Water of the Rogue Valley

Transcription

1 Water of the Rogue Valley An Activity Book for Grades 3-5 Welcome! You are about to embark on a journey of exploration. Your adventure begins at school and continues at North Mountain Park. This workbook will prepare you for your trip and help you remember many of the things you will see and learn about along the way. This book belongs to: North Mountain Park Nature Center 620 N Mountain Ave ~ Ashland, OR

2 2 Pre-visit Activity Places to see water in the Bear Creek Valley Directions: Use the Water Interpretive Cards to complete this matching game. Write the letter of the location (on this page) next to the description on page 3. A Emigrant Lake (pictured below) F Reeder Reservoir G Helman Baths H Sewage Treatment Plant I Mount Ashland B North Mountain Park Bioswale J Lithia Water Gazebo (pictured below) C Jackson Wellsprings Oak Street Fish Ladder E North Mountain Park Sediment Pond

3 This is the source of Ashland s drinking water. 3 The water at this location comes in very dirty but when it leaves it is clean enough to drink. At this location you may be able to see a trout or salmon leaping high into the air. At this location you can swim, boat and watch for bald eagles and osprey This is a fun place to swim in a warm mineral pool. You might not care for the taste of the water at this location. In addition to being the highest point in the Bear Creek Watershed, this location is home to many rare and plants and animals. E This location helps to keep unwanted sediment from reaching Bear C reek. If you were one hundred years old, you may remember playing on the rope swings and slides in the pool at this location. This location helps to keep motor oil and other car fluids from entering Bear Creek and Beach Creek.

4 4 Classroom Presentation Activity Hot Springs and Mineral Water Below is a diagram of where we find mineral water and fresh water in the earth. Color the magma red. Color the bedrock grey Color all the aquifers dark blue Color the solid rock and clay brown. Color the hot mineral spring pink. Color the fresh spring water blue. Color the drilled well black. Color the cold mineral spring yellow

5 Taste Test: Freshwater Spring, Mineral Spring, or Soda Spring 5 For each taste test, circle the word that best describes the water s smell, look and taste. Using your observations, choose what type of spring the water came from. Taste Test #1 Smell Fresh Stinky Sweet Look Clear Cloudy Bubbly Taste Salty Fizzy Fresh Type of Spring Taste Test #2 Smell Fresh Stinky Sweet Look Clear Cloudy Bubbly Taste Salty Fizzy Fresh Type of Spring Taste Test #3 Smell Fresh Stinky Sweet Look Clear Cloudy Bubbly Taste Salty Fizzy Fresh Type of Spring

6 6 Pre-visit Activity Wetland Plants Read about the different kinds of wetland plants and then put each of the plants pictured here into the correct location in the wetland diagram. You may also want to add some wetland animals to your picture! Riparian trees like to have their roots in wet soil. They grow near, but not in, streams and wetlands. -Alder (see next page) Emergent plants levels rise and fall as seasons change - Water lily (see next page) Submergent plants (see next page) Willow Floating Plants Soft rush Big-Leaf Maple Duckweed Cattail

7 Wetland Habitat 7 Riparian Trees Emergent Plants Submergent and Free Floating Plants Alder Pondweed Water Lily

8 8 West Fork East Fork A Watershed is an area of land that drains to a common body of water, usually a creek or river. Follow the directions to see how big the Ashland Creek Watershed Emigrant Lake Pre-visit Activity The Ashland Watershed Reeder Mount Ashland

9 Ashland Creek Park Bear Creek Directions: 1. Find Bear Creek and trace it in blue all the way upstream to Emigrant Lake. Color the lake blue. 2. Find Mt. Ashland 3. Now take your blue pencil again and starting at Mt. Ashland, follow one of the forks of downstream until you get to Reeder Reservoir. Color the reservoir in blue and then continue on down Ashland Creek until you reach Bear Creek. 4. Now, color all of the Ashland Creek tributaries (streams that flow into it) blue as well. 5. With a green pencil, start at the top of Mt. Ashland and draw a big circle around all the streams that flow into Ashland Creek. This is the Ashland Creek Watershed. Color the watershed green.

10 10 NMP Activity Wetland Wonders Demonstration Filter: Which material did you vote to use in the trial? Your Filter: List the three materials you used: top Which material was chosen by the group middle bottom 10, how well do you think this material cleaned the water?

11 Wetland Sketch Lower Pond make a sketch

12 12 NMP Activity Water Use and Conservation Directions Native Americans: Gold Miners: Pioneer Settlers and Farmers: 4. What are two kinds of popular fruit that farmers were able to grow with the help of irrigation in the Rogue Valley? Wetland Plants and Animals: 5. Name two trees that grow along Bear Creek and that beavers like to eat: 6. What is the name of the crested bird that perches over the creek in order to spot fish?

13 13 7. What type of mineral water is found in Ashland? a Name 4 nutrients that are in this mineral water? b. What park is named after this mineral water? 8. How many towns have been built along Bear Creek? Which is the largest? 9. Which river does Bear Creek flow into? 10. What is the name of the container that collects water from the roof? 11. What is one way you can reuse the water that is stored in a rain barrel?

14 14 Post-visit Activity How many of these water-related places have you visited? Which ones would you like to see? Butte Creek Mill A living example of a pioneer-era flour mill Part of the Butte Creek Watershed, Butte Creek Mill is located in Eagle Point. Take Interstate 5 northward toward Crater Lake. Head to Eagle Point via Oregon Highway 62. Turn right at the intersection of Highway 62 and Linn Road and follow the signs. Butte Creek Mill is a living example of the water-powered mills that used to exist on Ashland Creek at the plaza. Hundreds of visitors tour the mill each year to view the system of belts and pulleys, hoppers, elevators, and grindstones turning at 100 rotations per minute. Agate Desert Preserve Natural vernal pool grasslands The Rogue River Valley supports a network of natural vernal (seasonal temporary) pools near Table Rock. The Agate Desert Preserve contains 53 acres of vernal pool grasslands which are protected by the Nature Conservancy. From I-5 north of Medford, take the Central Point Exit to Table Rock Road. Turn left onto Table Rock Road and park at the intersection of Antelope Road. The preserve is on the northwest corner of the intersection.

15 15 Howard Prairie Lake Storage Reservoir for the Talent Irrigation District Howard Prairie is a man-made reservoir, 4,500 feet in elevation in the Klamath Basin. It is located 15 miles east of Ashland along Dead Indian Memorial Road. Howard Prairie is a storage reservoir for the Talent Irrigation District. Visitors use Howard Prairie Lake for boating, sailing, trout fishing and also for hiking on the nearby Pacific Coast Trail. Tub Springs A source of fresh spring water outside of Ashland Tub Springs is an Oregon State Park located 17 miles east of Ashland. Take Highway 66 past Emigrant lake until you come to the Tub Springs State Wayside. This spring has been a source of fresh water for residents of the watershed for many years. It was established in 1846 as a stopping point along the Applegate Trail. In 1930, large tubs were installed to provide fresh water to travelers, and these tubs give the park its name.

16 What kinds of jobs are related to water? Circle the 3 that sound the most interesting to you and then, do some research to find out more about them. Aquarium Director Dolphin Trainer Fisherman Fisheries Biologist Lifeguard Oceanographer Rafting Guide Science Teacher Scuba Diver Sea Turtle Researcher Snow Hydrologist Sunken Treasure Hunter Swimming Instructor Underwater Photographer Water conservation specialist Water treatment plant operator Well Driller