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Rolling Rivers Trailer Available for Education Programs

Are you an educator looking to incorporate river dynamics and riparian concepts into your curriculum? The Rolling Rivers trailer is a mobile teaching unit demonstrating a variety of water lessons including: river energy, riparian areas, watershed health, erosion control, non point source pollution, and the effects of development along shorelines. This trailer presentation can be tailored to 4th graders through high school and is available upon request.

The Rolling River is a five by ten foot utility trailer with a six-inch deep trailer bed that is filled with sand (actually recycled plastic granules) and contains a tank for pumping and re-circulating water. A meandering river or two is scooped out running from one end to the other. Small figures of cows, horses, houses, a barn, corral and a parking lot with cars and farm equipment placed on top, form a simulated village. Trees, foliage and a few rocks line the riverbank. When water is turned on at the top of the watershed, it flows through the river and can be used to demonstrate a variety of water lessons including:

– River energy: Sprinkle a handful of alluvium at the top of the “watershed” and watch it be carried along in the water.

– Riparian areas:With the vegetation in place along the riverbank, the banks remain stable. Remove some of the foliage, and erosion occurs as water cuts into the banks. Turn the water on full force as in a flood situation and the riverbank begins to break down and collapses even faster. This demonstrates the principles of healthy versus unhealthy riparian areas.

– Non-point pollution: Rain (from a sprinkling can) on the parking lot above the river demonstrates how pollution is carried into streams.

– Effects of diversion: Using PVC pipe to create irrigation ditches slows down the speed of the water. Stopping the water entirely by creating a dam effects other changes.

Contact Cynthia at cingelfinger@flatheadcd.org or call 406-752-4220 to schedule a program.

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