Watershed Walk  Worksheet 

Team Names ___________________________________________________ 

Date ______________ 

During your walk, you will observe the watershed (the area surrounding your adopted waterway) and the riparian zone of your adopted waterway. Make observation notes on your worksheet and on your watershed map where appropriate.

Watershed Survey Questions 

While you walk along the waterway answer the following questions:

Describe the Land Uses

1. Check off the land uses in the area:

__ roads__houses __apartments __shopping malls __schools __parks __open space __animal pastures __farms __golf courses __sewer covers __landfills/trash dumps __stormwater drains 

Mark primary locations on your watershed map.

2. What percentage of the watershed is open lands (park, lawns, golf courses, open space, other)?

3. What percentage of the watershed is developed? 

4. What is the main vegetation types in the watershed?

5. Where does rain go when it falls? Are there many areas where rainwater can soak into the soil or does it run off paved areas?

6. Find a storm drain and draw a picture of it. Mark storm drains on your map.

7. What are storm drains for? Where does water go after it flows into the storm water drains?

8. Do you see trash in the streets? What happens to the trash when it rains?

DID YOU KNOW?
In most of the western United States, storm drains collect rainfall and snowmlet runoff from streets, sidewalks, building tops and lawns. Storm drains carry this excess water to the nearest waterway

Waterway Survey Questions

Describe the Stream/Pond/Wetland: 

1. What are the major land uses directly bordering your waterway?

2. Do you see any outfall pipes along the banks that might discharge water into it?

3. What are the pipes made of?

__ metal? __concrete? __plastic?

4. Do you know where they are coming from?

5. What impacts might this outfall pipe have on your waterway?

6. Is the waterway natural or has it been changed or even made by people?

7. Mark the following characteristics that best describe your waterway:

__channeled __dirt and vegetation on streambanks 

__riffles and pools __rocks on the bottom __concrete sides

__stone walls __concrete bottom 

8. Describe the vegetation that is growing on the banks. 

9. Do you see trash in the water? Describe what kind of trash you see.

10. Do you smell any unusual odors or does the water have any strange colors? Describe the smells and colors.

11. Do you see signs of animal life in or around your adopted waterway? Draw pictures of the animals or their tracks you may see. 

12. Do you see animal houses such as beaver dams, bird nests, squirrel holes? What is another name for the place an animal lives?

13. List the animals, birds, and other wildlife you see on your walk.

14. Can you see fish in the water? How many? How big are they? Can you name the species? 

15. Do you see or hear insects? What do you see or hear?