PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Who Messed With My Watershed?
How can it be determined if a contamination problem exists in our watershed?
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Soil, agricultural runoff, manure, and fertilizer are all major pollutants to watersheds.
All of those can cause unsafe drinking water, health problems to the organisms that live in or drink it, and an unsafe habitat.
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If the populations of the plant and animal life in the body of water or watershed has dropped drastically.
If the water looks murky and dark and is hard to see through.
If the water gives off a foul odor.
If the water has a lot of “sludge.”
Is there a history of watershed issues in Texas? Nationally? When? What caused them?
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Texas:
The most common contaminants in Texas are: gasoline, diesel, and petroleum products.
Drought.
Trinity river ranks in the top three of Texas’ most polluted waters.
Chemical dumps.
Is there a history of watershed issues in Texas? Nationally? When? What caused them?
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Nationally:
The most common national watershed issues are sewer overflows.
Cyanobacteria or blue green algae.
Harmful fish consumption.
Storm-water and runoff.
Toxic waste (including trash).
Water chestnut.
Is there a history of watershed issues in Texas? Nationally? When? What caused them?
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Nationally:
The most common national watershed issues are sewer overflows.
Cyanobacteria or blue green algae.
Harmful fish consumption.
Storm-water and runoff.
Toxic waste (including trash).
Water chestnut.
Is there a history of watershed issues in Texas? Nationally? When? What caused them?
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When:
Watershed issues happen constantly, but are most common during:
The summer.
Droughts.
Torrential rain.
Is there a history of watershed issues in Texas? Nationally? When? What caused them?
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Causes:
Over fertilization/pesticide use.
Failure to pick up after pets.
Dumping fluids and trash down storm drains.
Gasoline, diesel, and petroleum products.
Debris from sidewalks and streets.
How are the inhabitants of the watershed (plants and animals) affected by the contamination problem? Is there a potential for biological magnification?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Water and air pollution have the most negative impacts.
Urban areas of water are highly polluted.
The chemically polluted water will eventually be transported into homes.
Is the watershed contamination a natural occurrence? Or, is the issue related to human influences? Both?
-------------------------------------------------------------------Both.
Natural occurrences:
Dirty rainwater.
Is the watershed contamination a natural occurrence? Or, is the issue related to human influences? Both?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Human influences:
Companies dumping chemicals into the river.
Not throwing away trash.
Pesticides.
If it is determined that there is a water contamination problem, what will be the economical issue and social impacts?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Filter all of the water.
Most of the plant and animal life would die off.
The government would have to take taxpayer money to get it fixed.
Locally many people would be affected and angry.
A possible solution would be to pass a law constricting what is put in our drains and a local dumping safety law.
What actions do you recommend as a solution to the problem?
-----------------------------------------------------Keeping trash out of water drains, picking UP trash, and making barriers so trash can at least be controlled.
What are the expected short term and long term consequences of your recommendation?
-----------------------------------------------------------Short term: people would try to keep up with it for a little while, making it cleaner.
What are the expected short term and long term consequences of your recommendation?
------------------------------------------------------------Long term: its clean from the short term, therefore cleaner than it was before.
