Water Quality
Pollutants that are picked up and carried by rainwater and deposited downstream into lakes, rivers, streams, and coasts.
What is nonpoint source pollution?
An area of land that drains to a particular lake, wetland, river, stream, or coast waters.
What is a watershed?
Fertilizer, human waste, urban runoff and animal waste.
What are sources of nitrogen pollution?
This substance, when in excess, can result in warmer water that can impact fish.
What is excess sediment?
Recharging groundwater, increasing fish production, rejuvenating soil fertility and creating wildlife habitat.
What are some natural benefits of flooding?
Hard surfaces that do not allow rainwater to pass through it
What is an impervious surface?
Becoming informed, planning ahead and being prepared.
Fertilizer, stream bank erosion, decaying plants, and animal waste.
What are sources of phosphorus pollution?
Water that is not swimmable, drinkable, or fishable.
What is the harm of excess pollutants to lakes, rivers, streams and coasts?
A focus on ensuring that the impacts of environmental decision making are fair to all the people they affect.
What is environmental justice?
The key nutrient that must be reduced in order to control algae in most inland lakes and waters.
What is phosphorus?
Accelerated erosion, more nutrient runoff, disrupted drainage systems, property damage, and sewage spills.
What are potential impacts of severe floods?
Only when way too much enters our lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands, or coasts.
When are sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen considered pollutants?
Increases water temperatures and reduces water clarity, making it hard for visual feeders like fish to find food and reducing aquatic plant photosynthesis.
What is the harm in excess sediment?
One of the most biodiverse habitats on earth.
What are coastal estuaries?
The key nutrient that needs to be reduced to control algae in most coastal waters.
What is nitrogen?
The ability of a community to "bounce back" after hazardous events such as hurricanes, flooding, and coastal storms.
What is flood resilience?
The first moves with sediment and the second moves with water.
What are ways that phosphorus and nitrogen travel downstream?
500 pounds of algae
What is the estimated amount of algae fed by one pound of phosphorus?
Its frequency along US coasts has doubled over the last few decades.
What is severe flooding?
This part of the Watershed Game is based on the Federal Clean Water Act’s Total Maximum Daily Load program
What is the Watershed Game's Clean Water Goal?
Game component based on the National Flood Insurance Program and Community Rating System.
What are the Resilience Units in the Watershed Game?
These natural components of stormwater are essential for all life.
What are nutrients?
This substance embedded in the bottom of streams can disrupt fish reproduction.
What is sediment?
Best environmental game EVER created.
What is The Watershed Game?