Who Polluted the Red River?


Instructions: Sources of water pollution are highlighted in bold type. As each is read aloud, the student with that canister comes forwards and empties its contents into the “river.”


For thousands of years, people have lived on the banks of the Red River. Aboriginal people hunted in the forests, harvested food from wetlands and caught fish in the river. One of the first European explorers to visit the river wrote in his journal about the tributaries of “sweet water” and seeing so many fish that his crew tried to scoop them out of the river with a frying pan. (Ask the students: Imagine that the water in the tank was taken from the river about 500 years ago. Would you drink this water? Eat fish that came from it? Swim in it?) Colonists began to arrive from Europe.


They found fertile land, forests teeming with wildlife, and a river that provided ample food and water. It was an outstanding environment for settlement, and the colonists prospered. (Ask the students: How do you think the colonists used the river? Do we use our rivers


in the same ways today?) The river has changed since it was first explored. This is


a story of those changes. Listen for the word printed on your canister. When you hear it, come up to the tank, open the canister and pour its contents into the river. Years go by, and occasional storms drench the area. High


winds whip through the trees and blow leaves into the river. Gradually the city of Winnipeg grows on the banks of the Red River. Developers clear wetlands and forests to build houses and businesses. Rain washes loose soil fromconstruction sites into the river. (Ask the students: Is this water safe to drink? Did the river have leaves or soil in it when explorers first drank from it? Would you swim in it? Is it safe for wildlife?) Upstream, farmers plant crops to feed


the city’s growing population. Some of the fields extend right to the banks of the river, and fertilizer washes into the water. Other farmers keep livestock in their barn- yards. As rainwater drains from barnyards, it carried manure into a little creek that flows into the river. (Ask the students: Would you drink this water now? Would you swim in it? Go boating in it? Is it safe for wildlife?) Since the city is so close to Manitoba’s beautiful lakes, many


people build cottages nearby. These cottages are not connected to the city sewer system. Instead, wastewater flows into septic tanks underground. Some homeowners do not maintain their septic tanks, and poorly treated sewage seeps into the nearby lake.


To meet the energy needs of the city, a coal mine is dug far upstream. Rainwater drains into the mine- shaft, and as it soaks through mining wastes it becomes very acidic. It then trickles on to the river. The coal is burned to power the turbines of an electric power plant that is built along the river. Gasses from the smokestacks com- bine with moisture in the air to form acids. These pollutants return to the ground as


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acid rain or smog. To make more electricity, hydroelectric dams are built. When the river is dammed, land is flooded. Mercury contained in submerged soil and rocks is converted by bacteria into a form that is toxic to living organisms. (Ask the students: Would you drink this water now? Would you swim in it? Go boating? Could fish or water wildlife live in water that is acidic or poisoned with mercury?) Winnipeg is now the largest metropolitan area in Manitoba. Traffic congestion is starting to become a problem for commuters who drive their cars to and from work every day. Car exhaust causes acid rain, and cars that are not kept in good repair often leak oil and other fluids. These contaminants are washed off the pavement and into the river with the next rain.


And how do the residents of the city and suburbs spend


their time? In one neighbourhood, gardeners are out working in their yards. Many are using weed killers and insect sprays to keep the lawns beautiful. The next rain will wash these poisons into a little creek nearby, which then flows into the river. A father is teaching his daughter how to change the antifreeze in their truck. They pour out the used antifreeze onto the driveway. Antifreeze tastes sweet and can poison any animal that licks it. It can also get into the nearby creek and poison fish.


Nearby a boy is washing the family car. The soapy water


rushes down the driveway into the storm drain, which empties into the river. The grime on the car contains asphalt from roads, asbestos from brakes, rubber particles from tires, toxic metals and rust. If the boy had gone to a local car wash, the water would have been treated before it entered the river. While the boy washes the car, his mother is cleaning out her medicine cabinet and discovers some expired medication. Instead of throwing it into the garbage where children or animals might get to it, she decides to flush it down the toilet. Most of these contaminants will be cleaned from the water by the water treatment system, but 2 to 3 percent will still be in the water when it released back into the river. Next door, a family is cleaning out their garage. They f ind


an old rusty can with a tattered “skull and cross- bones” label. It looks dangerous and they want to get rid of it before someone gets hurt. Junior gets an idea: “Let’s pour it down the drain by the curb!” So the mystery liquid goes down the storm drain. The poison is out of sight — but is on its way to the river. It’s a nice day and many people head down


the river. Some zoom up and down in motor- boats and don’t notice that a little engine oil leaks into the water. On the shore, a fisherman snags a hook on a log and breaks off the fishing line. Many people are picnicking in the parks along the river. But a wind is coming up and some of their trash will blow into the river. At the water treatment facility in the north end of the city, a malfunction occurs and untreated wastewater flows directly into the river....


— adapted with permission from “Who Polluted the Potomac?” by Population Connection


GREEN TEACHER 83


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