- Describing your visit
- What was it like? What were the highlights? What did you learn? What did you find interesting? What will you remember the most from this trip?
- Compare and contrast the conditions of the Bronx river to those you observed on the Esopus creek. Use your observations and data as evidence
- Use this link to look at the Bronx river data
- Use the water Quality Assessment worksheet you completed on the trip
- Did your guides and chaperones at the Ashokan Center do a good job of leading your classes? What things did they do well? What could have been better?
If you did not go on the trip reflect on what you have learned about the NYC water supply system.
The trip to the Ashokan center was interesting i never thought it was going to be so interesting learning about the surroundings and how the affect us in a everyday life. My highlights was the hike because we got to learn about the trees and how they each meant something also we got to learn about the rivers and about rocks. I found interesting that everything there had a purpose how clean they keep everything and how neat it looks how is way different is a beautiful place. What i will remember about the trip is how the hike was i was scared because i was always tripping while i was walking it was a struggle to walk since there was alot of rocks but other than that everything was great the sound of the water nature. The difference between the Bronx river and the Esopus creek is that the Bronx river was way more polluted and sometimes the not a stable river for all animals while the Esopus creek was a good environment and the water had all the nutrients i know that because of the little animals i saw that meant there was nutrients in the water depending on what type of animal you found in the water. The Bronx river is more complex because it could be off balance. I think that the chaperones did a good job because the first chaperone i had was very detailed with her explanations towards the trees and in the hike she was explaining everything i was never lost and everything was a fun experience i never was the type to be interested in nature before but know am more interested to learn about the environment and how is being affected in positives and negatives ways.
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate going on this trip a lot. It was a unique experience especially because I’ve never gone hiking before. I expected it to be a very boring walk in the woods but it turned out to be far from it. There were so many times where I almost fell over the rocks in the ground that by the end of the day I really ended up appreciating the fact that I lived in a place where there were paved roads. Compared to the Bronx River, the experience was completely different and so were the surroundings. The Esopus river had the same pH as the Bronx River’s but the conditions of the water was completely different. The Bronx River was surrounded by highway and concrete while the Esopus River was surrounded by just forest.
ReplyDeleteA definite highlight of the trip was when we arrived at the reservoir and the view of the catskill mountains appeared in front of us surrounded by all the water, it was breathtaking. Another highlight of the trip was climbing that incredibly steep hill while on the hike. I remember everyone looking up at it and doubting that they were ever going to climb it, but they all did. I felt like I was putting myself in danger climbing up the side of the hill right behind Ian because he was basically kicking dirt in my face the entire time while I tried not to fall, holding on the roots of the trees beside me as if my life depended on it. Reaching the top was definitely an accomplishment.
I learned that reservoirs are actually very beautiful. I thought that it would be a very plain looking body of water but it ended up looking like paradise. I also learned that macroinvertebrates tend to live in fast moving water instead of still water. Our group leader, Matt, also asked us a trick question: What direction does water flow? The answer was not either North, South, East or West, but down. The direction of the water thats flowing also shapes the watersheds around it.
There are several things I will always remember from this trip. The fact that I climbed a insanely steep hill and had dirt under my nails for almost the entire day, we saw two snapping turtles, a snake, the ear cupping thing, and Mr. Fox’s reservoir rap.
Well visiting the Ashokan Center was a wonderful experience to begin with. Having been exposed to the wildlife was a good way to start the weekend. It reminded me off the 6th and 8th grade camping trip. One of the highlights of the trips was the hike. Having been exposed to the outback and seeing nature for what it is was great. Learning how Natives lived in the land was interesting because we the conditions they lived in were by far so different than ours. What ill remember most from this trip is value of water and how much of it is important too it.
ReplyDeleteKnowing how much water i use daily has led me to use less than i usually do. Conditionally wise the Esopus Creek was by far cleaner than the Bronx River and very well taken care of. The Bronx river over time has developed and has gotten better but quality wise the water was still polluted, it cant be compared to the Esopus Creek in which its water was clear and clean. Based on an assessment the Esopus creek was clean and its had macroinivertebrates that was said it was clean due to them by one of our advisors.
Throughout the trip the guides and chaperones at the Ashokan Center did a wonderful job with leading our classes through the trip. Every chaperone had taught us numerous things having to do with how we get our water and how people before us survived in their times. The sources of information was just handful, along with learning how the wildlife lives was great to learn to.
This past week we have been studying New York Cities supply system, so we visited the Ashokan Center which is responsible for the majority of the water supply that we get. During our trip we hiked and discovered different waterways but also we conducted some water testing to see if the waterways were filled with pollution which would make them unhealthy or if it was healthy. During our water testing we found different creatures that lived in the water at first glances you would think that this would make the water unhealthy but after you find out how this creatures actually help clean the water you would be amazed. We found different macroinvertebrates which are responsible for showing that the water is healthy this creatures don’t tolerate pollution , which would mean that they live in healthy locations. When we tested different factors of the water we got the temperature to be 56 degree celsius, the ph level was of 7.1 that means it is neural and a D.O of 9 PPM which is great because that would mean that a lot of the creatures can actually live in this environment with such a high level of dissolved oxygen . The Ashokan Center compared to the Bronx River is cleaner , this fact can be proven through the data that was collected it states that the D.O which was approximately 4 which shows that there is an imitation of how many creatures live on the river , there is also the fact that it has a high salinity level which would make it impossible for most creatures to survive . During this trip some of my classmates found that there was some clams and crabs which are indicators of the unhealthiness of the river . The Bronx River could be cleaner if there were more trees and there would not be so many cars and trains around , that is what makes the Ashokan Center cleaner it has an amazing use of trees that give more oxygen which make more creatures live there.
ReplyDeleteThis trip was actually really fun. I liked it because I got to learn new things about where we get our water from. Also, it's another experience added to my life that I appreciate because once again not many people get the opportunity. My favorite part of the trip had to be the walk to to the waterfalls because I passed by so many amazing views. The fact that I took with me was when my guide told me that if you follow that stream it would take you all the way back to Manhattan because it connect to the Hudson River. During the walk, every time we stopped to talk about something I tried to imagine what it was like years ago. I kind of made a movie in my head and saw farmers coming down those hills to the mills. I pictured basically a life of someone from that time. The reservoir itself was amazing. I had no idea that people destroyed towns and homes to build it. In comparison to the Bronx River the Esopus creek is really clean. There isn't any trash in the creek unlike the Bronx River. A major factor in that is that the Bronx River is located in an urban area. Esopus is more suburban or farm like location. I think that my first guide did a great job because he had a lot of background information about the spots we were in and he was funny and went along with our jokes which was good.
