
This week, 8th grade students at Forest Lake Christian School in Auburn are conducting a watershed study. As part of the project, we’ll bring in samples from all over California, including the Bay Area, Donner Pass, and Auburn, for students to check out.
But why is understanding a watershed important, and what IS a watershed? Here’s an excerpt from a great article by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which has provided some excellent background information for our project!

Check out the full article for more basic information on how watersheds affect life around them, and why they are important!
Why Sierra Nevada Watersheds Matter
Did you know that Sierra Nevada watersheds provide all or part of the drinking water for 23 million people? That means water that starts here in the mountains of California and Nevada travels across many miles to be the water source for millions of people. But, research shows that both forest and watershed health are declining. We can impact this by teaching our students how watersheds work, and helping future generations to understand that mitigating decline is important! Here is another excellent article explaining more about watersheds, and an excerpt below!
