1. 1
My Chehalis Watershed Pledge!

2. 2
A watershed is an area of land (including deserts, cities, and farms) that is drained by
rivers and tributaries to a common waterway like a lake, river, Puget Sound or the
ocean. A watershed is also defined by the plants, animals and people living in the
watershed including their stories and traditions.
The Chehalis Watershed is the one of the largest in Washington State, covering
2,660 square miles. The headwaters are high in the Willapa Hills south of the town of
Pe Ell. Here the mainstem and South Fork Chehalis drain uplands south and west of
Chehalis. For over a hundred miles, the Chehalis River winds its way through the
towns of Centralia, Chehalis, Rochester, Oakville, Elma, and Montesano before
emptying into the Pacific Ocean between the twin cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam.
There are 180 lakes, ponds, streams and reservoirs in the Chehalis Basin Watershed.
Agricultural and urban areas are common throughout the lowland regions of the
Basin. Many people use the Chehalis River and its tributaries for a variety of purposes
including drinking water, irrigation, industry, navigation, commercial and tribal
fishing and recreation.
The basin has a high proportion of forestlands; however, development is
concentrated in areas close to important basin streams and rivers. This can have
negative impacts on both water quality and quantity. The Chehalis Watershed faces
many challenges, threats -- and opportunities.
We are working to learn about, protect and enhance this special
watershed, and we invite you to join us!
Did you know that all of the water around you is connected?
Did you know that we all live in a watershed?
What do you know about watersheds?

3. 3
Each person affects the watershed they
live in with their daily actions. Things
like pollution and over-use of water
threaten the health of a watershed. A
healthy watershed in turn helps ensure
the health of every person, animal, and
plant that lives within it, including you
and your family!
This booklet will help you understand
the watershed you live in and how to
protect it. You’ll learn how water cycles
through the environment, how
different forms of pollution can enter
watersheds, and how to conserve
water.
You’ll also learn what actions YOU can
take to prevent these problems, enjoy
nature, and help keep your watershed
healthy!
INTRODUCTION
1.The Water Cycle
2. Drinking Water
3. Runoff
4. Getting Started
5. Hazards in Your Home
6. Hazards in Your Yard and Garden
7. The Scoop on Poop
8. Car Waste
9. Trash!
10. Lights Out
11. Recreation
12. Get Outside and Get Involved
13. Resources
14. Glossary
15. Sources
16. Watershed Pledge
CONTENTS

4. 4
The water cycle is the endless movement of water through
three states– solid, liquid and gas- around the planet Earth.
Though it has no starting point we'll begin in the oceans,
since that is where most of Earth's water exists. The sun,
which drives the water cycle, heats ocean water which
evaporates as water vapor (a gas) into the air. A relatively
small amount of water also enters the atmosphere when
ice and snow change from solid water to water vapor
through sublimation.
Water is also released into the atmosphere through a process called transpiration,
where liquid water transpires to water vapor through a plant’s leaves. Rising air
currents take the vapor up into the atmosphere where cooler temperatures cause it
to condense into clouds.
I. THE WATER CYCLE
Find these words
in the water cycle
 Evaporation
 Transpiration
 Precipitation
 Condensation
 Runoff
Air currents move
clouds around the
globe, and cloud
particles collide, grow,
and fall out of the sky
as precipitation.
Some precipitation falls
as snow and can
accumulate as ice caps
and glaciers, which can
store frozen water for
thousands of years!

5. 5
Most precipitation falls back into the oceans or onto land as rain or
snow. As the seasons change from winter to spring, snow thaws and
melts.
Rain, snow, snowmelt and any other sources of surface water can
flow over the land as surface runoff. A portion of runoff enters rivers
in valleys in the landscape, with stream flow moving water towards
the oceans. Runoff and groundwater seepage accumulate and are
stored as freshwater in lakes.
Not all runoff flows into rivers, though. Much of it percolates into the
ground and replenishes aquifers. An aquifer is a layer of permeable rock, sand, or gravel that
stores and holds water.
Pipes are drilled into groundwater to supply wells with water for drinking. Groundwater, under
pressure, also finds openings in the land surface and emerges as freshwater springs. Some
groundwater stays close to the land surface and can seep back into and recharge surface-water
bodies (and the ocean).
Yet more groundwater is
absorbed by plant roots through a
process called absorption. Over
time all of this water keeps
moving, some to reenter the
ocean, where the water cycle
"begins again"!
I. THE WATER CYCLE
Find these words
in the water cycle
 Bedrock
 Vapor
 Aquifers
 Precipitation
 Groundwater
precipitation
aquifer

6. 6
I. THE WATER CYCLE
Play the Blue Traveler Game!
Out of all of the water on
Earth, 97% is saltwater, 2%
is glacial ice — and less
than 1% is drinkable
groundwater
Go to:
www.discoverwater.
org/water-cycle/
and learn more about
the water cycle!

