Focus: Watershed Pollution

Interactive demonstration of watershed pollution (non-point source and point source) on an EnviroScape model. The model is of a watershed with the lake serving as the waterbody.

Key learning includes:

• What is watershed: a region or area draining to a particular watercourse or body of water.
• What is waterbody: river, lake, stream, ocean, pond, or basin; waterbodies receive runoff waters from a watershed.
• Nonpoint Sources and Point Sources are ways in which pollutants enter our water. 
• We all live in a watershed that contributes pollutants, either by point sources or nonpoint sources, to a waterbody.
• Nonpoint sources of pollution generate over 50% of all water pollution.  Although nonpoint source pollution is a big problem, it’s controlled by voluntary efforts.
• Nonpoint source pollution is not yet regulated by the federal government.
• Point sources of pollution, have been regulated by the federal government under the Clean Water Act for over 20 years. Although this regulation has improved our environment, there’s still a long way to go – nonpoint source pollution is the major source of water pollution today.
• Best Management Practices will be demonstrated and solutions are presented 

Website: https://www.rivermuseum.org/outreach-programs