This guide is to help you incorporate the key learning points from the video, "A Storm on the Horizon". We encourage you to view the video, review this learning guide and then view the video again.

To complete the learning, go out into your community and find examples of what you have learned in the video and think of how you can help the rivers and lakes in your watershed.

Key Terms and Concepts

Impervious Surface: hard surface that does not allow rainfall to soak in. Examples: streets, parking lots, compacted soil. Stormwater run off from these surfaces is a common problem. Runoff can carry pollutants and warm water into streams.

Pervious Surface: a surface that allows rainfall to soak in, thus reducing run off. Rainfall that soaks into the ground often is slowly released into a stream from cold water springs.

Try it Yourself ! Take a sprinkling can of water out to your driveway. Sprinkle some water on the driveway (an impervious surface). What happens??

Now, sprinkle some of the water on a pervious surface such as your lawn. What happens??

Erosion: Erosion is the result of water rushing off impervious surfaces and disturbed soil. This soil often runs into nearby lakes and streams causing all sorts of problems. Can you think of an area by your home that has erosion damage?

Sediment: Another word for soil that enters lakes and streams by stormwater runoff.

Field Trip ! : Go to a local stream or lake and see if you can find examples of sediments. Look around ditches and culverts. Some lakes and streams are so full of sediment that they now have a mud bottom instead of a rock or sand bottom!

Where did this sediment come from? Can you find the erosion? What can be done to prevent more damage?

Thermal Pollution: When rainwater falls onto hot, impervious surfaces it often picks up heat. When this hot water runs into lakes and streams it becomes thermal pollution. What kind of problems do you think thermal pollution may cause??

Stormwater Pollution: When rainwater falls onto impervious surfaces it often picks up chemicals that people have left behind. Common pollutants in stormwater runoff include :

Nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers

Zinc from house shingles

Aluminum from gutters

Antifreeze and oil from streets, driveways and parking lots

Watershed: Watershed is a term used to describe the entire area of land that drains into a lake or stream. A stream’s watershed can be very large. The Kinni’s watershed for example is 80 square miles !

Development: Development is inevitable as our communities grow. To protect our valuable lakes and streams, development needs to be planned thoughtfully with all our resources in mind.

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