7. 7
The water around you is truly
ancient, even as it is renewed
through the water cycle. In fact, the
water you drink today may have
been a drink for a dinosaur, 200
million years ago! (EPA).
2. DRINKING WATER
Much more fresh
water is stored
under the ground in
aquifers than on the
earth’s surface.
Water dissolves
more substances
than any other
liquid. Wherever it
travels, water carries
chemicals, minerals,
and nutrients with it.
The total amount of
water on the earth is
about 326 million
cubic miles of water.
Callout Jokes:
“What did one tide pool say to the other?” Show me
your mussels!
“What did the beach say to the tide?” Long tide, no sea.
“Why did the kid dump a bucket of water off the school
roof?” He wanted to make a big splash in front of his
class.

8. 8
Water that falls onto a forest, prairies, or meadow is absorbed or
soaked up by the plants and soil. Surfaces that absorb water are called
pervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, paved
roads, parking lots, and roof tops prevent runoff from naturally soaking
into the ground.
“Polluted runoff" is created when rain, snowmelt, irrigation water, and
other water sources run over the land, picking up pollutants like
pesticides, fertilizers, leaking car fluids, animal wastes, and transporting
them to local water bodies. This water is discharged untreated into
water bodies we use for swimming, fishing and providing drinking
water.
Nonpoint source pollution occurs when there are many sources of pollution and cannot be easily
identified, while point source pollution has a single, identifiable source. Nonpoint source
pollution is also called "people pollution" because much of it is the result of activities that people
do everyday. With each rainfall, pollutants are washed from impervious surfaces and land areas
into ditches and storm drains that flow into our nearby waterways. Nonpoint source pollution is
the biggest threat to our creeks, lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries and oceans.
3. RUNOFF
“In 2011, one quarter
of our monitored
beaches [in Puget
Sound] were unsafe
for swimming because
they failed to meet
water quality
standard”
Can you find
these words?
 Nonpoint Source
Pollution
 People Pollution
 Pervious
 Polluted Runoff

9. 9
The good news is that we can all help prevent "people pollution"! Simple
lifestyle changes can make a tremendous difference in the quality of our water
and air resources.
Here are a few simple changes we can all make to help minimize nonpoint
source pollution in the environment.
To help keep water clean, I promise to:
4. GETTING STARTED
B- Never pour harmful
chemical or materials onto
the ground, or into a
storm drain.
C- Plant native plants, or a
rain garden, to help absorb
water and limit runoff.
A– Recycle what I can and
dispose of trash correctly.
“Pack it in, pack it out”
D- (Write your own!)
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________

10. 10
4. GETTING STARTED
Rain gardens can help filter runoff! Rain
gardens are made up of special soil mix and native,
drought and insect/disease resistant plants. The
soil and plants work together to mimic a native
forest by collecting, absorbing, and filtering water
that would otherwise become runoff.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) rain gardens can effectively remove
up to 97% of the copper from roof shingles, oil, grease and the soil!
Create a rain garden at your home, or your school, and have an impact on the
amount of polluted runoff entering local waters!
Polluted runoff is the
number one source of
toxins entering
Puget Sound.
Students at Oakville Middle/High
School created a rain garden at
their school!

11. 11
Are There Hazardous Materials in your home?
Household hazardous materials (HHM) contain ingredients that could be
harmful to human health or the environment. Hazards such as cleaning
products, paints, and glues are used at home every day by people like you and
me.
If they are not used properly, they can be harmful to people and pets.
If they are not disposed of properly, these materials become household
hazardous waste and they can get into our drinking water, rivers, creeks and
Puget Sound and the ocean!
5. HAZARDS IN THE HOME

12. 12
5. HAZARDS IN THE HOME
Improper disposal of hazardous products can cause chemical
burns, or poisoning of people, drinking water, plants and
animals, and in some cases, can even cause explosions!