ReplyDeleteOn friday people in the environmental science course went on a trip to the Ashokan Reservoir. The trip in my experience was a very interesting and educational. The trip really filled me in own a main water source in New York. One of the highlights that I remember was when me in my group were by the creek and we found different types of macroinvertebrates inside of the stream. I learned that the Ashokan River is very healthy and it is Important that it stays that way because it is very important to our drinking source in New York. I would really remember seeing the reservoir and how beautiful the view of the water with the catskill mountains. When looking at data about the conditions of the Bronx River and Esopus Creek, I noticed that the temperatures were different. The creeks temp was 56 degrees celsius and the river temp was 30 degrees celsius. The ph was similar which was at on average at 7. The DO in the creek was 9 ppm and in the river it was 4. During each tour guides each chaperone were very informative on the details of the reservoir/stream and I asked a lot of questions to see if our prior knowledge is where it needs to be. They also were funny and had a good spirit about everything and they taught me a lot about our water system. They good have done a better job at maybe not talking for a long period of time because sometimes we were doing a lot of listening and its a lot of information to take in at once. Further more at times I would stop catching interest because of all the talking they were doing but on a majority they were good tour guides.
ReplyDeleteThe trip to the Ashokan center was very self-reflective and amusing. The goal was to see the Ashokan Reservoir for ourselves and learn more about it and its environment. The experience I had will follow me for the rest of my life, and I will make sure to share the information I learned with those around me. What I found interesting were the three parts to determining whether or not the river was sanitary and healthy, biologically, chemically and physically. Biologically was the most surprising to me, since my guides stated that just because a river has a lot of bugs it does not mean that it is necessarily dirty. In fact, if you identified some of the insects and determined whether or not they are pollution tolerant, you can immediately identify if a river is clean or not. In the Esopus creek, we saw these insects that although look disgusting, were actually a major role to the eco-system. When I learned about this, I immediately made a connection to the Bronx River and if it had pollution intolerant species living in it. I know for a fact that Oysters are a proud contributor of the river since its role is like filtering out the pollution in the river. However, since they filter pollution, this means that they are highly tolerant and would have little to no use in the Esopus River since there is barely any pollution. Also, the pH levels in the Esopus river was lower and steadier than the Bronx River, with a 7 compared to an average of 7.80. The pH level is also steadier in Esopus River because my guide said that when they have to measure the acidity levels, it would be 7 if not lower in pH. Another comparison you can make is the environmental aspect between the rivers and how it affects water quality. In the Bronx River, it is exposed to New York City which won the title of “America’s Dirtiest City” in 2012. However, in Esopus a hypothesis can be made that since it is in a suburban area and the closest city to it is two hours away, the Esopus River is cleanlier than the Bronx River because it is protected from a dirty environment that may cause trash to appear into the river.
ReplyDeleteThe trip overall was an amazing experience and I’m glad I was able to participate. The chaperones were extremely friendly and seemed passionate about the environment, making it easier to focus on what they were saying since they always had a smile on their face. Climbing the hill was also very fun because personally my group bonded with each other and cheered those that were struggling to keep moving forward. The most breathtaking part of the whole thing was looking at the Catskill Mountains. It looked like something out of a movie! It was extremely beautiful, and the indentations in them made it easy to identify where the water pours down to the watershed. The only thing I wished we were able to do was drink water from the reservoir itself. I know that it’s the same water we drink at home, but there is a difference from drinking it in your house two hours away and drinking the water at the very source.
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ReplyDeleteGoing to the Ashokan Center made me feel really good because it shows how nature and man made things can be just beautiful. Thisexperience made me love nature, by just breathing the air I felt free and the environment felt so pure and clean. I loved the fact that I went to this trip and shared the experience with my classmates because that place is totally relaxing, it takes you away from the chaos of the city. I would describe the Esopus stream as beautiful, clean, peaceful, calm, colorful, pure, etc. There is just too much beauty at that stream because you can see the colors of the trees, since it's fall, the leaves have different colors and it looks amazing. I learned that the headwaters of the stream drain into the Hudson, then it just ends up in our houses after it has been cleaned out. The color of the water was clear and it smelled like nature. The Bronx River is way different from the Esopus stream because the stream is way more clean than the Bronx River. The problem with the Bronx River is that it is located in an area where it's too city like, what I mean is that the river is not out in nature like the stream and it's sorrounded by cars and people throw trash at the river. In other words, the Bronx River is located in the urban and the Ashokan Center in the suburban. My group's guide helped me understand the history of the center so much, she explained it in such an interesting way that I will never forget. She did a really good job. Something that I will never forget about this trip is Will (the caterpillar) and the hike, the way we were out in the woods, etc. This experienced took me away from the city's stress and it helped me understand more where our water comes from. I also came to the conclusion, the we will never run out of water because it's so abundant and pure, I don't think the population will make a difference because the government can secure more water so that when our population grows, there will be no harm and everyone will be happy because according to the article read in the bus, if we take care of our water, it will never stop getting to our homes.
ReplyDeleteAlfha Gonzalez
My visit to the Bronx River was a very pleasant experience . It was more fun than what I expected it to be and educational. The highlights of the trip for me were the view and the hike, although it was tiring, it was a way for us to be able to see the reservoir in a better way and be able to focus on the visuals that the reservoir had to offer. Also, when we got to catch species for ourselves was very fun too, not only because it was interesting to do the activity, but also because I learned a lot from it. I learned that one of the species we found, called Macro Invertebrates determine the cleanness of this reservoir ,and while doing the hands on activity, we catched a variety of Macro Invertebrates. The thing that I will remember the most from this trip is the various amazing views that I saw while hiking. The views we encountered are ones that we don't encounter on our everyday lives and were beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that the conditions of the Bronx River and the Esopus creek are very different. Although they both have interesting and fun aspects , the Esopus creek is way cleaner than the Bronx River. For example, the Bronx River didn't have as much species to find and it also had water which wasn't as clean as it could be. The reservoir on the other hand, had water which was very clean and had species in it which showed how clean the water actually was.
