Overview to Module 3: All Life Depends on Water Susan Donaldson

Five lessons  Water quality  Drinking water and wells  Septic systems  Streams  Ponds  Content of lessons – PowerPoint presentations and Lesson Plans  How to use activities to engage participants  How to customize We’ll cover:

Water Quality: Making the Connection Between You and the Water Developed by: Susan Donaldson University of Nevada Cooperative Extension UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Topics to be covered:  What do we mean by “water quality”?  How is water quality regulated?  What water quality parameters are tested to protect health and habitat?  What are some common sources of pollution related to small-acreage management?  How can I better manage my property to avoid water pollution?

Gasoline burning on the surface of the Cuyahoga River, November 1969

Polluted runoff is the #1 water quality problem in the United States today UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Watersheds USDA NRCS Pass the Jug Game – Page 7

The Clean Water Act  Seeks to maintain fishable and swimable water  Sets specific water quality standards based on the intended use of the water  Addresses various sources of pollution  Section 303(d) requires states to develop lists of impaired waters

Nonpoint source pollution comes from a widespread area and results from our everyday activities UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)  TMDL: The amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards.  We still have a problem today! After almost 30 years of water pollution control efforts, more than 40 percent of our waters are still too polluted for fishing and swimming.  Everyone needs to do their part to protect our water.

What’s wrong in this picture? How many water-quality problems can you spot? A. Miller

What gets into the water? The pollutants in polluted runoff  Nutrients  Pathogens  Sediment (dirt)  Chemicals  Debris (trash)  Temperature USDA NRCS UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Sources: road sand, construction sites, agricultural fields, disturbed areas Sediment (dirt)

USDA NRCS Runoff from fields erodes soil into streams and rivers

Livestock churn up water and increase sediment loads FISWRG

How can I be a part of the solution for sediment pollution?  Manage grazing to maintain healthy grass cover on pastures  Revegetate bare ground  Create buffer areas adjacent to streams to catch sediment  Stabilize slopes and other erosion- prone areas

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Protecting Household Drinking Water Developed by: Susan Donaldson University of Nevada Cooperative Extension UNCE, Reno, Nev.

What we’ll cover:  Watersheds and water pollution  How wells work  How to test drinking water  Protecting well water supplies

Wells DNRC, Mont.

Who protects my drinking water?  The Safe Drinking Water Act, first created in 1974, is the main federal law that regulates drinking water provided by municipal water suppliers  The EPA sets standards and oversees water suppliers  Ensuring safe water from private wells is the responsibility of the homeowner

How do I know if my well water is safe to drink? Do you know what’s lurking below the ground? Which Would You Drink? - Page 10

Test your water and fix the system if:  Your well does not meet construction codes WSU Extension

Test your water and fix the system if:  You have mixed or used pesticides near the well, or have spilled pesticides or fuel near the well pmep.cce.cornell.edu

How do I take a sample? What’s wrong with this picture? UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Small Acreage Owner 123 Shady Acres Paradise, Nevada Shady Acres Paradise 123 Shady Acres Paradise (***Replace this with a report from your local area!)

A. Miller

What’s wrong with this well? UNCE, Reno, Nev.

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Septic Systems Out of sight and out of mind…until you smell them! Developed by: Susan Donaldson University of Nevada Cooperative Extension UNCE, Reno, Nev.

What we’ll cover  Sources of household wastewater  Components of a septic system  Maintaining your septic system  Causes of septic system failure  Additives, bleach, and more

Which of the following can lawfully be used to dispose of household wastes?  A cesspool  A pipe to the local ditch  A pond  A pipe to the storm drain system

Components of a septic system A. Miller

Do you know???  Where your tank is?  How big it is?  When it was last pumped?  The location of your leach field? DNRC, Montana

A. Miller

To pump... or not to pump  Pumping costs about $350 for the average gallon tank, every three years or so  A new leach field costs from $5,000+ for an in- ground system to as much as $25,000 for an engineered field Which would you choose?

 Spongy ground  Sewage at land surface  Sewage backing up into house A. Miller

What about additives?  Enough bacteria are present in the tank from normal bodily wastes  Additives cost $$$ and may actually increase the solid material in the tank by producing inert ingredients  There is no substitute for pumping!

