Purpose, goal, and standards
This activity examines urban stream syndrome and how urbanization affects stream banks. Urban streams often have issues with both physical structure and chemical composition. While this activity focuses on the physical changes, the chemical changes can be more important to the overall health of the stream. Even if a stream exhibits the physical changes described, it can still be untouched by urbanization if the chemical composition is normal. The opposite is true as well (see student problems 3 and 4).
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify an urban stream based on bank structure.
- Understand how urbanization affects the physical structure of stream banks. Students will examine the banks of 6 different streams to decide if the stream is exhibiting symptoms of urban stream syndrome.
Next Generation Science Standards
- ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems
• Sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources. - Science and Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models
- Crosscutting Concepts: Structure and Function
Considerations
This activity works best for students working in groups of 3 to 4 and takes place over 1 day as follows:
guided practice
guided practice
class discussion
Sample Data Table
| Characteristic | Healthy Stream | Urban Stream Syndrome |
|---|---|---|
|
Width of stream bed |
Narrow stream bed |
Wide stream bed |
|
Shape of stream bank |
Flat/sloped stream bank |
Vertical/steep stream bank |
|
Riparian vegetation |
Cattails, semi-aquatic species |
Trees, terrestrial plants |
|
Physical composition of bank |
Unexposed soil |
Exposed soil, concrete |
|
Depth to water surface from bank |
Level with riparian zone/bank |
Deeper than riparian zone/bank |
Extension activity
Students can research another symptom of urban stream syndrome, like nutrient or toxin levels, and write a short paper on how the symptom changes stream structure in an urban environment. They should investigate which part of the urban environment leads to the change (structural changes such as road-building or input changes such as fertilizer) and available options to remedy it. Suggested symptoms for research: nitrogen availability, phosphorous availability, toxin levels, suspended sediment levels, temperature, hydrology, organic matter.
Have your students check out the Environmental Protection Agency website, an excellent resource they can use when beginning their research.
SHOP THE KIT
