Action Overview
A watershed is the area of land that drains into one location, and smaller watersheds are often part of larger watersheds that eventually drain to a large body of water, like a lake or the ocean. When rain, snowmelt, or even irrigation runoff flows through the watershed it picks up pollutants like litter and debris combining with polluted runoff lower down in the watershed and eventually ending up in our streams, lakes and ocean. If you wash your car in your driveway, the soap, brake dust and oil coming from your car runs into the storm drain in the street, entering your watershed and flowing to local waterways.
To reduce pollutants entering the watershed we can change our habits (such as taking our car to a carwash that recycles the water) and we can design solutions that reduce runoff pollution. Permeable areas absorb runoff and prevent pollutants from flowing into our watershed. These include lawns, landscape areas and even specially engineered permeable pavement. Impervious surfaces do not absorb runoff and pollutants and allow it to flow off and carry pollutants with it. This includes driveways, streets, and most pavement.
In this action you will create a map of the watershed near your home and find where the water and pollutants are entering the storm drain. You can then design ways to reduce those pollutants.
To reduce pollutants entering the watershed we can change our habits (such as taking our car to a carwash that recycles the water) and we can design solutions that reduce runoff pollution. Permeable areas absorb runoff and prevent pollutants from flowing into our watershed. These include lawns, landscape areas and even specially engineered permeable pavement. Impervious surfaces do not absorb runoff and pollutants and allow it to flow off and carry pollutants with it. This includes driveways, streets, and most pavement.
In this action you will create a map of the watershed near your home and find where the water and pollutants are entering the storm drain. You can then design ways to reduce those pollutants.
Instructions
- Gather materials: pencil, clipboard, crayons or colored pencils, and a small ball for measuring slope.
- Print the My Watershed Data Sheet.
- Walk around your yard and notice where you see slopes, storm drains, areas where stormwater will soak into the ground, areas where stormwater will run off the surface, downspouts and rain barrels.
- Follow directions to make a sketch of your yard.
- Find the storm drains that water from your property would flow into and record these on your sketch too.
- If you are having trouble figuring out the slope to your drains, set the ball down on the area and see if it rolls in one direction or another to decide the watershed for each drain. Record this on your sketch.
- Color code your map using the guide on your checklist.
- Now return to your computer to share your findings with your community leaders.
- Report your findings to the city using the button below.
Evaluate and Report
The city and water districts wants to know what your family can do to prevent stormwater pollution. This information might lead to educational programming or distributing additional resources toward these solutions.