Union Street students learn about streams, culverts

Union Street School fourth graders experience with the EmRiver Stream Table provided by the Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation District.
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Union Street School students learn about streams, culverts By Zinny Harris, Grade 4, Union Street School | Apr 02, 2015 Photo by: Courtesy Union Street School fourth graders experience with the EmRiver Stream Table provided by the Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation District. This is the second year they have used it at Union Street School. Students learned about human practices that can damage our streams and rivers and increase flooding, and what they can do to alleviate future problems. Fourth graders at Union Street School in Springfield, Vermont learned a lot about streams this month using an EmRiver stream table provided by the Ottauquechee Natural Resource Commission. We first learned that streams naturally want to “meander.” Meander means to curve and the word comes from the name the ancient Meaner River in Egypt. People often straighten streams so they can build roads or towns near them, but because streams want to meander, this practice can cause flooding over the roads and towns as the river goes back to meandering. We also learned that when gravel is taken out of streams, the streams go faster, which causes erosion. Some people think that taking gravel out of a stream or river will make more room for the water and prevent flooding, but taking gravel out has actually caused flooding by making the stream banks less stable. Some people take gravel out of streams and rivers so they can sell it. On the day we studied culverts, we learned that when people put in culverts, it is not always good. Large and small culverts can “perch,” or result in a “waterfall” effect, preventing fish to be unable to swim upstream, which means that bears won’t be able to catch them, which could affect the bear population, and impact the food chain. Using bottomless culverts, which are more expensive, allow the water to flow more smoothly, and do not result in perching. Rip-rapping, which is building cement or stone walls along a stream bank can cause the water to flow more quickly which can result in flooding and erosion down stream. This can ruin farms and houses. It can kill animals, people, and plants. It can even destroy forests. We also learned that if you dump chemicals into a stream or a river, it will affect the entire watershed. Through the water cycle, the chemical might end up in precipitation, and when it rains, the plants will absorb the water an then it will poison the plants. That means when animals eat the plants, they can also be poisoned