13. 13
Here are some common household products that are hazardous, and important to dispose of
properly: batteries, old electronics, cleaning products, and oil-based paints.
Follow this link to learn about where you can dispose of hazardous items in your community:
apps.ecy.wa.gov/hwsd/default.htm
For home care, I promise to:
5. HAZARDS IN THE HOME
B- Dispose of toxic products
at household hazardous
waste drop points
See 13.Resource Page for links
to more information
C- Make a product out of safe
ingredients that can be used
instead of a hazardous product.
Visit www.ecy.wa.gov/
toxicfreetips to make your own
A– Read the label on
household products and talk to
parents about using safer
alternatives. If I must use them,
I will follow the instructions
with care.
D- (Write your own!)
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________

14. 14
Products used in yards and gardens can be hazardous, too. Pesticides used to kill
bugs and herbicides used to kill weeds often contain hazardous chemicals that are
poisonous to plants, helpful bugs (such as local bees) and people. If used on the
lawn or garden when it rains, they may be washed into local waters and harm the
environment.
A healthy lawn only needs about an inch of water per week. If your lawn or garden
receives more water than it needs each week through rain or over-watering, prod-
ucts such as fertilizers, bug and weed killers can run off into nearby ditches, rivers
and creeks.
Create a simple water gage by setting an empty tuna or cat food can onto the lawn.
Check it often when watering to know when the inch of water has been met. If you
reach an inch in one week from rain, there is no need to water that week!
With an adult, follow the link below to the Control of Toxic Chemicals in Puget
Sound (www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/toxicchemicals/effects.html)
Kari Winsor, with students from Komachin MS at
Blue Earth Farm, a small farm in Chehalis
6. HAZARDS IN YOUR YARD AND GARDEN
Use a weed puller to get rid of weeds!

15. 15
B- Use compost and organic
fertilizers instead of quick-
release fertilizers.
C- Plant native trees and plants
because they are resistant to
diseases and insects.
A– Pull weeds by hand, or
with a tool, or use a safer
substitute like water and white
vinegar.
D- Make a water gauge to
keep track of how much water
the lawn gets from the
sprinkler/rain each week, to
only water one inch per week.
E- Write your own!
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Create your own soil amendment!
Follow this link to learn how to start
your own compost! www2.epa.gov/
recycle/composting-home
To help keep water clean, I promise to:
Here are a few simple changes we can
all make to help prevent pollution from
yards and gardens!
6. HAZARDS IN YOUR YARD AND GARDEN

16. 16
7. THE SCOOP ON POOP
Based on 2007 census dogs
generate approximately 6 TONS
OF FECES PER DAY in Thurston
County (that’s the weight of a full
size Killer Whale!).
A single gram of dog waste
(the weight of a business card)
contains an average of 23 million
fecal coliform bacteria.
Bacteria in pet waste creates a
health risk to people in parks
and yards, especially children
who often play in the grass.
Waste from dogs and humans contains more
fecal coliform bacteria per gram than cows,
horses and other wildlife. On average, a dog
will produce over 7 billion
fecal coliform bacteria!

17. 17
7. THE SCOOP ON POOP
For Pets, I promise to:
B -- Carry an extra pet waste
bag to offer to a friend who
forgets one.
C-- Have my cat use a litter box
instead of going outside, and
clean the litter box so they keep
using it, and dispose of the dirty
litter in the garbage.
A – Scoop the poop, bag it,
and place it in the trash. Don’t
forget to wash your hands!
F -- Write your own!
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
E - Collect, cover and compost
manure from cows, horses,
goats and other livestock.
D – Keep livestock and other animals
away from the edges of bodies of water;
where they could hurt important native
plants. And do NOT feed or allow your
pets to chase wildlife.
For Livestock, I promise to:

