Water Quality and Management

The following is a list of Middle School Level performance expectations from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*, which are addressed by Rain to Drain: Slow the Flow.

Rain to Drain: Slow the Flow is a hands-on stormwater education curriculum available from Penn State Extension Youth Water Resources and 4-H.

Data centers are increasing in number and size across Pennsylvania placing increasing demands on the state's water resources.

Several Aquatic Invasive Species of particular concern in Pennsylvania are discussed, and their identifying characteristics reviewed.

Stormwater can cause water pollution because it often contains harmful materials picked up when it washed across the land.

Want to control stormwater on your property? There are many different things you can do.

Explore how constructed floodplain wetlands improve urban stormwater quality and restore natural hydrology through a Central Pennsylvania case study.

Agricultural lands are increasingly identified as an important contributor of microplastics.

Managing stormwater, reducing flooding, and improving water quality.

Microplastic pollution is not a new problem. However, in recent years, the public has become more aware, and scientists are studying the seriousness of the situation.

Chain of custody water testing is done to legally document water quality before a nearby activity or land use change.

Sediment is a stormwater pollutant made up of soil particles detached from the land by erosion and is Pennsylvania's largest surface water pollutant by volume.

This video explains the regulations pertaining to landowners in Pennsylvania about proper use of herbicides in aquatic settings.

Live stakes are an increasingly popular way to repair eroding streams on a budget. However, moving plants always comes with the risk of spreading pests and diseases.

A brief introduction and instructional guide to using live staking as an inexpensive and simple technique to restoring eroding stream banks.

Vegetated swales are contoured land areas or ditches covered in plants. They are designed to collect stormwater runoff and move it away from areas where it can't soak into the ground.

Trees adjacent to residential and commercial properties, parks, along roads, and in parking lots provide environmental, social and, economic benefits.

This restoration includes stabilizing and/or altering the stream channel to slow and direct the flow of water to reduce erosion and flooding.

Stormwater basins are the reservoirs built near developments to temporarily hold stormwater during rain and snowmelt. They prevent high volumes of water from rushing into nearby streams during storms.

Pet owners have several choices for safely disposing of their pet waste. The simplest method is usually collecting it in a bag and tossing it in the trash.

Sediment barriers are temporary structures used around the edge of sites with bare soil. They are meant to separate any potential sediment pollution from stormwater that might flow off the site.

A riparian buffer involves planting or retaining trees, shrubs, or tall grasses along the banks of rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.

The adaptability of rain gardens makes it possible to fit them on urban and suburban sites where green space is limited.

These pervious surfaces are designed to allow snowmelt and rain to drain through the hard, but porous, top surface.

Native meadow plantings are meant to be low maintenance and, once established, only need to be cut back once or twice a year.