April Showers: The Journey of a Spring Raindrop
Welcome to “What’s Up, Watershed?”! In this new educational series, we’ll learn how everyday actions affect the health of our waterways and explore easy ways we can make a positive impact on both water and wildlife. I’m Chris Bunn, Environmental Program Coordinator at PRC. I support programs focused on reducing stormwater volume and pollution in the Philadelphia region. When people ask me what I do for a living, I often lose them as soon as I mention the word “watershed.”
Most people have seen signs while driving on the highway that say, “Entering ‘Fill in the Blank’ Watershed.” But if you’re anything like my friends and family, you likely have no idea what those signs are talking about! In this first edition of “What’s Up, Watershed?” we’ll illustrate how watersheds work and explain how that spring rain falling on your roof connects you to places both near and far.
Chris Bunn
PRC Environmental Program Coordinator
p.s. It’s easy to identify YOUR watershed! To learn which watershed you live in, visit River Runner, a virtual tool that maps the journey of a drop of water through your local watershed!
Imagine for a moment that you’re a spring raindrop. No matter where you land — a rural farm field, a busy urban street, or a quaint suburban lawn — eventually you’ll drain into a larger body of water. Gravity will pull you downhill, taking you through sewers, creeks, streams, rivers and even lakes. The majority of these larger water bodies drain into an even bigger one: the ocean!
Where you land will determine which body of water you drain into, and thus which watershed you’re in! Let’s say you land in a cow pasture near Penn State University in State College. Perhaps you’ll runoff into a drainage ditch, emptying into a little creek that meanders toward the Susquehanna River, which eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay. This means that you’d be in both the Susquehanna River watershed AND The Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Unfortunately, as you make your epic journey across the land, it’s likely that you’ll pick up some sticky pollutants that humans left behind. Maybe you’ll pick up some dirt, motor oil, pesticides or fertilizers. Once you reach your destination, so too will these substances that harm our waterways.
Here at PRC, we take measures to prevent this pollution with nature-based solutions! You can learn more by visiting our website and checking out our monthly blogs focused on what YOU can do to prevent stormwater pollution.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
Meet PRC Environmental Program Coordinator Chris Bunn
On a day-to-day basis, Chris’ work includes creating watershed-focused educational content and supporting the implementation of nature-based solutions to residential stormwater pollution. In his free time, Chris enjoys writing and performing original music, growing food, and nerding out about native plants.