18. 18
8. CAR WASTE
Don’t Let the Family Car Drip!
How to see if your family car is leaking fluids:
First place a large piece of paper or cardboard under-
neath the engine of your family car. (Tip: Pick a night
without rain or wind.) Hold the edges of the paper
with something heavy. Leave the cardboard under
your car overnight, or for at least 6 hours. In the
morning, remove the paper and see if there are any
leaks. If your vehicle did not have a leak – that's
terrific. Continue to maintain it and watch for leaks.
Periodically, do the "paper test".
If your vehicle has a leak, Talk to your parents about
taking the car and the paper to an auto repair shop
to repair the leak as soon as possible. If you cannot
get the leak repaired right away, put paper,
cardboard, or a drip pan under the leak while your
vehicle is parked, until you can get the leak repaired.
For spills and leaks: Cover with an absorbent
material, such as soil or kitty litter, sweep it up and
put it in the trash.
A lot of pollution can come from
vehicles. Cars often leak fluids,
which can be washed into local
waters by runoff. Leaks in
driveways or garages may also
end up in the water, and can be
poisonous to pets and people. A
car’s exhaust contains chemicals
and small bits of metal and soot
that are released into the air, or
left on the road where they can
be picked up by runoff.
Vehicles are important to people, but
we must use and manage them
carefully. What can you do? Get
physical! 40% of all car trips are for
distances less than 2 miles. Walk,
bike, or skateboard to school, the
store or your friends house when you
can. Physical activity is important for
your overall health, and using a car
less often means less pollution. You
can also taking the bus or carpool to
reduce pollution!

19. 19
Create no idle zones.
Idling is when a car is left in park, with the engine on. For every ten minutes
that a car is idling, it releases a pound of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere!
Turning the engine off while a car is parked saves gas and money, and
prevents pollution. You could talk to your teacher or principal about putting
up “No Idle-Zone” signs in the student pick-up and drop-off area at your
school!
8. CAR WASTE
Follow this link to a video on
car washes by the Puget Sound
Car Wash Association:
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=FBSpHZz9f0Q

20. 20
To reduce pollution from vehicles, I promise to:
F- Write your own!
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
D– Encourage my family to
take the car to a commercial
car wash, where the water is
cleaned and recycled on site,
and the grime is sent to a
wastewater treatment plant.
C- Check to see if our family
car has a leak and letting my
parents know about the leak.
B- Ask my teacher or principal
about putting “No Idle Zone”
signs in the pick-up/drop-off
area.
A– Reduce the amount of cars
on the road by carpooling,
taking the bus, walking, riding a
bike, skateboard, or some
other form of transportation.
8. CAR WASTE
E– If I wash the car at home, I’ll
use a non phosphate soap and
wash it over the lawn or
gravelly area (not over a
drinking area or septic system )
so the wash water can soak into
the ground. I’ll save water by
using a bucket and a hose with
a spray nozzle.

21. 21
9. TRASH
Each year, Americans generate millions of pounds
of garbage. In 2011, Washingtonians generated an
average of 13.1 pounds of trash per day, with 6.8
pounds diverted through recycling and composting.
In many cities in Western Washington, our landfills
are filled to capacity, capped and closed. Much of
the garbage that we produce locally is now trucked
and then sent by train to landfills in Eastern
Washington.
We can conserve valuable resources, save energy,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harm-
ful pollutants, conserve landfill space and create
jobs by reducing the amount of garbage we
produce.
Simple things we can do:
 Buy more durable goods, (did you know that
more than 97% of what we buy lasts less than 6
months?)
 Reuse things! Upcycle and recycle items around
your house by giving them a new use and pur-
pose.
 Donate items you are done with but might be
useful to someone else.
 At www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM)
you can watch a video about the stuff we buy
and its affects on the world.
Watch this video about an island in the Pacific Ocean that is being affected by
large and micro-plastics: vimeo.com/8177268
Plastics in the sea! Plastics
and other forms of
garbage are swept into
local waters and can be
carried on currents far out
into the ocean.
Currents from all over the
world meet in the ocean,
and the litter they carry
collects to form garbage
patches as big as a
continent.
The Great Pacific garbage
patch was predicted in
1988 and discovered in
1997. Another garbage
patch exists in the Atlantic
Ocean!

22. 22
A surprising source of plastics in our waterways comes from household products
used and flushed down the drain. From micro beads in body care products washed
down the shower drain to tiny bits of synthetic fabric such as fleece discharged with
washing machine water. All these household products contribute to the problem.
Sewage treatment plants screen out larger plastic items that get into the sewage
waste stream, but microplastics pass right through. You can help eliminate this
source by checking the products you buy. Avoid anything with microbeads and
choose products with a minimal use of plastic packaging. Check out Plastics and
Water — A dangerous mix for aquatic life: streamteam.info/pdf/current.pdf
9. TRASH
Learn more at www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup/10-things-you-can-do.html

