Education and Public Outreach

WATERSHED MODEL

The State Water Resources Control Board and the Regional Water Quality Control Boards each have a watershed model. This model is used to educate students and community groups about their watersheds.

The watershed model demonstrates what happens to industrial pollution, urban pesticides, fertilizers and farm sediment when it rains. Green and red gelatin granules represent pesticides and fertilizers, and a mixture of cocoa and water denote livestock waste. Students will use a spray bottle to saturate the small town depicted by the watershed model. As the "rain storm" hits, the gelatin granules liquefy and ease their way down to a clean lake. Students will have an opportunity to see how a pollutant discharged on one end of the watershed model can filter into a stream and end up polluting the ocean.

If this sounds interesting and you would like more information, please contact your local Regional Water Quality Control Board's education coordinator.

• Watershed Model Layout (gif format)
  
  
• Enviroscapes - For additional information about the watershed model.
  
  
• Support Watershed Resources - Locate a Nearby Watershed Event