Students will focus on the role of sediment as a major type of nonpoint source pollution affecting the Lower Grand River Watershed. Sediment includes gravel, sand, and soil particles. Students will be able to:

1. Identify sediment as a major pollutant.
2. Predict the movement of sediment based on soil physical characteristics.
3. Identify the relative impact of excess sediment in various parts of the Lower Grand River Watershed.
4. Explore ways to reduce excess sediment in our local water bodies.
    

Click here to download the lessons

Click here to download Appendix A

Click here to download Appendix B

Resource Links

The number and letter codes preceding the title of each resource listed corresponds with the number and letter codes used in the text of the lesson. Please let us know if any of the links are broken and we will fix them as soon as possible.

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Link 2A- Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program: https://micorps.net/stream-monitoring/

Link 2B- the GLOBE program: https://www.globe.gov

Link 2C- procedures manual that correlates with the Stream Habitat Assessment datasheets found in Appendix B: https://micorps.net/wp-content/uploads/VSMP-Macro-MonitoringProcedures.pdf

Link 2D- USGS website for current streamflow data: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/mi/nwis/rt

Link 2E- Results of previous inventories are shown in a map: https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/miculverts/mapBasic.aspx.

Link 2F- Results of previous inventories are shown in a map: https://www.watershedcouncil.org/road-stream-crossing-inventory.html

Link 2G- Results of previous inventories are shown in a map: https://micorps.net/funded-grants-stream-crossing/

Link 2H- video 15 to the River: https://wmeac.org/15totheriver/

Link 2I- video 15 to the River: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrBEEjijxaY

Link 2J- Great Lakes Commission’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Educational Primers: https://greatlakestributarymodeling.net/resources/educational-primers/

Link 2K- MDEQ Nonpoint Source Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual: https://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3313_71618_3682_3714-118554–,00.html

Link 2L- Michigan Low Impact Development Manual: https://www.semcog.org/reports/lid/files/assets/basic-html/page-1.html

Link 2M- Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW): https://www.lgrow.org/

Link 2N- MDEQ’s Nonpoint Source Pollution: www.mi.gov/nps

Link 2O- National Stormwater Calculator: https://www.epa.gov/water-research/national-stormwater-calculator.

Link 2P- Model My Watershed: https://wikiwatershed.org/model/

Link 2Q- Using GIS to download a property map, students can design a stormwater management plan for a specific site: https://www.stormwaterguide.org/

Link 2R- An Introduction to Stream Ecology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MnmlGOFewQ

Link 2S- Understanding Macroinvertebrates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeAB7qgpRtY

Link 2T- Biotic Index: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In1Foq4l43A

Link 2U- Kent County Drain Commissioner’s office to access drain maps: https://www.accesskent.com/Departments/DrainCommissioner/maps.htm

Link 2V- Michigan Surface Water Information Management (MiSWIM) System: https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/miswims/

Link 2W- Stormwater Jeopardy at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Stormwater website: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/stormwatermgt/jeopardy_v74_298089_7.swf

Link 2X- After the Storm video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fIXhs6DzIE

Link 2Y- After the Storm brochure: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/after_the_storm.pdf

Link 2Z- EPA brochure: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/solution_to_pollution.pdf

Link 2AA- The City of Grand Rapids- Basin Buddy: https://grcity.us/enterprise-services/Environment-Services/basin/Pages/Basin%20Buddy%20Program.aspx

Link 2BB- The Kent Conservation District: https://kentconservation.org/

Link 2CC- Exploring Streams: Stream Monitoring Curriculum Guide for Middle and High School Teachers and Students: https://watermonitoring.uwex.edu/wav/monitoring/curriculum/index.html

Link 2DD- Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality online database of water quality monitoring information: https://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3313_3681_3686_3728—,00.html

Link 2EE- Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support (MEECS): https://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3307_3580_29678-148152–,00.html

Link 2FF- Michigan Surface Water Information Management (MiSWIM) System: https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/miswims/

Link 2GG- National Low Impact Development Atlas: https://lidmap.uconn.edu/

Link 2HH- National Stormwater Calculator: https://www.epa.gov/water-research/national-stormwater-calculator

Link 2II- Networked Neighborhoods: https://www.networkedneighbors.org/

Link 2JJ- Rain to Drain –Slow the Flow: https://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/water/youth/rain-to-drain

Link 2KK- River Cutters: https://www.lhsgems.org/GEMSrivercutters.html

Link 2LL- Soil Surveys: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/survey/ https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/surveylist/soils/survey/state/?stateId=MI

The Communities for Clean Water videos and lessons plans were created in partnership with WGVU and the GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute. They were made possible through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.