23. 23
9. TRASH
H- Write your own!
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
B- Buy things with my
spending money that will
last me a long time, and
that use less packaging
or are made of recycled
materials.
E- “Pack it in” and “
pack it out”
C- Recycle and compost
what I can, rather than
throwing it away in the
trash.
A– Use my own
reusable shopping bag,
instead of taking plastic
or paper ones from the
store.
F- Follow Ten Tips for
trash free seas
D–Organize a dumpster-
dive at my school, so that
everyone can learn how
many things are being
thrown away that could
have been recycled or
composted instead.
G- Encourage your
school to participate in
Food 2 Flowers (in
Thurston County) or
other compost/recycling
program!
For reducing my waste, I promise to:

24. 24
Power Down and Lights Out
Most of the energy you use at home
and at school comes from burning
fossil fuels. In Washington State 50% of
energy used is from non-renewable
sources including coal, oil and natural
gas. Using less energy means burning
fewer fossil fuels and putting less car-
bon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Washington state produces lots of electricity from water—hydropower. It is
considered renewable, but it still comes at a cost. For example, hydropower is
considered renewable because it uses the Earth's water cycle to generate
electricity. The movement of water as it flows downstream creates kinetic en-
ergy that can be converted into electricity. A hydroelectric power plant con-
verts this energy into electricity by forcing water, often held at a dam, through
a hydraulic turbine that is connected to a generator.
The water exits the turbine and is returned to a stream or riverbed below the
dam. However, dams have a large impact on the natural river systems and to
plants, fish, and other wildlife.
Hydropower is one of the four H’s when
considering the problems resulting in the
decline of native salmon runs (the other H’s
are: loss of habitat, hatcheries and over -
harvest.)
Four thousand gallons of water will
produce one kilowatt-hour of
hydroelectric power which equates
to ten “100 watt” light bulbs or one
hour of using a space heater!
10. LIGHTS OUT
Mike Town, high school teacher, Cool School
Challenge Program creator. To learn how to join
the program check out: www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools
-USA/Become-an-Eco-School.aspx (Also found
on the 13. ResourcesPage)

25. 25
8. TRASH!10. LIGHTS OUT
F. Write your own! -
________________________________________________
C- I’ll do the math. An energy
audit will help me calculate how
much energy my family uses at
home and identify ways to
reduce your energy use.
www.epa.gov/climatestudents/
solutions/actions/less-
energy.html
D– I’ll look for the ENERGY
STAR label. Energy–efficient
appliances and electronics use
between 10 and 50 % less
energy than regular models.
When I’m shopping for a
computer, DVD player, or other
electronic device, I’ll look for
products that display the
Energy Star label.
B- Power down. Did you know that
some appliances and electronics
plugged into an outlet still use
power, even when they're turned
off? Unplug “energy vampires” like
video game consoles, cell phone
chargers and MP3 players whenever
I can. Or I may buy a “smart” power
strip, which automatically cuts off
power when I you turn off an
appliance.
A– Turn off the
lights when I leave a
room.
E– I will involve my school and
classmates in the Cool School
Challenge (CSC) Program. The
CSC engages students and
teachers in practical strategies
to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2)
and other greenhouse gas
emissions school-wide.
For reducing my energy use, I promise to:

26. 26
The rivers and streams in your watershed are
popular with anglers, boaters, tubers, hikers,
and other recreational users. While you're out
enjoying your local creek or river, please
remember that there may be fish spawning or
rearing in the same creek or river. Here are
ways to keep salmon and your watershed
healthy.
Fishing and Hunting:
If you like to ride your ATV or dirt bike in the
woods, those shallow gravel beds that look like
the perfect place to cross a stream are also the
perfect place for fish to spawn. It's especially
important to leave gravel beds alone from May
through February, when adult fish are spawn-
ing and eggs are incubating. Please use bridges
whenever possible.
Salmon return to
Washington rivers and
creeks to spawn each year.
They have important work
to take care of– laying eggs
will insure the future of
their species!
When visiting a stream with
spawning salmon, make
sure to give them space.
Salmon see you as a
predator and will use up
their own precious
resources trying to swim
away. Also, try not walk in
the creek where you may
trample fragile fish eggs.
List of salmon viewing
areas:
 Schafer State Park near
Elma
 Kennedy Creek Salmon
Trail (http://spsseg.org/
kcst/)
 Tumwater Falls, McLane
Nature Trail or the 4th
Ave. Bridge in downtown
Olympia
11. RECREATION
Artwork courtesy of Jessie Moyers, WDFW AmeriCorps Volunteer