The guides did an amazing job not only leading us in the activities, but in the explanation and making the activities engaging and fun. For example, while doing the hike, we stopped at times so that the guides could explain to us different aspects of what we were looking at. Also, while doing the other activity, it was fun to catch the different species, and then earn about them and try to identify them along with the guides.
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ReplyDeletetrip*
DeleteThe trip was very active and a life experience for myself. The highlights of the days was being able to hike and see the different elements and story the woods had. Also testing the water to see if its healthy enough for us to drink. I learn that there is specific species that is they live in the water area that it indicates that the water is clean. Also the New York City water supply doesn't need to be filter because the dirt from cleans it for us. What i found interesting was how 11 towns had to be destroy in order for new yorkers to keep their water supply in a location near by. What i would remember the most out of this trip it the hike and how beautiful the woods is and how I'l know if my water is healthy. The bronx river and the Esopus creek are different because the Bronx river is a mixture of both salt and fresh water while the Esopus water is just fresh. One similarly is that the PH is similar when we test it in the bronx river is was 7.80 and for the Esopus it was 7.0 so there is a similarly. Another difference though is the Esopus water was clear and the Bronx river water was brown. The chaperones at the Ashokan Center were very helpful because they explain how the water is proven to be clean and all different stories about the woods and how things got there. Somethings they could've done better is explain more about where the water comes from that we have so many.
ReplyDeleteThis trip was really fun, I loved the fact that once we were getting close to the reservoir you could really see the change outside from the city view to all the trees and mountains. The thing I learned that stood out to me was that the people living there in the villages would move the rocks into a certain area and it would allow for them to have fertilized land to plant and also stop the rain fall from running into their source of water and contaminating it. The thing I’m going to remember most about this trip is all the difference between the thing that those people living there at the time had to do to have water compared to us now. I wouldn’t even picture myself trying to grind down seed with two stone rocks its incredible how advance we are today and how little people actually do compared to what they did back then.
ReplyDeleteThe Bronx River has nothing on the Esopus creek. The creek is way cleaner than the Bronx River; The Esopus creek has indicators (frogs, bugs etc.) that show that the water is very clean, also this water leads up to the Ashokan Reservoir and that means we drink it and because that reservoir is not filter that means that water is clean enough for people to clean.
The guides at the reservoir were great. They answered all our questions, made us feel comfortable, they knew exactly what they were talking about, and they all looked like they loved what they are doing and loved being at that cite; it over all made my experience there much more fun and something that I’m happy they wanted to share with not just be but everyone that goes to visit, they welcome them with open hands.
-Laddy Duarte , P5
This past week has been very interesting. Learning about where our water comes from and how our society is trying to improve it. The fact that our water source is very clean was a relief because i never really questioned if our water was clean only where it came from. Apart from last week in todays seminar it was real interesting to learn different views which really made me question where and what our water supply will be coming from. Many sacrifices have been made to achieve this clean water source and there probably will be more if we don't take care of our water source. The only problem that I have with the usage of our natural resources is that the fact that we our over using our resources and polluting our planet is the cause of the limit to finding other areas with clean natural water. It's interesting to know that we have water being pumped through aqueducts that channel water through the sewer sheds spread out in the city,but theres also more improvements being made for the future. My only questions are what would the city do if we run out of our water supply? Is there an alternative plan in motion for an emergency? Well apart from that i'm looking forward to knowing where water bottles come from.
ReplyDeleteIt was actually a good trip I enjoyed it more than I expected to. My favorite part of the trip was the really steep hike when I helped someone to the top who didn't believe they could do so. What I learned from the trip was that macroinvertebrates can indicate whether the water is clean or polluted. I found interesting the Water quality assessment because that was where I actually checked if the water there was actually clean because of a tool that checked the pH level which was 6.7. I will remember most from the trip was when we went on the hike because it was a steep hill to go up. The water in the Ashokan center in my opinion was much cleaner. The water sample we took it was clear water and more species that are only where their clean water. The species I saw in the Bronx river are pollutant tolerant like the blue crab. Overall I liked the trip because it was more hand on work and knowledge not just worksheet work.
ReplyDeleteThis trip to the Ashokan Center was very informational. On the hike we were learning thing other than just about the water. We learning about the history of the center such as a part of the woods being a former ski slope used by SUNY New Paltz. We also learned things such as the species that live there, like the beaver and we got to see the trees they were in the middle of chopping down. The highlight of the trip for me was catching the crab and the frog and watching the frog jump around in the bucket. I learned that there was a lot of man made lakes around and also learned that there was a mill near the Center that lost business having to do with the water. What I will remember most about the trip was the hike because it was the steepest hill I’ve ever went up and scariest because the higher up you got, the closer to the edge you got.
ReplyDeleteThe Esopus creek and Bronx River are very different but can also compare. The biggest difference between the creek and the river is the color of the water. The water of the Bronx River was darker than the creek, it was kind of dark green. When you look at the Bronx River you can’t see the bottom do to the color. Although the creek’s water color was clearer which allowed for the bottom to be seen. Being able to see the bottom might also be cause by the deepness because the Esopus creek is not that deep, the creek was about 2-6 ft while the Bronx was about 10-20ft. The salinity level seemed different although it was not tested for the Esopus creek. When we were canoeing in the river water was splashed into people’s face and many people said it tasted really salty, although just by looking or feeling, the water of the creek did not feel salty. Although these two rivers compare because they both had some sort of factory close by. The Bronx River had the cement factory while the Esopus creek had the mill near by. Another way they compare is by having many types of species in the waters. The Esopus creek had many kinds of species which were non pollutant tolerant, which means the water can’t be polluted for the species to live. Also the Bronx River had many crabs, salmon.
The guides were did a very good job. They showed that they had a good knowledge of the area by telling us much information.They also made sure the group would stay close to each other and not have people lagging in the back during the height which is why we took momentary pauses. Although the guieds could have tried to relate the center more to the reason of why we were there rather than showing us the place only. Also it would have been better if we did more interactive actives. All in all they did a good job.
