Who is responsible for the watershed?
So now you know about watersheds, water quality, and how important these natural resources are to both humans and wildlife—but whose job is it to keep watersheds healthy, and to guard the water quality in your community? That can be a tricky answer—different states, cities, and regions deal with water differently. On one hand, the federal government owns more than one quarter of all land in the United States, and lessons one and two demonstrated that activities on land and general land use make a big difference in water quality in a watershed. On the other hand, local governments are the largest providers of clean water in the country, and generally control the water in your water tower, or your local fire hydrant. Meanwhile, the US EPA sets many regulations for water quality, and tries to help enforce these standards.
With this mix of roles and responsibilities, it is up to all of us to do our best to keep our watersheds healthy and to protect our water quality. No one knows your community like you do, so if you see a problem that you think could affect water quality in your watershed, speak up! There are millions of miles of streams and rivers in the United States, and many more wetlands, ponds, and lakes—no one group can watch them all!
Activity: Find your DNR!
Each state handles water quality maintenance somewhat differently. Try to find your state’s government body in control of water quality through an internet search—for many states, a good bet would be to search for [your state] and [department of natural resources] or even [your state] and [water]. In the field below, tell us the name of the department that oversees water quality for your state. If you see a problem with water quality in your community, these are the people to alert.
Get your feet wet - go outside and get involved!
The final step in becoming a Watershed Hero is to use what you've learned in the last two lessons, and take action in your community to help protect your watershed. This unit will be more action-oriented than the last two, and you should get outside if possible to participate. Choose at least one of these activities below, and commit to participating in the box at the bottom. Tell us which activity you've chosen and why.
Activity: Head out to a park!
Get your family and friends together for a trip to a public land area, ideally one with a water feature in it if possible and observe the plants, animals, and people interacting in this space. These are all organisms benefitting from the resources provided by your watershed! Want to branch out from a local or regional park? Find a National Park based on your location or desired experience.
Tell a friend!
You’re not a community of one! Spread the word about water quality to the rest of your watershed by letting them know what you learned about this vital natural resource, and recommend this badge program to them if you enjoyed it! Go out and protect your watershed, investigate potential threats to water quality, and help celebrate these natural resources as a Watershed Hero.