Introduction
Map Source: http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/riverbasins-interactive.html
Water security has become an urgent issue in the 21st century. Issues of security refer to water quality, water quantity, and access to clean and safe water for human beings. As populations continue to increase and water security pressures rise, humans will have to become ever more innovative and strategic in ensuring a safe water supply. These efforts may include, but are not limited to, public awareness of water conservation and pollution sources, more industrial pollution control, protection and use of wetlands as nutrient sinks, effective stormwater retention, adequate wastewater treatment facilities, etc. These are issues we should all be concerned with since each one of us depends on access to safe water for life.
The Catawba River Basin watershed has experienced drastically accelerated pressures in the last few decades and continues to do so as the Mecklenburg County, Gaston County, Union County, and York County region continues to boom at unprecedented rates for this region. Today the CRB is a watershed in peril.
Task
Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies at Landsford Canal State Park, SC
(photo courtesy of http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/landsfordcanal/photos.aspx)
Your Task is to assume the role of a professional scientist Natural Resource Manager and consider ways to sustainably manage the Catawba River Basin watershed. You will describe the CRB, investigate the pressures that are endangering the watershed, evaluate ways to address the pressures, and produce a watershed management proposal for the Army Corps of Engineers.
Process
Before you begin your research, read each section (Intro, Task, Process, Evaluation, Conclusion, Credits, Teacher's Page) in this webquest so that you are sure of your goals and what you are to accomplish.
For all of your research, use the Google Custom Search Engine titled "Environmental Issues", which can be found on the classroom wikispace MJBLearnforLife homepage. Make sure to cite your sources (author, year) and record your source on your reference page.
Feel free to discuss your ideas with classmates, teachers, parents, or anyone else who may have some insight.
Step One: Description of the Catawba River Basin
Learn about the Catawba River Basin and write an introductory paragraph to your management plan in Google Docs describing the CRB watershed. Your description should include where the watershed begins and ends, which counties it flows through, the climate of the watershed, the lakes used for water consumption, how many people depend upon the CRB for water, and any other facts or information you find relevant.
Step Two: Investigate Watershed Pressures
Investigate the pressures the CRB watershed is experiencing that are causing it to become an endangered watershed in peril. These include, but are not limited to: point sources of pollution, non-point sources of pollution, water use and consumption demands, drought, Duke Energy's coal ash ponds, etc. (Hint: The Catawba Riverkeeper Website is a great place to start for this section).
Step Three: Evaluate Watershed Pressure Solutions
Research potential solutions or methods of lessening the impact of the watershed pressures the CRB is facing. List and describe the different ways in which the CRB watershed could be improved in order to protect and enhance the CRB's water quality and quantity. These may include, but are not limited to: personal behavior changes to reduce pollution and conserve water, tighter controls on industrial pollution and water use (give specific examples), sewage treatment, and wetland protection, restoration, and creation.
Step Four: Conclusion: Watershed Management Proposal
Imagine yourself as a Natural Resource Manager requested to address the issues endangering the CRB. Carefully consider the various pressures you've investigated and the solutions you've proposed and make a proposal for addressing the issues to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Your proposal should include involving the public in education and behavioral changes, consideration of point source pollution, and methods for keeping the waterways clean (water quality). Be creative. Think outside the box. Be innovative.
Evaluation
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Categories |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
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Formatting and Presentation |
Document is formatted using 12 point font, 1.5" spacing, and 1" margins. The document has a title, date, and students' name. There is a reference page with at least 6 references in alphabetical order. Presentation is clear, with each section (for example, "CRB Description") clearly labeled. All parts of the task process (for example, Describe the CRB) have been completed. Complete sentences, punctuation, and capitalization are used. There are references (author, date) throughout the document. |
Document includes the majority of the formating requirements. There is a reference page with at least 6 references. Presentation is fairly clear with some issues of clarity. One part of the task process is missing.There are some sentence structure and punctuation and capitalization issues. There are references in the document (author, date). |
The document is only partially formatted. There is a reference page with fewer than 6 references. Presentation is not very clear. Two parts of the task process are missing. There are many sentence structure, punctuation and capitalization issues. There are few references (author, date) in the document. |
The document exhibits one element of formatting or no formatting. There is not a reference page. Presentation is not clear. Three parts of the task process are missing. The document exhibits severe issues with sentence structure, puntuation, and capitalization. There are no references in the document. |
| Introduction/CRB Description |
The CRB description includes all of the elements listed in the "Process: Day One" description. |
The CRB description is missing two of the elements listed. | The CRB description is missing three of the elements listed. | The CRB description is missing most of the elements and fails to describe the CRB, or the section is missing. |
| Investigation of Watershed Pressures |
All of the issues listed in the "Process: Day Two" section are mentioned and/or described | Most of the issues listed are described. | There is a limited description of the CRB water quality and quantity issues. | There is little to no mention or description of the CRB water quality and quantity issues listed, or the section is missing. |
| Evaluation of Watershed Pressure Solutions | The solutions listed are defined and/or described well. There are a variety of solutions discussed (personal, industrial, habitat preservation and restoration). | The solutions listed have somewhat adequate definition showing some understanding. There is a limited variety of solutions. | The solutions listed are not well described and there are only one or two options listed. | There are not descriptions for the solutions listed or the section is missing. |
| Conclusion: Watershed Management Proposal |
The proposal is clearly addressed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and shows deep understanding and through for the issues and potential solutions in the CRB. All three of the solution areas listed in the "Process: Step Four" section are addressed in detail. | The proposal is addressed to the USACE and shows understanding of the issues and solutions of the CRB pressures. All three of the solution areas are addressed, but with limited detail or explanation. | The proposal is not specifically addressed to the USACE and demonstrates limited understanding of the issues and solutions of the CRB pressures. only two of the solution areas are addressed and/or there is limited explanation. | There is not a coherent management plan. Little to no understanding of the issues and solutions of the CRB pressures is shown. No real solutions are proposed. |
Credits
South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. 2014. Landsford Canal State Park. Retrieved from http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/landsfordcanal/photos.aspx.
N.C. DENR Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs. 2014. River Basin Interactive Map. Retrieved from http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/riverbasins-interactive.html.
Teacher Page
I am a graduate certificate student at UNCC learning to be a secondary comprehensive science teacher. I graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science in 2009. Hydrology in the landscape and our human relationship with water has always been one of my passions, and particularly wetlands and their role in conserving our most precious resource. This webquest has been developed as part of an assignment for MDSK 6162.