conducting water quality analysis

Photo credit: Amy Brown

Table 3. Water quality test results

Test name

Clear creek 

downstream

10/20/2020

Emmerich Farm 

tree planting site

10/23/2020

Alkalinity (ppm CaCo3) 200 200 

Ammonia nitrogen (ppm NH3) 1.8 2.

Carbon dioxide (ppm) 26 17

Chloride (ppm) 0.10 0.

Dissolved oxygen (ppm) 10 3.5

Hardness (ppm CaCo3) 320 300 

Nitrite nitrogen (ppm NO2-) 0.06 0.

pH 7.5 8

Turbidity (NTU) 120 120
© 2022 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 16 The Earth Scientist

as well as comprehensive lab reports that included detailed background information about 

the watershed, its impairments, and the improvements in water quality the land use changes 

would provide. 

References

Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network. 2016. The Second Solution: Riparian Restoration.

https://www.climate.gov/teaching/resources/second-solution-riparian-restoration

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). 2008. Little Wabash River Watershed TMDL Report. 

https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/Documents/epa.state.il.us/water/tmdl/report/little-wabash/littlewabash.pdf

NOAA. 2019. NOAA forecasts very large ‘dead zone’ for Gulf of Mexico. https://www.noaa.gov/

media-release/noaa-forecasts-very-large-dead-zone-for-gulf-of-mexico

NOAA. 2019. Watersheds, flooding, and pollution. https://www.noaa.gov/education/

resource-collections/freshwater/watersheds-flooding-and-pollution

NOAA. 2021. What is a dead zone? National Ocean Service. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/

deadzone.html accessed 7/15/2022

Stroud Water Research Center. 2022. Model My Watershed. https://wikiwatershed.org/model/. 

About the Author

Amy Brown is a high school biology and earth science teacher at Neoga Jr/Sr High School, in Neoga, 

IL. She has taught junior high and high school there since 2004. Amy earned her Bachelor of Scienc

degree in Zoology (Wildlife Biology) from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and worked for 

the Illinois EPA for a few years in the early 1990’s. She then spent a few years as an independent

contractor contacting riparian landowners along the Embarrass, Salt Fork and Spoon Rivers in Illinois 

to promote healthy riparian management. Amy received her teacher certification through Eastern

Illinois University, and later completed a Master of Science program at the same institution. For the

past few years, Amy has also been part of a team working on writing NGSS storyline units with Dr

Barabara Hug of the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign College of Education. Amy is very

interested in ecology and conservation, and has always strived to bring real world issues into her 

classroom. She can be reached at abrown@neogacusd3.n