Stormwater 101 for Students
Hello! Thank you for taking action and becoming a Stormwater Protector.
On this page you will find a video and some cool activities that will help you learn more about our OC watersheds and how you can help prevent runoff pollution.
If you are a teacher, Click here for an activity overview.
Activity Booklet
Click to open this awesome H2OC Watersheds Activity Booklet for more activities and exciting trivia about our OC waterways!
Find Your Storm Drain
Now that you know more about how water moves through Orange County, let’s look for the storm drains near you. Go outside with an adult and look around at the streets and sidewalks for your nearest storm drain. Remember, they are the openings in the gutters, streets, and walkways where runoff flows. Like these:
Where Does Your Runoff Go?
Now that you found your closest storm drain, let’s find out where that water goes. The map below will show you how runoff in your neighborhood, around your school, or anywhere else in Orange County, reaches our waterways.
But before we do that, let’s look at some important terms and definitions about how our storm drain system works.
- Regional Subbasin: An area of land that drains to a storm drain.
- Downstream: The channels which stormwater flows through on its way to our waterbodies
- Stormwater Network: Network of interconnected channels that convey stormwater throughout the watersheds of Orange County to our waterbodies.
- Open Conveyance: Stormwater channel that is open to the air. You may see these in your neighborhood and are also called flood control channels.
- Closed Conveyance: Stormwater channel that flows underground.
To use the map below and answer questions about the watersheds you live and go to school in, use the worksheet provided by your teacher or click here to download it.
Thank You
Thanks for stopping by and thank YOU for being a valued Stormwater Protector!
Comment below and let us know what you’re doing to prevent water pollution in your community.