Tips to keep your septic system working well  Don’t water the leach field  Don’t flood the system with excessive water use  Keep excess solids out of the system and avoid flushing toxic chemicals down the drain

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My Place on a Stream Developed by: Sherman Swanson, University of Nevada, Reno Susan Donaldson, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Topics  What do you like about living near a stream?  What’s a riparian area and floodplain, and why are they important?  Signs of a healthy stream  Signs of an unhealthy stream  Tips on taking care of your stream and watershed

What’s a stream?  A body of water that flows year-round  Naturally occurring  May have been straightened at some point in the past to deliver irrigation water, but was not originally constructed to convey irrigation water (that’s a ditch!)

NRCS, Bozeman, Mont., adapted by A. Miller Riparian areas support water-loving plants

Why are riparian areas important?  Vegetation provides shade to keep water cool  Stream and bank stability are increased UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Signs of a healthy stream  Vegetation and roots are present to protect and stabilize banks  There is a high water table with lots of water storage  The water quality is good

How do streams degrade? Leg 3: If streams don’t sustain, they erode If streams don’t sustain healthy riparian vegetation, they erode Leg 2: If streams don’t, they store little water and erode a lot If streams don’t flood onto their floodplains, they store little water and erode a lot Leg 1: If streamside soils don’t, they don’t grow the right kinds of plants If streamside soils don’t retain enough water, they don’t grow the right kinds of plants

Signs of an unhealthy stream  Low water table and less water storage  Little shade and warmer water  Poor water quality  Little vegetation and roots to protect and stabilize banks  Poor floodplain access  Stream shape wrong for the setting

So what do I do? Tips for:  Managing livestock near streams  Living near a floodplain  Designing in-stream projects  Building or fixing roads and bridges  Controlling pollution  Managing streams for wildlife  Enjoying your stream or riparian area

USDA NRCS Water livestock off-stream Manage livestock near streams

Inventory your riparian area Learn where flooding helps a stream slow velocity and store water by spreading out UNR, Reno, Nev.

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So You Think You Want a Pond? Developed by: Susan Donaldson University of Nevada Cooperative Extension USDA NRCS

What we’ll cover  What is a pond?  Why have a pond?  Types of ponds  Pond requirements and issues  Site considerations  Water quality, vegetation and fish  Maintaining your pond

What’s a pond?  Lake: more than 10 acres  Pond: less than 10 acres  Pond: manmade  Arbitrary distinction - smaller than a lake! UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Why do you want to have a pond?  Irrigation water storage (is it legal?)  Stock watering  Aesthetics  Wildlife habitat  Fish production  Recreation  Fire suppression, etc. USDA NRCS

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Contemplating a pond?  Consider water sources  Surface runoff  Streams  Springs  Groundwater Wells Seeps USDA NRCS

More site considerations  Keep pond at least 100 feet from a septic leachfield  Don’t build on top of buried pipelines, cables or utilities  Site should be accessible for maintenance  Pond should fit into the design for the rest of your landscaping USDA NRCS

Vegetation issues  Identify your plants  Select species for revegetation  Learn about plant management needs and longevity  Manage invasive species USDA NRCS

Maintaining your pond USDA NRCS

Algae A. Miller

Tips for controlling algae  Reduce nutrients, especially phosphorus  Try biological controls such as barley straw – may not be effective  Improve pond aeration  Remove by hand (for filamentous algae)  Apply chemicals

Excess aquatic vegetation UNCE, Reno, Nev.

Fish kills Causes include:  lack of dissolved oxygen (summer problem)  decaying aquatic vegetation  hot water  chemical contamination  diseases

Tips for mosquito prevention  Add mosquito-eating fish  Don’t let plants touch the water surface  Avoid fertilizer and nutrient contamination of the pond

Tips for preventing pond problems  Don’t build one in the first place!  Fence livestock out of the pond and provide an alternate freeze-proof, year-round watering source USDA NRCS

Customization  Local watershed issues and active groups  Local regulations, well and septic rules, pond and stream issues  Visit a water testing lab  Get coupons for discounts on septic pumping