On October 18 we went on an educational trip with the motive to further develop our understanding of where our water comes from. Despite the trip being an academic trip it was also highly entertaining. We took a hike in which we observed various things that relate to the where our water comes from. Post our hike we ate lunch and after that we went to a stream with the intentions of determining how was the water quality in the stream. Throughout the entire trip the activity i found the most interesting was hiking up a steep hill and the information i found the most interesting and will remember for a while is that there used to be people living there and the government exiled those people and sunk the land. This information troubled me so much because of the government’s consistency on exploiting the people whenever they need new resources. In my opinion the major difference between the water quality of the Bronx River and Ashokan Center is brought because of where they are located. The Bronx River is located in the city and therefore it’s more exposed to human activities. On the other hand the Ashokan Center is located in a suburban area , in which its less exposed to the deteriorations brought through human activities. The water in the stream was clear and had no smell, while the water in the Bronx River is greenish and smelly. Moreover, there was no obvious sign of erosion nor littering but in the Bronx River there was sign of both. Also because of location the Riparian Vegetation surrounding the stream was “ a diverse mix of native grasses,sedges, rushes,shrubs and trees”. However surrounding the Bronx River there were a factory and what used to be another factory. Even though the Bronx River was much more deep than the stream the stream still was healthier, so therefor the stream is able to support a healthy diverse biological community. My guide and chaperone did a great job of leading my group they both were unafraid of the insects found in the stream and both aided each other and conveying the best accumulated information possible. The only thing i feel could have been better was the testing kit but despite that the tri was highly educational and entertaining.
ReplyDelete*trip
DeleteMy visit at the Ashokan Center was interesting, in a way that I learned things about how I get water to my house and also the time walking around. People who live in the city and does not move a lot does not get to be around nature as much as I did on Friday. In the city, I don't think about nature as much as someone who depends or lives around nature like Upstate New Yorkers do. Experiencing nature was something amazing and inciteful. When learning about the wildlife in the Ashokan Center I learned about how the people there use the aquatic species to determine whether the water was clean or dirty with pollutants and turbidity. The amphibians(organisms with no backbone) have special living standards, such as, some of them are highly sensitive to pollutant waters and some can live in water that had been polluted. In the Observation Sheet that my group was to fill out we realized that the water in the Ashokan Center was Excellent considering we caught a frog and I learn that frogs breathe through their skin therefore making them highly sensitive to pollution in the water. Coming to the conclusion, that the water there is healthy enough that frogs can be on it then the water not to or at all polluted. Some of the highlights of the trip was going through the forest learning about the environment and exploring the creek. Learning about the beaver dams were pretty interesting. Also, when we got to see the reservoir, to see what we did with our hands and a couple of machines and create the man-made reservoir was impressive. To think they created a man-made lake to quench 9 millions of people here in New York and used their knowledge to figure out where the lake begins.
ReplyDeleteThe water in the Bronx river was more polluted than the water in the creek because of the location each is located at. The creek waters is located in a rural place where there is not as much of urbanization as much in the city. The pH was basic in the bronx river around 8-9 where the water in the creek was around 7 which is neutral. Also the organisms in the creek only live in good conditions so the creek is pretty healthy.
Visiting the Ashokan Center was one of the most amazing adventures that I had so far. It was a nice experience to see where our water comes from and how much they travel to get to where we are and get to our needs. Using the same tools to identify the properties of the Bronx River and the sanity of it compared to the Ashokan Center water had big difference where the water was cleaner and much safer to drink. One of the things I remember the most is that people first started to settle around the Ashokan Center because of the access to the water and how there were still left overs of sources that show their presence through time. What i will remember the most is that i got to test the water of the Ashokan Center and found organisms that were pollution intolerant which then made me realize that the water in that center is even more cleaner, also that i got to catch some animals living in the streams and how they played an important role in the water’s property.
ReplyDeleteWhat i found interesting in the Esopus Creek compared to the Bronx River water is that the water of the Esopus Creek water had a Ph level of 7 which states better conditions closed to being perfect while the Bronx River had a Ph level of 8 to 9. Although we did not last a long time to test a different hours there is still a difference of how much cleaner the Esopus Creek water is. Just comparing form different types of animals that inhabit in each body of water, you can determine that there are better conditions in the Esopus Creek. Also the view in the difference of water is one of the things that stands out the most, the Bronx River water was green and brown which shows how dirty it is and how unsanitary it is while the Esopus Creek had a much more cleaner and transparent water flowing through the streams. Last there was a major difference in the amount of saturation, while the Esopus Creek had a saturation of 9 and in the Bronx River there was a saturation level of 40 to 49.
The chaperones at the Ashokan Center Were really nice and well informed of what they were doing, if i ever asked a question that either of them did not know they made sure that they told me when they met with another chaperone or just try to make sense of things from what they know. I also always felt safe when we were hiking and i felt like they had control of all the situation when one of the class members were not paying attention. What could had gone better is if we had stay camping for at least one more day!
Visiting the Ashokan Center was a really amazing experience that I experienced because we took a hike and did experiments in the water. I really enjoyed the hike because we get to see how this place has a lot of history because the europeans use to farm their but now it's a source for us to get water. The person that gave us the hike has been living there for about 25 years. This is important because seeing how a person living a different environment can live in a society so different and better and cleaner then ours. A lot of people like living in the city but the fact we can't enjoy nature here because we live in a city and there is houses and buildings and cars that move 24/7. Once we got to the center they showed us how to here different sounds that we can't here in the city by putting our hands in the front and back from our ears. You can't experience this in the city because it's to noisy for us to here these beautiful things. The fact that we are kicking people from there homes is really unfair because it's not their fault they have to be kicked out for us to get our 136 gallons of water a day and don't have to walk miles to get water or worry about our water running out. Thanks to those people we have water every day 24/7 and we are lucky to have this beautiful water system.
