Unit Guide

Localized Hydrologic Cycle: Human-Water Cycle interaction in the Appoquinimink River Watershed

Victoria Deschere

This unit is a component of a marking period long study of water. Water sustains us physiologically, affects us psychologically, drives us sociologically, and defined us anthropologically. It is life. Where did the water come from? How can I preserve it? What is my impact on water and how does it affect me? Very little of the water on the earth is available for our use. It is a precious commodity. The hydrologic cycle is part of the students’ lives. In this unit, the students in the Appoquinimink River Watershed apply the concepts of the hydrologic cycle to their watershed. They examine the impact of overdevelopment on surface runoff and infiltration and the loss of vegetation affect the local water cycle. Even if you are not in the Appoquinimink River Watershed, you can still apply the same lessons and labs to your watershed.