27. 27
Invasive plants are not native to western Washington, but aggressively out-compete
native plants for resources such as sun, water, and mineral nutrients. Many of these
plants have adaptations that allow them to “hitchhike” from one area to another on
your clothes, hunting and fishing equipment, or even your dog’s fur and paws! Make
sure to inspect your gear for these unwanted plant and animal “hitchhikers” and
clean thoroughly by submerging your boots and waders in hot water (140 C) for five
minutes OR freezing your gear for at least eight hours.
The New Zealand Mud Snail is a tiny “hitchhiker” that has been found in several
areas around western Washington, including Capitol Lake in Olympia. They quickly
reproduce by cloning themselves, and just one female mud snail can create a colony
of 40 million in one year!
For more information on the New Zealand Mud Snail and other aquatic invasive species visit
http://wdfw.wa.gov/ais
11. RECREATION

28. 28
When I go outside for recreation I promise to:
B -- Not litter in or near water,
or anywhere!
“Pack it in! Pack it out!”
C-- Not ride my motorized
vehicle in a riparian zone-- the
area around a body of water.
A –Follow fishing and hunting
regulations developed by the
Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife.
F -- Write your own!
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
E - Clean my boots and other
equipment thoroughly using
hot water or by freezing
D – Stay on trails while I am
enjoying nature areas in the
watershed.
11. RECREATION

29. 29
Want to learn more?
Check out the
Children and
Nature Network at:
www.childrenandna
ture.org
Also check out:
www.visitolympia.
com/direct-sale-
farms for a listing of
farms in the area
that you can buy
directly from!
12. GET OUTSIDE AND GET INVOLVED
Children who play together in nature are less likely to take part in
bullying behavior and instead more collaborative skills and will
demonstrate respect for others. Time outside also improves
In a recent study from Japan, it has been shown that trees give off
chemical compounds called phytoncides that naturally boost our
immunity and enhance how we feel overall. Pretty cool huh?
Even a 20-minute walk outside in nature can help with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so kids can concentrate better! Students
that are exposed to nature also score higher test score in math, reading
and writing than their non-nature exposed peers!
Children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to be overweight
by 27% -41%. Today, medical doctors even prescribe time outside to get
kids healthier!
Did you know that being active in nature can make you
happier, healthier, kinder and smarter? Ever catch a cold or the
flu? Even kids feel stress, right? According to studies by Dr.
Michelfelder, Loyola School of Medicine, Chicago, (and
others), being in nature improves ones’ immunity to fight off
colds, makes you less likely to have asthma or be near-sighted!
Spending time outside can also reduce anxiety and stress levels
by as much as 28% in children!
Get outside and discover where your food comes from! Visit
one of our region’s farmers markets (Centralia, Chehalis,
Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater) or one of our many local farms!
Below are other ways time outdoors is good for your health!

30. 30
There are so many natural places calling for you and your
family to explore! Take a look at the Chehalis outdoor
recreational activity map: www.esd113.org/Page/111
B. Join my local Stream Team or land trust and help improve
local creeks, streams and river!
A. Get outdoors in my own neighborhood!
C. Take my family and friends out to enjoy our amazing parks,
lakes, rivers, streams and natural trails!
E. (Write Your Own!)
___________________________________________________
Want to learn more?
 Check out the Children
and Nature Network at:
childrenandnature.org
 Check out South Sound
Watersheds at: http://
www.esd113.org/cms/
lib3/WA01001093/
Centricity/Domain/17/
NatureJournalingforK-
idsBooklet.pdf
 Check out the
International River of
Words and Poetry
Contest at:
www.stmarys-ca.edu/
center-for-environmental
-literacy/river-of-words
To get outside and get involved, I pledge to:
12. GET OUTSIDE AND GET INVOLVED
D. Enter a nature drawing or poem in the River of Words
International Art and Poetry Contest!