ReplyDeleteMy visit to the Ashokan Center was breathtaking and amazing because it was amazing to see where our water comes from because at first I wanted to learn where our water actually came from and then I also wanted to know where the water goes to after I have used it. The highlights of the visit was that I was able to see different types of organisms living in the Esopus Creek for example, I saw frogs, Cactus fly, etc. In addition, another highlight of the visit was the Gorge hiking because it was beautiful to see the water flowing as we were hiking and also seeing a waterfall. What I learned from this visit is that when the snow melts in the spring the water would reach up to where we were standing while we were hiking. Also I learned that there are organisms called Macroinvertebrates and that they are organisms that don’t have a backbone and that they are also indicators of stream health. What I found interesting was that the farmers who used to live in the Ashokan Center would get rocks to make their foods because it would take longer to do but it made the dam/creek get full of human waste and even animal waste everyday. Another thing I found interesting was that the people who once lived in the Ashokan Reservoir had to be moved and the eleven little towns as well because New York wanted to build a reservoir that would provide enough water for everyone who lived in New York City at that time and others who would later on live in New York City.
ReplyDeleteA difference between the conditions of the Bronx river to the ones I observed on the Esopus Creek is that the water in the Bronx river was more dirty and had a color of brown whereas in the Esopus Creek the water was clear meaning that the condition of the stream is healthy because there were a lot of organisms living in the creek that made the stream healthier than the Bronx river. Another difference between the conditions of the Bronx river and the Esopus Creek is that in the Esopus Creek the things that were surrounding the land were dams, houses, cars, trails and trees whereas in the Bronx river the things that were surrounding the river was trains, cars, stores, industry, roads and storm drains pipes.
The guides and chaperones who were in charge of our group at the Ashokan Center did a good job of leading our classes because I remembered the woman who took us on the Gorge hike explained things that happened to the people who used to live right where we were hiking and once our group climbed the steep hill, I was talking to the woman about the farmers that lived near the Esopus Creek and asked her about during what seasons do the beavers come out and she responded saying that the beavers come out every season except winter. The other guide or chaperone did a good job of leading the class as well because he explained what each organism looked like by showing us a chart of all the organisms and also showed us how to catch some of those organisms using a net or we just picked up the rocks from the water to see if there were any organisms living in them and there actually was. There’s nothing that the guides and chaperones had to do to make things more better, they did an excellent job of explaining everything we needed to know in detail. In the end I will never forget the view of the mountains when we visited the Ashokan Reservoir because it was an amazing and beautiful experience to see where we get our water from and how it gets to us all the way in New York City.
What I already know about NYC’s water supply is that its has a good side and a bad side. The reason why I say that is because when it rains really hard not all the water can stay on the floor so it ends up going to the sewer which ends up overloading the sewer. This leads to all the dirty water going into the Hudson River. This is important because us humans need to reduce how much water we use on our daily lives if we start changing our ways of being then in the future we don’t have to pay for things that we didn't mean to do. I also know that the government and other companies are investing in it way too much, to be able to have a stable water supply. Even nature is doing some work for us but we also try our best to save what resources we have. The things or people that are monitoring the water is nature and DEP the reason why I say that water monitors the water is because the water is an important source to us and nature filters the water at times, the DEP really does the science part on making sure that the water is safe to drink. Our water goes through a long process to us to be able to be able to use it. Today in class we spoke about what the DEP tests for in the water and there was many different things that the water was being tested for. There is chlorine in our water which makes insects stop reproducing in order to stop harming the water. The reason why the water goes through such a long process is because the use of water we use today is rapidly changing and the more water we use the more we are harming the water and as well the environment. I keep on asking myself the more water we use where would the water be in a couple of years is it going to be there still as a resource? I keep on looking back at what is happening in Africa and how the women have to go walk 50 miles to get water that's not even clean or filtered and us we just have to turn on the handle and water is coming out. This shows how we are taking so much advantage of our resources and we won’t realize how amazingly important this abiotic factor is to us humans and we won’t realize it until we lose it. Our government have invested so much money on fixing pipes and resources for us to have clean water, but what I don’t understand is why is it so complicated for us to put in effort and try to save half of water we use a day. The more we use the more we are affecting our generations. Yes the watershed is the most important thing that the water goes through because it is helping out our water being clean and useful. But, we have to start planning now on how we are going to be to help out the environment and how we are going to be able to live a sustainable life where we aren't hurting our future.
ReplyDeleteThis trip to the Ashokan Center was very unique because we went away from the city. Being there was very special because we experienced an environment different from the city. Learning about where our water comes from was really important to me. Learning how to use different tools to measure Ph and other things, it was very challenging but at the same time it was a good experience. We caught a crayfish and a frog which was unexpected to us to see these two species. The guide helped us to catch many different species to determine what kind of water the creek has. If we compare the Esopus Creek and the Bronx River, the Esopus Creek has a better water quality than the Bronx River. When we measured the Ph of the creek, we got 7 which is a neutral Ph. For the Bronx River we got a Ph of around 8 which is greater. The water at the Esopus Creek was very clear; you could see the pebbles and organisms. The Bronx River had very turbid water which made it look like it was much polluted. I guess that the reason why the Esopus Creek is cleaner than the Bronx River is that the Esopus creek is located around a suburban area and the Bronx River is on an urban area. The chaperons did a great job, specially the guide that took us hiking. He answered every question we made him. He also made the hike fun because he told us what kind of animals lived there and how was the area used before. We also learned how animals used the creek which was interesting to me. This trip was a good experience because we had the chance to get out of the city for a few hours and enjoyed more nature.
ReplyDeleteI actually believe this subject of where our water comes from and how it gets here is quite interesting. I learned how New York has one of the most safest water sources in the world. I'm actually quite relieved of that since I've questioned myself of where it came from for a long time and if our water supply is actually clean and not filled. Another thing I learned is that if we don,t maintain our water supply as safe as it is right now, we might have to filter it making us waste a lot of money through making more industrial plants to filter the water. Our water supply is actually so clean that we don't even have to filter our water to drink it and due to this fact, I don't think we need to worry about our water getting so dirty that it has to be filtered for a long time. Though its difficult to maintain this clean water supply since we are destroying other natural habitats and humanizing them for our own greater good. Some questions I have is that if we actually do run out of clean water and all of our water becomes contaminated, where would we go for more clean water? Do we have a backup plan?
