River Hydraulics Demonstration

1.  Do board activity with students to have them predict how each factor will affect the amounts of water in each area:

a.  Compare impervious clear vs. impervious w/ vegetation

b.  Compare pervious clear vs. pervious w/ vegetation

2.  Set up 4 stations

a.  Impervious w/ vegetation

b.  impervious w/o vegetation

c.  Pervious w/ vegetation

d.  Pervious w/o vegetation

3.  Break students into 4 groups and have them rotate and visit all 4 stations

4.  At each station, fill water bottle. To begin the experiment, turn the bottle over and allow water to flow (on raised bumps of the paint trays). When the bottle is first tipped, a timer should be started. Mark the highest level of the water in the watershed.

5.  After the water has been poured, students should record measurements after 3 minutes:

a.  amount of water left in the watershed (flood level)

b.  amount of water in the outlet (runoff)

c.  amount of groundwater

6.  Mark the level of water in the watershed after 3 minutes.

7.  Leftover water can be poured in the sink and students move onto the next station

Tasks:

1.  Hold bottle to pour into watershed

2.  Mark water level at peak and after 3 minutes

3.  Time experiment

4.  Measure groundwater and runoff

Materials:

-  4 watershed w/ river channel (paint tray + pipe)

-  4 groundwater collection containers (black container)

-  4 outlets (runoff collection)

-  8 water bottles

-  4 measuring cups

-  4 barbecue skewers/wooden sticks to level watershed

-  hole poking device

-  tape

Test results:

Trial 1

Total: 48 oz / Flood Level (mm) / Groundwater / Runoff
Impervious with Vegetation / 21 oz / 0 oz / 27 oz
Impervious without Vegetation / 17 oz / 0 oz / 31 oz
Pervious with Vegetation / 29 oz / 10 oz / 9 oz
Pervious without Vegetation / 24 oz / 3 oz / 25 oz

Trial 2

Total: 48 oz / Flood Level (Max, mm) / Flood Level (after 3 mins, mm) / Groundwater / Runoff
Impervious with Vegetation / 3.6 mm / 1.9 mm / 0 oz / 22 oz
Impervious without Vegetation / 2.7 mm / 1.3 mm / 0 oz / 30 oz
Pervious with Vegetation / 2.5 mm / 1.9 mm / 11 oz / 14 oz
Pervious without Vegetation / 2.3 mm / 1.6 mm / 4 oz / 24 oz