Rationale | Objectives

Lesson 3 - Preamble
Acknowledgement: Taken from "Living on the Land 2001"

Rationale

Many people purchase property with a creek, pond, or other water body because they enjoy the sound of running water, the sight of lush green vegetation and birds, or the use of the water for irrigation. These areas are irreplaceable resources that are often poorly understood and managed. Creeks and wetlands are important for water supply and recharge, water filtration, wildlife habitat, flood flow conveyance, and more. As private landowners, much of the responsibility for the health of the water body lies with the resident small-acreage owner.

Objectives

Participants will:

1. Understand the functions of a riparian area
2. Be able to recognize generic signs of a healthy and an unhealthy stream, and will understand how streams degrade and recover
3. Understand that any action they take on streams on their properties may affect the water body both upstream and down
4. Be able to inventory their properties for areas of concern
5. Learn various tips for appropriate and inappropriate goal-setting and develop objectives, actions and monitoring tasks for their properties

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