Awareness of Pollution to Our Watersheds

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PreparationsArrange a classroom table “altar” with a cloth, a candle, a clear container with water, and a Bible open to Job 12:7-8. Before partici-pants arrive, familiarize yourself with the Legacy water wheels and posters mentioned in this session, so that you can refer to them as you share information about pollution and degradation to our Watersheds. Decorate the room with appropriate Legacy posters. As class begins, invite participants to add to the table their journal/notebook, sketched images, pictures from magazines, and/or pictures of their home river and/or stream. Give thanks for all that is gathered.

Reflection: 10 minutesPrayer Leader: At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of in-terstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.

Response: By your will they were created and have their being. Leader: From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with mem-ory, reason, and skill. You made us the rulers of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another.

Response: Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight. Amen.from Eucharistic Prayer C, BCP

Session ThreeAwareness

Watersheds and Warming 3-1

Awareness of Pollution to Our Watersheds1. Someone reads the Scripture O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 Thus says the Lord: See, waters are rising out of the north and shall be-come an overflowing torrent; they shall overflow the land and all that fills it, the city and those who live in it. Jeremiah 47:2 2. Invite participants to be silent for a few minutes and meditate on these images of drought and flood, either of which could be the legacy of climate change in Alabama. Meditate also on how humankind has betrayed God’s trust by not caring for the waters of Creation.

3. Remind participants that it can be difficult to begin iden-tifying adverse impacts to our watersheds. Yet, knowing where the challenges are opens op-portunities to make informed choices in our Care of Creation. On newsprint, make a list of adverse impacts.

4. As the group is compiling their list, encourage them to think of all the things that could affect either the quantity or quality of surface water (riv-ers, streams, lakes and above-ground water), groundwater (water found underground), and aquifers (underground layers of pervious rock, etc., containing water).

Yahwehteach me your way,

lead mein the pathof integrity.

Psalm 27:11a JB



3-2 Watersheds and Warming

Education: 25 minutesBegin today’s Session with the following activity from McDow-ell Environmental Center’s Pond and Stream Class (see Resources for website).

The World’s Water When we think of water, we usu-ally think of lakes, rivers, streams, clouds and oceans. But where, really, is the world’s water? Use this demonstration to help par-ticipants realize just how precious the water is in Alabama’s rivers and streams. Note: For the best results, use clear measuring cups and containers.

1. Fill 5 one-gallon jugs with water. This represents all of the water on Earth.

2. Remove 2-3/4 cups of water from one container and pour into a clear container (container #1). Container #1 now contains all of the fresh water on Earth.

3. From Container #1, remove 2 cups of water and pour into Container #2.Container #2 now holds all of the freshwater that is trapped in icecaps and glaciers.

4. From Container #1, remove 8 tablespoons and pour into Con-tainer #3.This represents all of the ground water in the world.

5. Point out that Container #1 now contains all of the water in Earth’s lakes, inland seas/salt seas, the atmosphere and rivers/streams. Dip your finger into the water and let one drop hang from your finger. This represents all of the water in Earth’s rivers and streams. Water is a precious resource with which Alabama has been blessed.

Our focus for Session Three is on the sources of pollution and degradation to our watersheds and how these same factors are connected with climate change. As time allows follow guidelines for Biodiversity and More About Pollution. Class can read extra materials at home.

Global warming is already af-fecting nearly all watersheds. More frequent powerful storms are increasing flooding and destabilizing river and stream channels. More severe droughts and higher temperatures are placing additional stresses on aquatic ecosystems. Increasing withdrawals for agricultural ir-rigation and outdoor suburban use are further depleting stream flows and lowering water tables, exacerbating ecosystem stresses and causing new human con-flicts over water.

Conserving water keeps water in our streams where it is needed – and saves energy, while reduc-ing CO2 output. Reducing stress-ors to our watersheds can increase biodiversity and at the same time help offset the impacts of global warming. (Refer to Legacy “Ala-bama’s Watersheds” poster.)

