Introduction to the Barton Creek Watershed in Austin, Texas
Topics: Aquatic Life and Importance of Watersheds Barton Creek Greenbelt is a Gem! Photo by Anne Worner. The scenic Barton Creek Watershed flows through Texas Hill Country, following the 50-mile creek straight through the middle of downtown Austin. These 109 square miles drain into Lady Bird Lake, exceeding the contributions of other watersheds. The Barton […]
What Do Your Creek’s Insects Tell You About Its Environmental Health?
Many watershed coordinators, ecofriendly crowdfunders, and other environmental activists are accustomed to the realities of working with limited resources. It’s simply not practical to throw everything at your creek’s problems and hope that something will improve its health. Instead, you need to be able to identify specific problems to target and fix. Illustration by Jonathan […]
i-Tree Hydro: Gathering Information for Urban Watershed Management
The EPA encourages municipal authorities to use green infrastructure when mitigating urban stormwater problems. More and more cities are basing their strategies around natural resources, helping to reduce water quantity and improve water quality using methods that have been on Earth for millennia. The way forward they believe is by thinking of new ways to […]
Methylmercury Poisoning: Waterborne Madness
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a very simple organo-metallic compound with a devastating ability to pollute and poison. The ramifications of widespread industrial use of methylmercury first appeared more than five decades ago: Japan in the 1960s. Failure to acknowledge the outbreak of methylmercury poisoning delayed research, meaning the problem took longer to address than it should […]
How Do Rivers Form?
From the Mississippi to the Colorado to the Potomac, natural waterways are vital to America’s environment, economy, and recreation. But few people know or wonder how these rivers formed their courses. Utah: Canyonlands by Marivel87 (deviantART). The birth of a river is dependent on its water-source, which might be snowmelt, precipitation, or groundwater from an […]
The Effect of Fracking: Water Systems & Drinking Water
Anti-fracking march; photo via hudsonriverkeeper (Flickr). There is a huge fracking fracas that is spreading throughout the US as gas exploration companies seek to target underground gas resources throughout the country. You may be wondering what all the uproar is about. We need energy, and underground gas reserves offer an abundant source of natural energy […]
Diclofenac Contamination & Vultures
Diclofenac is principally an antibiotic drug given to commercial domestic animals. In countries where cattle farms are abundant, Diclofenac is used extensively to treat bovine diseases. For many years, the ill effects of this drug were left unstudied. However, researchers have recently unveiled Diclofenac’s impact on scavenging bird populations (e.g. vultures). Griffon vulture; portrait by […]
Rivers and Streams: A Basic Introduction
Related Articles:River Education and Importance of Watersheds Facts About Rivers If you observe a river throughout the shifting seasons, you may notice drastic changes in its levels. The river might rise and swell after rainfall, but drain to a trickle during the summer. Where is the water coming from? And why do rivers become rivers? […]
Scientists Surprised by Good News about Chesapeake Bay Watershed Protection
Even scientists were surprised by the good news in a recent study about Chesapeake Bay Watershed protection, which showed that the Clean Air Act has helped to improve water quality in the area. Actions taken to combat acid rain also reduced nitrogen pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in ways that no one expected. Chesapeake […]
Use Apps to Protect the Environment
Technology has proven to be a double-edged sword when analyzing its effects on the environment. So how can we protect the environment while utilizing technical tools, like computers or mobile devices? One way is to use apps that can inform and help people all over the world about eco-friendly living and working. Here are a […]