PHYSICAL WORLD ESCI 243  -  NICHOLS COLLEGE ONLINE COURSE

Professor Mauri S. Pelto, 508-213-2168 peltoms@nichols.edu   

Water Resources

Home Page Plate Tectonic Setting Earthquakes Volcanic Hazards Glaciers-Sea Level Rise Coastal Management
Water Resources Groundwater Management Global Warming Fossil Fuel Resources Alternative Energy Sources River Types-Flooding



A watershed represents the entire region draining into a particular body of water.  Thus, to determine the current threats to a watershed requires looking both at the body of water and the watershed that feeds it.  You will need to pick a local watershed and examine it thoroughly for the following.
Note Mt. St.Helens,  The quakes are not deep so it does not have access to the magma chamber for a substantial eruption at this time, will this simmering increase in depth though?

Field Project:  Examine a local stream of choice, both during a dry period and during or after a rain.  pick a stream that is it not too large, that you can actually wade in.

Observe and comment on:

1) The substrate-rock covering, are they clean is moss or algae or sediment covering the rocks

2) Are there soapy bubble present and if so probable source.

3) Is there an oily sheen or iron staining.

4) The relative clarity of the water, is the bottom clear as a bell in two feet of water, look at some deeper locations?  What is in the water that is making it cloudy?

5)  What is the flow observe the depth-width and velocity of the stream.  Use some floating material or food dye to determine velocity.  Time the movement of the tracer over a measured distance of say 25 feet.

6) Determine flow by multiplying width x depth x velocity.  Velocity = distance traveled/time in seconds. Where does the stream begin and what river does it feed into?
 

7)What are the main threats to the watershed area of your stream, comment on land uses that either protect or threaten it.