This is not just about “water-sheds” or rivers or even drinking water, without which all God’s creatures – including humans – cannot live. It is about the whole complex web of creation and our intimate connection to all of it. When we pollute or de-grade our rivers and streams, the effects are widespread and like a boomerang eventually come right back at us.

Percentages Oceans = 97.2%, Icecaps/glaciers = 2.0%, Groundwater =0.62%, Freshwater lakes = 0.009%, Inland Seas/Salt Lakes = 0.008%, Atmosphere = 0.001%, Rivers = 0.0001%.

From “Cousteau Almanac.” 1981.Doubleday/Dolphin: New York.




BiodiversityNow let’s look for a moment at the issue of biodiversity and why it matters. The following infor-mation is from Alabama Water Watch, inspired by E.O. Wilson, The Creation. It helps us under-stand how pollution and degra-dation of our watersheds leads to a decline in biodiversity.

Habitat loss, Invasive spe-cies, Pollution, Population growth, and Over-exploitation of resources are the five main environmental stresses that lead to a decline in biodiversity. The acronym HIPPO is used to re-member them.

(Divide participants into four groups, A B C D. Ask each group to silently read the paragraphs by their letter below.)

Habitat loss occurs for a variety of reasons. Sediments in runoff are one of the biggest problems. Sediment is picked up from rainwater running off the land in areas where various land use practices have left bare and poor-ly covered soil. Another cause of sediment and habitat loss is erosion of streams and collapse of stream banks caused by all the additional stormwater running off of pavement and roofs, in-stead of soaking into the ground as it would in an undeveloped forest. A third reason for habitat loss is stream channelization, where streams are straightened for quicker drainage of rainwater. Frequently, streams are lined with concrete or piped underground and virtually all habitat is lost.

Invasive species can be a real nuisance in both polluted and non-polluted streams. They often

do very well when introduced into non-native ecosystems because their natural predators are not present. Invasive spe-cies tend to be tolerant of poorer water quality, which gives them another advantage over native populations. They can become the dominant species in many aquatic ecosystems as water quality deteriorates and native species population decline.

Pollution in any environment makes it harder for species to ex-ist, especially less tolerant ones. In the United States, we have the Clean Water Act to help guide, protect, and restore our waters, yet the Act is not implemented fully in many areas. While great progress has been made in the U.S. to reduce piped discharges of pollutants – as from sewage treatment plants – pollution such as oil and pesticides is increasing in storm runoff from parking lots and other urban uses. In devel-oping countries, environmental laws are often not in place to handle water quality issues that arise from expansion and growth. These countries continue to see major water quality and water security problems.

Human Population growth affects biodiversity by placing an even greater burden on our finite water resources. Closely tied with this is both pollution and Over-exploitation of natu-ral resources. Without proper water conservation measures in place, public water supplies become polluted and begin to diminish. Improper land use and unchecked growth and develop-ment by an expanding popula-tion add additional stress to species living in local streams.

B

C

D

A

It takes 25 gallons of water to produce

one pound of wheat.


one pound of chicken.


one pound of pork.

It takes 5,214 gallons of water to produce

one pound of beef.

Fun Facts: McDowell Environmental Center




(Return to the newsprint, and add to the list of adverse impacts to our watersheds.)

Look again at the Legacy “Wa-tersheds” poster. Imagine how unpleasant fishing, boating, swimming and wading would be if the HIPPO effects we just discussed had significantly degraded these waters. HIPPO is what affects the biodiversity of species living in our streams and rivers, and what affects them af-fects us. All species are creatures of the same Creator.

The HIPPO Crossword Puzzle from Alabama Water Watch, on 3-8, can be done at home - per-haps with family or friends.

More about pollution(As time allows, divide partici-pants into four groups, A B C D. Ask each group to silently read paragraphs by their letter below.)

Rainwater can become a source of pollution. A standard ap-proach to managing rain water is to turn it into a waste product called “stormwater.” We then try to get it off our property as fast as possible, directing it across driveways and into street gutters and storm drains. Water washing over the land, whether from rain, car washing or the watering of crops or lawns, is transformed into a gush of warm, dirty water that carries mud, oil, bacteria, pesticides and other pollutants into our rivers and causes erosion, flooding and degradation of species.