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Algelis Pastor
My visit to the Bronx River was a very pleasant experience. The goal was to see the Ashokan Reservoir for ourselves and learn more about it and its environment. I do appreciate going on this trip a lot. It was a unique experience especially because I've never gone hiking before.Using the same tools to identify the properties of the Bronx River and the sanity of it compared to the Ashokan Center water had big difference where the water was cleaner and much safer to drink. Something that I'll remember from the trip is the different organisms that live in the streams, in addition how the existence of some organisms indicate how healthy the stream is.
ReplyDeleteWhat i found interesting in the Esopus Creek compared to the Bronx River water is that the water of the Esopus Creek water had a Ph level of 7 which is a better condition closed while the Bronx River had a Ph level of 8 to 9.The Bronx River was surrounded by highway and concrete while the Esopus River was surrounded by just forest. My guide and chaperone did a great job of leading my group they both were unafraid of the insects found in the stream and both aided each other and conveying the best accumulated information possible.
The trip overall was a good experience, i had fun, obtain new experiences that i could go back and remember in the future. One highlight of the Ashokan Reservoir trip was the hike, because as we hiked around the Catskills, my other classmates and i can agree on that as we hiked up, the atmosphere of the nature was better than the atmosphere than in the city with all of the air pollution of the smoke that buildings emit. Furthermore, the waterfalls that we saw was a really good view, the sound was peaceful. Another highlight was the organism hunt, because i found it fun and pleasing how i was like the one mostly going to rocks & flipping them over to see there were any organisms that showed a sign of the water being healthy. What i found interesting about this trip was how the reservoir being monitored by the DEP & how people had to move out of the homes that they lived in so that there could be a healthy water source. I i learned that the water from the Ashokan gradually goes to hudson river. The guide that i had on the hike trip did an excellent job of taking us on the hike, giving us historical content about the ashokan of how people bought the land centuries ago and put their numeral dates on them to show that was their part of the land. Also how beavers made loges from wood that they took down from the trees, & how they are nocturnal, they contact other beavers by slapping their tails in the water.
ReplyDeleteI feel felt like the trip was a very interesting experience i was able to embrace a quick flash back to old memories but most importantly i got to learn where my water comes from something that's been there my entire life and i haven't found out where it comes from but after the trip i know the processes my water takes on a regular basis this is very enlightening. Some of the highlights were just the climbing i enjoyed letting loose and exploring the forest just moving around and looking at the trees the formation of the forest itself and the fresh air a place very interesting. I learn the process our water takes from each point and i saw the reservoir were its all stored up. I will remember the moment i looked out of the reservoir and saw all those mountains and all i had to say was i want to climb all those mountains. The Bronx river and this trip were very different this was way more nature taking its course and creating us a water source by our luck wile the Bronx river was a source that has been abused and very affected by man. The chaperons were actually very nice and i could see the way she walked around she knew a lot about the forest and she was very nice and insisted i be careful and yet encouraged that i explore and see for myself the forest. Nice smart and knowledgeable about what she was talking about ans add experience and our chaperons were great from my view. Can we go as a camping trip it think it would be interesting to have stayed longer and run a few test as well as in the night but that's just an idea. Overall it was a great trip!
ReplyDeletei learned a lot about the water system and what keeps coming back up is that it is "95% gravity fed" this is amazing that means we don't have to do anything all we had to do was trim the system a little and boom we have a system the not only filters the water but it dose this for free we don't pay a single buck for this. So we get this huge system and its all by luck of New York's geography. We also learned a lot about if our water ends up healthy at the end of this system and if it is still healthy when it comes back and from what we have learned i say i will continue my horrible habit of drinking tap water and using it on a daily basis we have this great resource so ill make sure to use it but also save it up and try to sustain this great source we have by use it efficiently.
ReplyDeleteby the way i didn't go on the trip but hope to in the future
DeleteDuring our NYC water supply system unit the thing that has the most impact and which I’ve pondered the most is the filtration of water. While I did know that some of the filters available for commercial and civilian use a variation of coal or charcoal and sand in their filtration systems. I had failed though in connecting that particular piece of knowledge to how nature filtrates water also. Partially due to my background with water being in a pond or river in which many people use it for recreational use I was under the impression that all waterways were filled with dirt and undrinkable. I did know that NYC’s drinking water is one of the best in the country but I was under the impression that this was due to chemicals and other filtration methods.
ReplyDeleteWhile I did know that fluoride is added to our drinking water to help with tooth enamel and chlorine was added to kill bacteria, I believed this was the extent of the water purification process. I learned that depending on the pathogens found in the water the amount of chlorine can be higher or lower and that other processes such as a exposure to ultraviolet light to kill chlorine resistant pathogens. Although if I had thought more about where my water and how it gets to my house this would have been evident but it’s hard to think about what you cannot see. Pathogens are liable to multiple quickly and if only those that survive the chlorine bath survive to reproduce then the chlorine resistant bacteria would surface.
Overall although some of the things we learned in class I couldn't have just connect without the information given, though the logic behind some of the content is easily discernible. The cost of bottled water, NYC has some of the most potable water in the United States, the scarcity and over consumption of water is all common knowledge. Linking these ideas together or thinking of more than one of them at a time is a rare occurrence but if all of these can be put in the mind of the public I’m sure many will understand.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis trip to the Ashokan center is the most memorable trip I have been on in my entire 7 years at WHEELS. I saw things I never thought I would see. For starters I witnessed Mr. Fox rap and I'm pretty sure only the class of 2014 will ever witness that. I saw snapping turtles, hairy caterpillars of different colors, two dragon flies mating as they fly, I even got to see an actual bird house. Before this trip I didn't know that there were insects in the water, so naturally upon arrival I wanted to dunk my head into the water and drink, this did not happen. My classmates and I reached into the water and turned over some rocks and put our nets into the water, in an attempt to see these insects close-up. What we saw can most simply be described as diversity, we saw caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies and hellgrammites. Some groups even found a frog. What I will remember about this trip is the experience I had hiking. I tripped over ever twig, branch, rock and leaf while hiking, some rocks were even called "ankle breakers". While I was busy falling I took a second to just observe the natural beauty the Ashokan center had to offer, from the squirrels gathering nuts to the leaves gently falling onto the surface of the water. Many people don't get to see this in their life time, many people don't even know where their water comes from but they waste over 100 gallons of it a day.
