Water is Life An Incredible Journey Every Drop Counts Find the following features in this picture: Sum of the Parts springs, river, ocean, mountains, and the watershed boundary. How No matter where you live drain into the Nile River. In our communities. can you tell which way the river flows? and how much or how little turn, it is also part of a larger Trace the drop’s journey as it flows to water is nearby, you live in watershed. Every watershed is different, the ocean. Locate the stars and the a watershed. A watershed is but an old saying holds true streams they represent and count the an area of land that drains Protecting watersheds is everywhere on Earth: We streams that flow into the main stem into a specific bodyAqua of water important because theyBodies ALL Live Downstream. This of the river. How many are there? support everything from means we all share respon- like a river, stream, or lake. high elevation It includes everything within the water we drink and use sibility for protecting our to grow food, to water for watersheds and keeping its borders: all the land, air, ✪ spring plants, animals, mountains, industry, transportation, them clean. To do this, we ✪ deserts, cities, farms, and and wildlife. Clean drinking need to understand first people. Within a large water depends on clean what a watershed is. watershed, for example the source water like springs. direction high elevation of flow Healthy Water,Nile River Watershed, there Protecting source Healthy water is an Habits, are many small watersheds important part of watershed that contain streams that protection and the health of spring high elevation Activity 1 Healthy Water falls as rain or snow. Place a drop of water on People ✪ 1. a flat surface on the ground. Does it run off to the sides? Does it drain into the ground? If water falls on well a flat surface, it may not run off or drain. m ai n s In what direction does water flow? Collect the dirt at te 2. m o f r ✪ your feet and mix it with water until it is the consistency of iver clay. With the clay, create a mound with steep slopes. Drip 2 spring water from your cup onto the peak of the mound. Did it flow low elevation Water downhill?Works...For All of Us 3. How are watersheds divided? Create a mound of clay with steep slopes. Drip water from your cup onto the peak of the mound of clay. Down which side does the water drain? The top well w of your mound of clay represents the boundary between water- at er sheds, and the water flows down on whichever side it falls. sh 3 ed b Watersheds are divided at their highest points. oun dary 4. Are large watersheds made of smaller watersheds? Put your hand on top of the mound of clay and squish it down. Drip water over your new landscape. Does the water flow into pools in spots? What watershed features could these represent? Large watersheds may contain many smaller watersheds, each with ocean several streams and lakes. 4 Project WET - Water Education for Teachers ground water Mission: To reach children, parents, educators and communities of the world with water education. www.projectwet.org Published by Project WET International Foundation, Copyright 2010.