Urban and suburban develop-ment affects both the quantity and quality of stormwater run-

off, which in turn has impacts on waterways. Because paved roadways and other impervious (non-porous) surfaces do not absorb rainwater, runoff from urban areas is two to five times greater than is that from forest-land. A growing body of scien-tific research is finding a direct relationship between the amount of impervious surface in a wa-tershed and the water quality of that watershed’s waters.

Impervious surfaces such as asphalt, concrete and roofing increase the volume and velocity of the runoff. This often results in flooding, erosion and perma-nent alterations in stream form and function. In addition, by blocking the infiltration of water and its associated pollutants into the soil, impervious surfaces in-terfere with natural processing of nutrients, sediment, pathogens and other contaminants, result-ing in degradation of surface wa-ter quality. By enhancing natural drainage systems that allow rain to filter into the ground, rather than channeling it to create rapid surface drainage, negative impacts of surface runoff can be minimized, property values im-proved, and the beauty of God’s creation cared for and enhanced.

Threatened and Endangered Species (Refer to Legacy “Imper-iled Species of Alabama” poster.) While Alabama ranks 5th for biological diversity, we rank 2nd for the number of species that have gone extinct. Indeed, of all the species that went extinct dur-ing the 20th Century, half were found in the Mobile River Basin. And as our population grows and the economy develops, our

B

C

D

A

If complex creatures cannot thrive in our rivers,

do we feel wholly comfortable swimming,

fishing and

wading in them?


need for homes, jobs, and food puts more pressure on the land-scapes and rivers that shelter all these species. Alabama is ranked 4th among the 50 states in spe-cies at risk of going extinct. We have great biological wealth in our state, and we are losing it.

As we lose species, we cannot get them back for our children. Extinction is forever. By not sav-ing the diversity on Earth now, we do not give our children and grandchildren the choice to have it in their lifetimes. We are wast-ing Creation’s treasures that can never be regained.

Only 3% of the land in Alabama is in permanent conservation protection. This puts Alabama near the bottom of the states for protected lands. (See Resources for link to Alabama’s Forever Wild program.)

(Return to the newsprint, and add to the list of adverse impacts to our watersheds.)

A vital growing Alabama means ensuring environmental sustain-ability and economic develop-ment that protects the biological wealth of the state. Our biologi-cal legacy is part of the Creator’s benevolence, and is meant to provide quality of life for all Alabamians.

Our focus for Session Four will be Care of Creation in Alabama Watersheds.

Action: 5 minutesChoose one or more of the fol-lowing activities to do at home before next session:

Meditate and reflect on what the cattle, the birds of the air, the creeping things of earth and the fishes of the sea are telling us, communicating to us, here and now in the Diocese of Alabama and in our Alabama watersheds.

Use the Data Sheet on 3- 9 to esti-mate your home and parish water usage. Bring your data sheet to Session Four for the table “altar.”

Check your “Carbon footprint” at www.earthlab.com and begin pledging to reduce your CO2 output in the ways suggested on this site. Bring your results to Session Four for the table “altar.” Identify a source of pollution on parish grounds and in your own neighborhood. Select someone to check for sources of pollution in industrial or farming areas in the vicinity, if these are not in any class participant’s neighborhood.

Be prepared to advocate for good water policy by identify-ing your own policy makers at the local, state and national level, (for example, council members, water boards, state legislators and senators, U.S. Congress-persons and Senators). http://www.con-gress.org/congressorg/home

Where does your non-recycled garbage go when it leaves your home? Call you local city or township offices and ask. What is the water and soil quality in landfill neighborhoods? Why?

Check out what policies for conserving water are or are not in place in your community. Call your local city or township of-fices and ask. This activity could be divided among participants.

Prayer If you would learn more, ask the cat-tle, seek information from the birds of the air. The creeping things of earth will give you lessons, and the fishes of the sea will tell you all. Job 12:7-8



Let justice roll downlike

waters,and righteousness

like aneverlasting stream.