ReplyDeleteWhen compared to the Bronx River there is a clear difference, the Bronx River is no where near as healthy and clean as the Esopus creek. The Esopus creek had at least dozens of different species inhabiting the waters,doing their part and making the water clean. There were times where I could look out into the water and actually see insects swimming around, In the Bronx River if you didn't have a net then you weren't catching anything.However, both the Bronx River and the Esopus creek are safe and healthy to a certain extent, but I would trust the CAT/DEL water over Bronx River water any day of the week.
Our tour guides were the best, they knew the entire center as if they were raised there. They lead us to beautiful water falls that people usually only see in the form of wallpapers on their computer screens; they even made a few funny jokes. Matt didn't stand around and blandly explained the Ashokan center, he got us engaged and took us hiking and took the time to really make sure that we soaked in what was happening around us. Plus he let me hide behind a tree and scare other WHEELS students as they walked by.
The trip to the Ashokan Center was very beautiful, relaxing, interesting, and fun. The highlight of this trip is that I learned where my water comes from and how healthy it is. Before I just took for granted the water I used but now I really care for it and thank those people who work daily on maintaining it clean. One thing I found really interesting is how different kinds of animals live there like beavers, squirrels, deers, bears, etc. Also, what I found interesting is how beavers make their homes only at night and out of sticks. The most that I will remember from this trip is the view of the Ashokan Reservoir and the hike we did because it was my first time hiking.
ReplyDeleteThe Esopus Creek compares to the Bronx River because both have dissolved oxygen that species could survive in and both have a lot of trees in their surroundings. On the other hand the Esopus Creek and the Bronx River have many differences, which are that, the Ashokan Center is not located in the city meanwhile the Bronx River is. Also, the water in the Esopus Creek looks clear meanwhile the water in the Bronx River looks darker, you can’t see through it. Also, even though both places have trees the Esopus Creek has various trees which some provide food for animals meanwhile the Bronx River doesn’t. Finally, in the Esopus Creek there are different sounds and smells than in the Bronx River. In my opinion you feel more peace/serenity in the Esopus Creek. My guides and chaperons at the Ashokan Center did an excellent job leading my classes. They stopped when someone in the group had a question and explained it thoroughly. Also, they told us interesting stories about the animals that live there and did their best to show us the most interesting things around.
New York water system consists of the Catskill and Delaware. New York water is one of the cleanest water in the United States; it’s so clean that it doesn't require filtering. However “development in the city’s upstate watershed areas, as well as the increasingly stormy weather that comes with climate change, is threatening the water’s mythic purity”. All the pollution is threatening New York pride of having such clean water that doesn’t need filtering. The Catskill and Delaware provide 90% of New York water and are the. But with all of the pollution the city “had to increase the amount of chlorine it added by 35 percent”. Humans are not only polluting the water but also by natural conditions like climate change. If water pollution keeps happening New York would have to start filtering their water and they don’t want to do that because it’s a prestigious award shared by only other four major American cities; Boston, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland Oregon. Also because after 165 year of filter-free taps would cause one of New York pride to be shattered if they filter it. If New York has been able to keep the water clean for165 years I think even if they have to start filtering the water they should feel proud because not many countries are able to do that. Also they have the chance to at least have water because there are countries that don’t even have water so losing the 165-year free filtering wouldn’t have to be a big deal because they at least have the water to provide for New York for many years. Even though the water is getting polluted the water flowing now is the best water.
ReplyDeleteI personally had a lot of fun on the trip, because it was the first time I ever been on trip like that. What stood out to me was catching animals when I was in the river and also on the way back home when Mr. Fox and the back of the bus started to have #4barsfriday contest, but I also learned a lot on the trip. Like for example, New York City takes pride in the fact that its water is naturally filtered, I found that very interesting because NYC is such a polluted city because of it cars, trash and etc, so to be told that surprised me so much. Also I was taught by the chaperons how to check for the pH in the water. The creek’s pH was around 6.5 and I was told that was a good number to be around because pH determines whether the waters is acidity or basicity, which then determines what animals can live and thrive. All these things were interesting to me because my classmates learned to do the same thing when they went to the Bronx river and that was a trip i sadly didn't go to, but from what I been told so far from my classmate the Esopus creek was a lot cleaner, clearer and more fun to look at than the Bronx river, because it was away from the city and around more nature and the Bronx river was harmed a lot from pollution
ReplyDeleteIt was amazing, i’ve been to outdoors in the woods but never to a powerful place like the Esopus creek. The Esopus Creek is where the New York City drinking water comes from. My highlight was knowing that the water I drink everyday is healthy and clean without filtering it. I learned that where the Esopus creek is located there was a valley of eight towns. It was necessary to make the Esopus creek in that spot because, it instead save millions of life , by giving people water to drink and to have. I found interesting that there're security guarding the Esopus creek in case of terrorism, because enemies of the United States to kill people in a different way than explosions can throw oil into the drinking water to contaminate it . I would always remember where the New York drinking water comes from. Is very important to know where the water you use everyday comes from, because nobody wouldn't want to just drink water but not know if it's healthy or what?
ReplyDeleteThe conditions of the esopus creek don't Compare to those of the Bronx river. The Bronx river is a an unhealthy, unsanitary habitat, that organism need to be reintroduced because they die out there. The a Esopus creek is a healthy sanitary place where there is a variety of organism that live in the water. It's good that those organism live in the water because it only means that it's infant clean. People might think since we drink that water is unhealthy for there to be body of organism but it's good at the end. The average PH level of the Bronx river was 7.80, while in the Esopus creek the PH level was seven, meaning that it was neutral, neither basic or acidic. It is better that the PH level is neutral than basic or acidic because it can only mean that there're chemicals in the water that can harm the human body once it's been drink. in the quality text we read on the bus it said, “The upstate water is of such good quality, in fact, that the city is not even required to filter it…”. Nobody would ever say something like that about the bronx river in this generation, if the bronx river keeps getting restore maybe then the water can become of good quality not as good as the upstate water but similar. The person that was guiding my group did a great job in all aspects of teaching us about the Esopus creek and about the water system that they have there.
