Slide 1: McGaheysville Dam Field Trip
Info and Vocabulary You Will Be Hearing and Using
Slide 2: Hydroelectric Power Dam
• A dam that uses
the movement of water to turn turbines and produce electricity.
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html
Slide 3: History of the Dam
• The dam was built by the city of
Harrisonburg in the 1920’s to generate electricity.
Slide 4: Dam Meets Hurricane
• In 1954 a hurricane
damaged the dam and it was abandoned. The dam blocked fish migration and made it hard for boaters to use the river.
http://www.katrina.noaa.gov/images/katrina-08-28-2005.jpg
Slide 5: Removal of the Dam
• In 2004, the dam was
broken into smaller pieces which were removed. This allowed the fish to migrate normally and boaters to travel safely.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/im ages/NH%20Henniker%20dam%20removal.jpg
Slide 6: Waste Water Treatment Plant
• A little upstream from
the dam site is a wastewater treatment plant. This is where raw wastewater (sewage) is processed before it is released back into the river.
http://www.scottsvalley.org/Clarifier%204.jpg
Slide 7: Water Intake Site
• A little downstream
from the dam site is a future intake site. This is where untreated water from the river will be drawn into pipes to be treated and used by the city.
http://ess.nrcan.gc.ca/ercc-rrcc/proj2/theme1/act3_e.php
Slide 8: Macroinvertebrates
• This word usually refers
to aquatic insects, clams, and snails. They are large enough to be seen without a microscope (macro) and they do not have bones (invertebrate). The number and different types of macros can indicate the health of the water.
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/ccn/info/Science/SWCS/ZOOBENTH/macro3.jpg
Slide 9: Larvae and Larval
• Larvae and larval refer to
the young form of an organism, especially invertebrates. Many insects produce larvae that live in the water for a year or more before they become adults. Examples are mosquitoes, dragonflies, and mayflies.
http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Content_Files/Images/Coll ections%20and%20Research/Natural %20History/Entomology/VariableDarnerLarva_max.jpg
Slide 10: Fish Kills
• A fish kill is an event in
which dead fish are observed. The most common cause of fish kills is not enough oxygen in the water. Around here, fish that are under stress are killed by a bacteria. We don’t know yet what is making the fish stressed.
http://research.myfwc.com/images/articles/19955/19955_3657.jpg
Slide 11: Lesions
• A lesion is an isolated
patch or infected area on the body. Bacteria, fungi, and protists can cause the lesions. The fish lesions in the Shenandoah River are caused by a bacteria.
http://www.purewaterforum.org/fishkill/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/7.jpg
Slide 12: Land Studies
• Studying the type of
plants growing near a water source can provide information to scientists. Scientists are also interested in the type of soil by the river.
http://www.germanlis.com/nature/riverside.JPG
Slide 13: Plot Study
• In a plot study, you
are identifying different animals and/ or plants in a small area (known as a plot).
http://www.njaudubon.org/Education/Images/photo2%20copy.jpg
Slide 14: Invasive Species
• Invasive species are
animals or plants that are not originally from the area. They often overpopulate, harming the environment and competing with native species (animals or plants that are from the area).
Kudzu is from Japan but has taken over the sides of many roads in the United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_species
Slide 15: Garlic Mustard
• Garlic mustard is an
invasive species that is originally from Europe, Asia, and Africa. It was brought to the US in the 1860’s as a spice for food. It quickly grew out of control since the insects and fungi that normally eat it do not live in the United States.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Garlic_M ustard_close_800.jpg/558px-Garlic_Mustard_close_800.jpg
Slide 16: Garlic Mustard
Lots of garlic mustard
http://www.invasive.org/eastern/images/768x512/0002039.jpg
Slide 17: Rafting
• Water is also used for
recreation like fishing, swimming, canoeing, and rafting. You will be rafting with 4 other students and an adult. Everyone will be given safety directions and paddling instructions. Please listen carefully!!
http://www.flatearth.no/opplastninger/image/WW%20rafting,%20web.jpg
Slide 18: Station Leaders
• These are the kind people
who are giving up their day to teach you lots of new things. They have great information. Make sure you ask any questions you have and thank them when you leave their station.
http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/76/52/23315276.jpg
Slide 19: Brain Pop - Water Pollution
If you have time you can watch this Brain Pop about Water Pollution. It’s about 3 minutes long. Login is THMSPOP and the password is THMS123
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ourfragileenvironment/waterpoll ution/zoom.weml
