Long Island Sound Watershed Study SoundWaters & SPS 6th grade

The Long Island Sound Watershed 1 2 A Watershed is… The entire area of land that water (from streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and precipitation) travels over to get to one larger body of water 3 1 2 5 6 4 It contains… “More than 8,000,000 people” - Save the Sound 6 states 2 countries Directions: Review each of the states with the students. Talking Points: Point out that the Connecticut River (the large river that starts up in Quebec) can carry fresh water down from the mountains in Canada to the LIS. You may also want to note the many other smaller rivers or tributaries in CT that drain to the LIS.

How does a watershed work? A) Starts in upland areas like mountains C) The water travels through populated and agricultural areas B) Rivers form and tributaries add water to them D) The rivers drain into a larger body of water E) While all this happens above ground, water is moving through the earth as well

How can humans impact the water they live near? Pond Near a Farm We use the water around us in many ways that include Drinking water recreation How can cities and farms affect the water? Fertilizers, oil, gasoline, garbage can all get into the water Reservoir Stamford Harbor Hammonasset Beach State Park Optional – global discussion - what do people in other countr Now that you have journeyed through the LIS watershed, can you compare and contrast our watershed with another one? ies do to check the quality of their water? What about countries that have very poor water quality?

How can plastics affect the water and land? Microplastics Barely visible pieces of any plastic that enter the environment and gets broken down into smaller fragments. Become part of the food chain when animal life eats it Plastiglomerate Layers of plastic embedded into the earth’s geology Plastic melts and cements itself with rock fragments, sand, shell debris

How can weathering affect the land around us? When rocks disintegrate and decompose Physical/Mechanical Breaking without changing chemical composition Disintegration by plants and animals Chemical Breaking by chemical mechanisms

How can erosion affect the land around us? Removal of weathered material Flowing Water Wind Sea waves

Permeable vs. Impermeable surfaces What is a permeable surface? A surface that allows water to percolate (move through) into the soil to filter out pollutants and recharge the water table? What are some permeable materials near Long Island Sound Salt Marsh, soil, sand What is an impermeable surface? Solid surfaces that do not allow water to penetrate, forcing it to run off What happens to pollutants on an impermeable surface near Long Island Sound? They can end up in the water, which can be harmful to the water chemistry and animals In the classroom, we will be discussing how impermeable and permeable surfaces affect runoff

Prior to SoundWaters visiting your classroom, we challenge you! Discuss how impermeable and permeable surfaces affect runoff Discover ways to reduce runoff on impermeable surfaces, either by action or adding something to the landscape HINT: This information will “pay off” during our visit !!!