Amos 5:24 NRSV


Resources: Wading in the Waters

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/environment/ See this website for what is happening environmentally in the Episcopal church.

www.earthlab.com This site provides the most complete calculator for checking your “Carbon Footprint.” You can save your results, learn ways to improve your score, pledge specific actions, then check again to see the results of your actions in CO2 savings.

http://www.outdooralabama.com/public-lands/stateLands/forever-Wild/ This link will take you to Alabama’s Forever Wild program to learn where protected sites are located and the species that are being protected.

http://www.epa.gov/enviro/emef/ This website is the “EnvrioMap-per” view from the Window on My Environment web-page. It is an interactive map with lots of information about the surround of your church or backyard. If there are any little colored boxes on the map of your neighborhood indicating toxic waste, water discharge site, or other concern, you can click on the box and get the specific information of the business or other entity that is at issue. Experiment with this web page; there are lots of options to see features of an area. This is es-sentially the same site mentioned for Session One. This site sometimes has technical problems. Be patient; come back to it later.

http://www.aces.edu/waterquality/themes/watershed.htm This site is described in Session One for finding your watershed. This time, no-tice information for water management in Alabama.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/water/index.HTML This page of the federal government’s Environmental Protection Agency website gives access to information about the effects of climate change on water availability and quality by region.

http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/regulations/endangeredbycounty.cfm Website for list of threatened/endangered species by county.

http://www.adem.state.al.us/WaterDivision/WQuality/303d/WQ303d.htm This website has lists of impaired water bodies for each river basin. It identifies Section 303(d) list of the Clean Water Act. On page 10 there is a map of Alabma’s impaired rivers.

http://www.campmcdowell.com/cmec/index.htm Visit this website to learn more about Camp McDowell Environmental Center.



The City of Trussvillehires someone whose job it is to go around

after a rain event looking for runoff situations

that need to be corrected before they become major problems.


https://aww.auburn.edu/ This link connects to Alabama Water Watch. AWW is the source for the following Further Descriptions, and for much of the material in this Session.

Further Descriptions: There are four major forms of pollution: sedi-ments, nutrients, toxic substances and pathogens.

Sediments are soil particles carried by rainwater into streams, lakes, rivers and bays, or eroded from within the stream itself that has been destabilized by increased storm flow. By volume, sediment is the great-est pollutant of all. Sediment is generated mainly by erosion resulting from bare land, poor farming practices, construction, and development. While this soil is productive on land, in the water it cuts light needed by aquatic plants, obstructs waterways, worsens flooding, weakens freshwater creatures, and covers aquatic habitat with sediment while increasing the cost to treat drinking water.

Nutrients are substances that help plants and animals live and grow. Officials are most concerned about excessive amounts of two nutrients: nitrogen and phosphorus. Fertilizer, animal waste, and sewage treat-ment plants are the main sources of these substances. Excess nutrients entering the stream from agriculture and urban areas can drastically alter the amounts and types of organisms within a stream.

Toxic substances are chemicals that cause human and wildlife health problems. They include organic and inorganic chemicals and metals, pesticides, formaldehyde, household chemicals, gasoline, motor oil, battery acid, roadway salt, and medications flushed down the toilet. Pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms present in human and animal waste. Pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, can become nu-merous enough to make public water supplies unfit for human use.






HIPPO CROSSWORD

See if you can use the clues related to loss of species in the environment to complete the crossword puzzle.

1 4

5

3

6

2

ACROSS DOWN

2 The misuse of natural resources 1 These critters displace already stressed native

that leads to population decline of critters in polluted streams.

harvested species.

3 The addition of this into a stream makes it harder

5 As this increases, more and more streams and harder for native species to survive.

are encroached upon through urban sprawl. 4 This can occur due to changes in land use, and leaves less space in the stream for critters to live.

6 A word that describes the number of species

in a given area.

ALABAMA WATER WATCHhttps://aww.auburn.edu/ 1-888-844-4785



U.S. average = 100 gallons/person/dayALABAMA WATER WATCH

https://aww.auburn.edu/ 1-888-844-4785





Design

Awareness of Pollution to Our Watersheds