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ReplyDeleteThis trip to the Ashokan center was extremely fun and amazing. I love the fact that I was able to learn about different methods to have a free, run by nature filter. To be able to see where our water comes from is really important to me, do to the fact that it would be wrong to not know myself. I understand where other people from other countries get their water, so I should be able to understand where my water comes from and how does it get all the way over here. I'm glad and fortunate that I was able to see the last piece of nature before winter comes, it was a perfect trip to end October. One of my favorite highlights was when me and my partner was searching for a variety of insects that was all over the beautiful water, under the rocks. It was extremely fun because this activity actually had a purpose, if we was able to find certain types of insecs around the water, it meant that the water is clean. It goes vice versa also because there are some insects that if they where found, it meant that the water isn't that pure. But tha wasn't the case I found lots of organism that were good signs of good water. I enjoy that activity, to add on I loved my environment everything was just so pure and different from the city.
ReplyDeleteThe chaperones were great!, I loved the fact that they were very enganged with us. Always asking questions in order for us to be able to comprehend the environment. They looked like they were having a great time explaning and teaching us. That gave a very welcoming vibe from them. I won't change my chaperones for nothing. They really knew what they were talking about. Whenever I go back (hope it's soon) I loke forward to walk around the side of the water and catch a frog !
-Johnson Brete
This trip was a new experience in which there were no loud noises, there was fresh air in which we don't really have in the city. I think the the most interesting thing was the fact that the Esopus stream had clear water, but people can't be drink from it. Something I will definitely remember will be all the beautiful land views, also the creations that were hand made in order to survive in this area long time ago.
ReplyDeleteBoth the Bronx River and the Esopus creek are different. The Bronx River was dirty it wasn't clear like the Esopus Creek. A reason why this might be possible is because the Bronx River is located in the city while the Esopus is not, in the city there are more probabilities for garbage to end up in the river while in the Esopus there is no garbage thrown near it and it is kept really clean. The Esopus Creek also had plenty of species surviving in the water while the Bronx River has less living things in order to clean it.My chaperone at the Ashokan Center did a very wonderful job by leading my group they explained many things with details. They also talked about the history about the place we were visiting.
The trip to the Ashokan Center was awesome,Some of the things we did in the trip that was fun was catching aquatic species.The aquatic species my group found were crayfish, frogs,and macroinvertebrates species that were pollutant tolerant or non-pollutant.What I will remember the most about the trip is when we when on the hiking trail and learned about a the tree called the shaggy tree that has nuts that animals support on for food, so if I would ever be lost in the woods I would look for nuts around a shaggy tree to live off.The Esopus Creek had the pHof 6.5 which was good enough for multiple aquatic life to live in this ecosystem which is different then the Bronx River that had an average of 7.8 pH and not as many aquatic species then the Esopus Creek.The Esopus creek was fresh water unlike the Bronx River that was brackish water which might explain the difference in pH since they carry different chemicals.Also the different in there in environment might play a role on how contaminate the water might be, in the Bronx River is surround by a city where theres more pollution and dumping unlike the Esopus Creek where it’s in a suburban area and not many people live around it but there is farm that might contain fertilizer might get toxins in the Esopus Creek.The guides and chaperones on the trip of ashokan center were great on explaining how the water travels from the Esopus Creek to the Hudson River then to the Atlantic Ocean.Also they did a good job of answer are questions and telling us their experience living around the Catskill /Delaware mountains which there experience fun and advantageous.
ReplyDelete-Aneurys Gonzalez
The trip to Ashokan center was a great experience and definitely enjoyable. I myself love to be is natural places so I definitely enjoyed it. It was like going out of New York and going into South America into the wilderness. One highlight was going in an actual hike on a super steep hill that if you look down you felt like you would fall. Another highlight was looking back at how people used to survive in this area and finding out how good the water that came from there was. The whole time we were both enjoying ourselves and adding knowledge of New York. For example, we had this one activity where we caught species in the water, and established if the water was safe or not according to the species we caught. I never would’ve guessed anything like this was possible to figure out this way. How interesting could it be to figure out how safe water is by looking at the species that reside on that water? Then on top of all that, we got to see the Catskill reservoir, where we get our water from. Not only that but the reservoir was super big and looked beautiful, it looks like a place where a resort could be. How could water be in the open and look this nice and still be safe? Every part of this trip is unforgettable, but one thing I won’t forget is the waterfall, which probably looks super nice when it rains hard.
ReplyDeleteThe Bronx River is not at all as safe and useful as the water from the Esopus creek, but it’s not necessarily that terrible. First of all the Bronx River was polluted for a very long time and recently has certain ways to have it filtered. The Esopus Creek was always taken care of and nature itself filtered it. Color has nothing to do with the safety of the water, both the Bronx river water and the Esopus creek water look about the same color. But they are not as dirty as they look; they just have a lot of sediments on it. The difference is that in the Esopus creek chemicals are put to make the water healthier for drinking and utilizing it in any other way.
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ReplyDeleteMarty Estrella
ReplyDeleteMr.Fox
Oct 31,2013
Env. Science
New York City’s water, famous for its purity and high quality without the need of any extra filtration is sent to the city through aqueducts connected to immense reservoirs. For New York’s waterway system which delivers water to a population of about 8.3 million people is considered very efficient for the system’s structure. The Ashokan reservoir collects water through watershed which is the way the landscape drains water to one point in the land, this water supply located in the Catskill region but it isn’t the only source of the city’s water since it has a supply both in the Delaware region and the Croton river. This process has no need for electricity or anything else that would make the city grow in expenses, since the only energy it uses it’s taken from gravity. Although the water is not filtered, the water is constantly monitored by the Department of Environmental Protection and to protect the population that receives this water even further four chemical elements are added in minor substances that are far from the City’s legal limits. The substances consist of chlorine which is used to eliminate microorganism and/or microbial contaminants, phosphoric acid and sodium hydroxide for the sake of stopping lead flow, protecting the pipes and raising its Ph levels to neutral states and fluoride to strengthen our teeths, in addition the water is process through ultraviolet lights to neutralize those microbial germs that have become immune to chlorine. This water is deliver to our homes through our faucets and because of its purity the water is healthy enough that it can be drank directly from it, and no harmful germs and microorganism that can cause any dangerous diseases won’t be ingested. This proves New York City’s water system is quite efficient and delivers one of the worlds purest and of highest quality water to its population.