Land Use and Pollution of Four Mile Creek

This topic submitted by Melissa Hamann ( hamannmm@muohio.edu ) on 1/23/03. [ Rivers Team: Melissa Hamann-Section: Blaisdell/Wolfe]

The land-use practice regarding rivers is a very interesting subject to me. If it is true that you own what extends infinitely above your land and to the core of the earth below it, then can you really own moving bodies of water when the water flows out of your piece of the Earth? It is one of the biggest questions and concerns when it comes to environmental justice; what is disposed of in a river doesnÕt end up "in your backyard" even though that is where it started. To what extent can you dump something in "your" stream because the effects of your polluting will be felt throughout the ecosystem?

One of the most interesting displays of this concept is the use of a plastic land visual that is a typical city. It shows how point charge distribution as well as run-off contributes to the pollution of large areas of land. However, some of this damage can be mitigated by the use of riparian zones and wetlands. Through the uptake of plants, chemicals can be extracted from the water, absorbed and, sometimes, broken down by the plant. What types of natural and man made botanical elements surround Four Mile Creek as well as its watershed? How does the land use of the area relate to the level of pollution in the river?

The findings can be displayed on the World Wide Web in a number of ways. First and foremost, you can simply state your results in a simple paper format. I think, however, that it is more beneficial to represent scientific data in a manner that is more feasible to learning. Colorful graphs, depictions of the watershed, and photographs of land use would allow many to fully grasp the extent of their actions and hopefully persuade them to be more responsible.

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