Crumpled Paper Watershed Exercise

Crumpled Paper Watershed Model
By Rob Wade of Adopt-a-Watershed


Prelude and Premise:

Using a piece of crumpled paper, students create a watershed model to demonstrate the geographical flow of water across the landscape, and the relationship of natural/cultural activities to water quality impacts. This model is a birds-eye watershed view and should develop watershed awareness and landscape ecological literacy.


Materials - Purpose:

Paper (recycle old 8.5x11 or other paper) - this forms the watershed base model
Newspaper - for clean-up (place under the model)
Permanent Markers (red, green, etc.) - for drawing landforms and native vegetation
Water-Soluble Markers (blue, black, brown, etc.) - for drawing water flow and point-source impacts
Spray Bottle - For creating the precipitation


Share Watershed Definitions:

“A watershed is more than an area of land defined by its ridges with one outlet for water to flow. A watershed supports a variety of resources, uses, and activities in such a way that eventually all things are affected by everything else in the watershed. A watershed contains the history of all that went before and the spirit of those who touched it remains.” George Wingate

A watershed is an area of land that sheds its water into a common body of water.

A watershed is a water-shed (noun): stores water {groundwater}, and,
A watershed is a water-shed (verb): sheds water {surface water}.

A watershed is the gathering ground for a body of water.


Activity:

Explain to participants that they will create a watershed model with a simple piece of paper. They will be able to see the ridges, slopes and drainages that make up a 3-D watershed landscape. Be sure to demonstrate and explicate each step so that there is understanding of how and why to do each step.

1. Crumple a piece of paper into a ball. Gently un-crumple the paper so that it will sit on a table but still maintain the folds and creases that will represent peaks ridgelines, valleys and watercourses.

2. Use a permanent red marker to outline the surrounding watershed divide. If desired also delineate all upward-pointing creases, which are ridges. Explain that although mountains and landforms are not permanent they are a more durable aspect of the watershed..

3. Use the green permanent marker to indicate areas of native forests or other native vegetation types.

4. Using the water-soluble blue marker, define the watercourses. These drainages are the creases on the page that bend down toward the table, and should represent where water will flow on the model.

5. With a water-soluble black marker or other color(s) define patterns of human development and use, such as: roads, industry, residence, and schools. You should place them appropriately on the model.

6. With a water-soluble brown marker, create other ground disturbances. These can be human caused or naturally occurring impacts (clearcuts, skid-trails, landslide, intensive agriculture & grazing). The most significant pollution of surface water is sediment/soil.

7. What do they think will happen when it “rains”?

8. Lightly and evenly spray the models. Explain that this is precipitation. They should carefully watch and note how water flows across the landscape and how it affects the entire watershed, not just the watercourses and channels.

Debrief and Discuss: