Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Raindrop to the Bay

By Kathy Woodard
Presentation by LEEP: Lake Anna Environmental Education Program
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
As
Aswe…
we…

Follow a
raindrop’s
journey…

Lake Anna

… from
Louisa to
the Bay!
Chesapeake Bay
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
Downhill:
Downhill: this
this

Downhill!
map shows
map shows
elevation—
elevation— tantan
parts mountains,
parts mountains,
then
thenfoothills,
foothills,
green
greenparts
parts
closer
closer tosea
to sea
level
level

http://www.maps.com/explore/atlas/physical/North_America_United_States_Virginia.html
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
SoSowhen
whenititrains
rains
some of the
some of the

A watershed is
water
watersoakssoaksintointo
the ground
the ground
(which
(whichwe wethen
all the land that
then
pump
pumpup upwith
with
our
our wells). The
wells). The

drains into a
rest flows over
rest flows over
the
theground
groundintointo
streams, ponds,

body of water.
streams, ponds,
creeks,
creeks,and andintointo
this
this river. Soall
river. So all
this land is part
this land is part
of
ofthethewatershed
watershed
ofofthis
thisriver.—
river.—
Not
Notthis
thispart
part
because that
because that
flows
flowsdown downthis
this
way. That
way. That wouldwould
be
bepart
partof
ofaa
different
different
watershed.
watershed.

http://www.epa.gov/win/what.html
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
EPA
EPAhas
hasaagreat
great
website—Surf

What watershed
website—Surf
your
yourWatershed–
Watershed–
we
we clickon
click onVA
VA

are we a part of?

http://www.epa.gov/surf3/locate/map2.html
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
Then
Thenwe
weclick
clickon
on
where Louisa
where Louisa

Virginia
is…
is…

Watersheds
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
Here
Hereisisour
ourlocal
local
watershed- see
watershed- see
Louisa,
Louisa,Lake
Anna---
Lake
all
Anna--- all
creeks/streams
Pamunkey River Watershed
creeks/streams
flow
flow to
toN/S
N/S
Anna Rivers–
Anna Rivers–
which
whichjoin
join to
to
form the
form the
Pamunkey
PamunkeyRiver River

http://www.epa.gov/surf3/hucs/02080106/
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
Here
Hereare
aresome
some

Kayaking on the
people
people frp,the
frp, the
MPRA kayaking
MPRA kayaking
on
onthe
the
Pamunkey
PamunkeyRiver,
and
andall
allthe
River,
thewater
water Pamunkey River
in the Pamunkey
in the Pamunkey
comes
comesfrom
fromourour
local watershed.
local watershed.

http://www.mpra.org/celebrat.htm#gallery
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
The
Thewater
water
doesn’t
doesn’tstop
stop
there.
yellow area Pamunkey Joins the Mattaponi
there. See,the
See, the
is
yellow area is

River to Form the York River

our
ourPamunkey
Pamunkey
Watershed.
Watershed. TheThe
PPjoins
joins the Mto
the M to
form the York.
form the York.
So
Soweweare
arealso
also
part of a bigger
part of a bigger
watershed:
watershed: TheThe
York Watershed.
York Watershed.

M
at
ta
po
Pam ni
unk
ey Yo
r k
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Canoeing at the
York River State Park

http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/pictures/yorkfoto
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education
You
Youcan
canseeseehow
how
huge it is, here
huge it is, here
isisVirginia…
Virginia…
The Pamunkey
Watershed is a
small part of the
64,000 square
miles of land that
drain into the
Chesapeake Bay.
http://www.mpt.org/learningworks/baytrippers/
explore/forests.htm
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Everyone has a
Watershed Address:
R. Drop
Cloud 9, Sky
33

Louisa County Library, Parking lot,

High School pond, creek behind High
School, Northeast Creek Reservoir,
Northeast Creek, South Anna
River, Pamunkey River, York
River, Chesapeake Bay
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Let’s follow the

path of a
raindrop that
falls on Brackett
Farm!

Photos, this page, courtesy of Brackett Farm

Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Brackett Farm’s
Watershed Address:
R. Drop
Cloud 9, Sky
33

Brackett Farm, Bunch Creek

Nolting Pond, Hudson Creek,
South Anna River, Pamunkey River,
York River,
Chesapeake Bay
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Bunch Creek…
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

…flows into Nolting Pond.

Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

The pond flows into Hudson Creek.

Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Hudson Creek flows into the

South Anna River.
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Trees slow
the
raindrops.
 Roots hold the soil
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

and reduce erosion.

Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Tree cover cools the water.

Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Confluence of the North Anna

and South Anna Rivers

North Anna

South Anna

Pamunkey
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Paddling the Pamunkey

Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

We drive past the York River…

http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/pictures/yorkfoto
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

…to take the Ferry to Smith

Island in the Chesapeake Bay!
Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

A few hours later we spot land…

Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

…just barely above sealevel!

Lessons from the Bay Virginia Department of Education

Photos by
Kathy Woodard
Brackett Farm (farmhouse, feeding calf, Nolting Pond)
URL’s cited for online maps and photos