Learning & Resources

General Knowledge, Science

• USGS USA National Water Quality Dashboard
• USGS USA Tablero de Recursos Hídricos Nacionales
• Water — Open Access Journal, peer-reviewed journal on water science and technology, including the ecology and management of water resources.
• The USA’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Science Education offers curriculum supplements for K–12 science teachers.
• Infographic: Water Quality Around the World (graphic)
• Hydroponics for Backyard Gardens
• US EPA — National Primary Drinking Water Regulations

Some of the basics:

• Popular: What Is Capillary Action? Great, fun refresher for adults, even better for homeschooling and grade school children.
• Why Groundwater Matters
• Water and Forests
• What Does a Water-Treatment Plant Do?
• What is El Niño (¡and La Niña!), and how does it affect the weather?
• NEW: How to Talk: “The Way We Talk About Water Matters: Insights from the 2022 National Waterways Literacy Survey”

Deal with Hurricanes and Floods

Thanks to Mickey Taylor at floodsafety.info for these links:

• Flash Flood Safety and Damage Prevention Guide
• Building Your Disaster Supply Kit
• What to Do to Keep Your Dog Safe Before and During a Flood
• What you should do if you get stuck driving in floodwaters
• How to Recover After a Hurricane
• Safe Cleaning After a Home Flood – What You Need to Know
• Mold and Flooded Homes

Testing Methods, Equipment, Procedures

• Remembering the basics: “Why is Water Quality Monitoring Important?”
• From USGS: National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data
• “NEMI is a searchable database that allows scientists and managers to find and compare analytical and field methods for all phases of environmental monitoring.”
• Inexpensive chemical water-testing kits
• Detect Water Leaks with the 10-Minute WaterSense Challenge

Surface Waters

• Comprehensive: the USGS Water Science School’s Surface Water Information

• The ABC’s of Stormwater Pollution Prevention — educator resources from the City of Los Angeles Watershed Protection Program.

Groundwaters

Comprehensive: the USGS Water Science School’s Groundwater

Identifying Microplastics

Tracking microplastic pollution to its sources will usually require identifying the particular plastics and, only then, its likely sources. One of only two public-access databases can be used with the assistance of tech instructions published in Nature.com publication Scientific Data:

“A Raman spectral reference library of potential anthropogenic and biological ocean polymer”

Regional Waters

• Daily Digest of California Water News — Maven’s Notebook does a superb job staying on top of the Golden State’s latest.
• California Water Library — an independently compiled collection of articles and reports covering all facets of California water.
• Groundwater Exchange — focusing on California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, this is an activity of the California Water Library
• John Hart :: Writer — love of land and love of language meet in the work of poet and environmental journalist John Hart.

Global