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Overview to Module 3: Overview to Module 3: All Life Depends on WaterAll Life Depends on Water
Susan DonaldsonSusan Donaldson
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Five lessonsFive 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:We’ll cover:
Water Quality: Making the Water Quality: Making the Connection Between You Connection Between You
and the Waterand the Water
Developed by:Developed by:Susan DonaldsonSusan Donaldson
University of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Nevada Cooperative Extension
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Topics to be covered: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
Gasoline burning on the surface of the Cuyahoga
River, November 1969
Polluted runoff is the #1 water quality problem in the United States today
Polluted runoff is the #1 water quality problem in the United States today
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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The Clean Water ActThe 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 Nonpoint source source
pollution pollution comes from a comes from a widespread widespread
area and area and results from results from our everyday our everyday
activitiesactivities
Nonpoint Nonpoint source source
pollution pollution comes from a comes from a widespread widespread
area and area and results from results from our everyday our everyday
activitiesactivities
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Total Maximum Daily Loads Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)(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 What’s wrong in this picture? How many water-quality problems can you spot?water-quality problems can you spot?
A. Miller
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What gets into the water?What gets into the water?The pollutants in polluted runoffThe pollutants in polluted runoff
Nutrients
Pathogens
Sediment (dirt)
Chemicals
Debris (trash)
Temperature
USDA NRCS
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
Sources: Sources: road sand, construction sites, road sand, construction sites, agricultural fields, disturbed areasagricultural fields, disturbed areasSources: Sources: road sand, construction sites, road sand, construction sites, agricultural fields, disturbed areasagricultural fields, disturbed areas
Sediment (dirt)Sediment (dirt)
Livestock churn up water and increase Livestock churn up water and increase sediment loadssediment loads
FISWRG
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How can I be a part of the solution How can I be a part of the solution for sediment pollution?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
Protecting Protecting Household Household
Drinking Drinking WaterWater
Developed by:Developed by:Susan DonaldsonSusan DonaldsonUniversity of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUNCE, Reno, Nev.
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What we’ll cover:What we’ll cover:
Watersheds and water pollution
How wells work
How to test drinking water
Protecting well water supplies
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Who protects my drinking Who protects my drinking water?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 How do I know if my well water is safe to drink?is safe to drink?
Do you know what’s
lurking below the ground?
Which Would You Drink? - Page 10
Test your Test your water and water and
fix the fix the system if:system if:
Your well does not meet construction codes
WSU Extension
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Test your water and fix the Test your water and fix the system if:system if:
You have mixed or used
pesticides near the well, or
have spilled pesticides or fuel near the
wellpmep.cce.cornell.edu
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How do I take a sample?How do I take a sample?
What’s wrong with this picture?
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
Small Acreage Owner
123 Shady Acres
Paradise, Nevada 12345
123 Shady AcresParadise
123 Shady AcresParadise
(***Replace this with a report from your local area!)
Septic SystemsSeptic SystemsOut of sight and out of mind…Out of sight and out of mind…
until you smell them!until you smell them!
Developed by:Developed by:
Susan DonaldsonSusan Donaldson
University of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Nevada Cooperative Extension
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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What we’ll coverWhat 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
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Which of the following can Which of the following can lawfully be used to dispose of lawfully be used to dispose of
household wastes?household wastes?
A cesspool
A pipe to the local ditch
A pond
A pipe to the storm drain system
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Do you know???Do you know??? Where your tank is?
How big it is?
When it was last pumped?
The location of your leach field?
DNRC, Montana
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To pump... or not to pumpTo pump... or not to pump
Pumping costs about $350 for the average 1250-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?
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What about additives?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!
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Tips to keep your septic Tips to keep your septic system working wellsystem 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
My Place on a StreamMy Place on a Stream
Developed by:
Sherman Swanson, University of Nevada, Reno
Susan Donaldson, University of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUNCE, Reno, Nev.
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TopicsTopics
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?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 Riparian areas areas
support support water-loving water-loving
plantsplants
Why are riparian Why are riparian areas important?areas important?
Vegetation Vegetation provides shade to provides shade to keep water coolkeep water cool
Stream and bank Stream and bank stability are stability are increasedincreased
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Signs of a healthy streamSigns 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?How do streams degrade?
Leg 3:Leg 3:If streams don’t sustain If streams don’t sustain healthy riparian
vegetation, they erode, they erode
Leg 2:Leg 2:
If streams don’t If streams don’t flood onto their floodplains, , they store little water they store little water
and erode a lotand erode a lot
Leg 1:Leg 1:If streamside soils If streamside soils
don’t don’t retain enough water, they don’t , they don’t
grow the right kinds grow the right kinds of plantsof plants
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Signs of an unhealthy streamSigns 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
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So what do I do? So what do I do?
Tips for: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 Water livestock off-streamoff-stream
Manage livestock near streamsManage livestock near streams
Inventory your riparian areaInventory your riparian area
Learn where flooding helps a stream slow velocity and store water by spreading out
UNR, Reno, Nev.
So You Think You Want a So You Think You Want a Pond?Pond?
Developed by:
Susan Donaldson
University of Nevada Cooperative ExtensionUSDA NRCS
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What we’ll coverWhat 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?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.
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Why do you want to have a Why do you want to have a pond?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?Contemplating a pond?
Consider water sources
Surface runoff
Streams
Springs
Groundwater
• Wells
• SeepsUSDA NRCS
More site considerationsMore 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 Vegetation issuesissues
Identify your plants
Select species for revegetation
Learn about plant management needs and longevity
Manage invasive species
USDA NRCS
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Tips for controlling algaeTips 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
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Excess aquatic vegetationExcess aquatic vegetation
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Fish killsFish killsCauses include: lack of dissolved oxygen
(summer problem)
decaying aquatic vegetation
hot water
chemical contamination
diseaseswww.epa.qld.gov.au
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Tips for mosquito preventionTips for mosquito prevention
Add mosquito-eating fish
Don’t let plants touch the water surface
Avoid fertilizer and nutrient contamination of the pond
www.ventura.org
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Tips for preventing pond Tips for preventing pond problemsproblems
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
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