31. 31
Grays Harbor County
 Grays Harbor Conservation District (360) 249-5980
 Grays Harbor PUD (360) 532-4220
 Grays Harbor Recycling Information (360) 249-4222
www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/info/pub_svcs/Recycle/index.htm
 WSU Grays Harbor Noxious Weeds (360) 482-2265
graysharbor.wsu.edu/weeds
 Household Hazardous Waste Drop off: 4201 Olympic Hwy (360) 538-7080
Every Wed. and 1st Sat.
 For Grays Harbor Stream Team, please contact Jane Atha at Jane Atha, Ph.D.,
Watershed Coordinator/Chehalis Basin Partnership and Grays Harbor;
Mobile: 512-297-8743; Email: jatha@centralia.edu
Lewis County
 Lewis County Recycling Information (360) 740-1451
www.co.lewis.wa.us/communitydevelopment/SWU/ts-recyc.html
 Household Hazardous Waste Drop off: 1411 S. Tower Ave. (360) 740-1221
(April–Oct: Every Sat., Nov-March: 1st Sat. only)
 Lewis County Conservation District (360) 748-0083
 Lewis County PUD (360) 748-9261
 Centralia Stream Team, please contact: Kim Ashmore, City of Centralia at
kashmore@cityofcentralia.com.
13. RESOURCES
Artwork by Jessie Moyers

32. 32
13. RESOURCES
Volunteering in the
outdoors is a great way to get
outside and give back to your
community!
Thurston County
 Thurston County Environmental Health—
360-867-2500 (TDD 1-800-658-6384)
 Thurston Conservation District–
360-754-3588
 LOTT Wastewater Treatment Plant-
360) 664-2333
 Thurston County Solid Waste-
360-867-2491
 Thurston County Household Hazardous
Waste Drop Off-(360) 867-2912 or email
ThurstonSolidWaste@co.thurston.wa.us.
 Thurston County Water Resources
www.co.thurston.wa.us/waterresources
 Stream Team (serving Olympia, Lacey,
Tumwater and Thurston County)
www.streamteam.info/
 Capitol Land Trust (360) 943-3012 or
capitollandtrust.org
 Nisqually Land Trust (360) 489-3400 or
nisquallylandtrust.org
 Chehalis Land Trust 360-807-0764 or
chehalislandtrust.org
 Nisqually Stream Stewards 360-438-8687
x2143
 Nature Deficit Disorder: Miranda
Anderson at TedxKids@BC Youtube:
http://youtu.be/OVdHgmFacfU

33. 33
14. GLOSSARY
 Condensation: Warm air carries moisture (water vapor) upward in
the atmosphere, where it cools and forms clouds.
 Evaporation: A body of water sheds moisture into the atmosphere.
 Infiltration: Water enters soil, and becomes groundwater.
 Impervious: any hard surface that prevents the flow of water into
the soil
 Pervious: a type of surface that water can soak through.
 Precipitation: Water stored in clouds falls to Earth as rain, or snow,
or sleet.
 Runoff: Water travels across soil that is too wet to absorb it (soak it
up) and makes its way to a body of water.
 Transpiration: Plants draw groundwater up from the Earth, and
shed moisture into the atmosphere.
 Watershed: an area of land where all the water drains to a common
waterway such as a lake, river, or ocean.
What words do you think should be added to this glossary list?

34. 34
Page 2
 www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html Interactive web based
water cycle
Page 4
 Coho study facts—http://www.cityofcentralia.com/Page.asp?NavID=134
Page 7
 (Surf the web at cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm to find out what watershed
you live in.)
 www.allaboutwater.org/water-facts.html)
Page 8
 www.psp.wa.gov/vitalsigns/swimming_beaches.php)
Page 10
 streamteam.info/pdf/current.pdf.
 mudsnails.com
 www.streamteam.info/getinvolved/learn/salmonviewing/
Page 13
 fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/0904017.pdf
Page 15
 mynorthwest.com/?nid=189&sid=683716
Page 17
 www.clearchoicescleanwater.org/pets/pet-poo-impacts/
Page 24
 www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/hydro.html
Page 25
 www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools-USA/Become-an-Eco-School.aspx
Page 30
Nisqually Watershed Information: nisquallyriver.org/nisqually-river-education-project/nrep-resource-
page/
15. SOURCES USED (PARTIAL LIST)

35. 35
Chehalis Watershed Pledge Card
Thank you for everything you’re already doing to protect the Chehalis
watershed! To keep the watershed healthy and improve some areas that
have challenges now, we can all do a little more.
Please check √ the activities you are currently practicing and circle the
new activities you would like to adopt (corresponding pledge list is
below). The numbers will show you which section to find which activities
in the booklet.
Fill out and return this card by May 30th to your CBEC Teacher.
Your name will be entered into a drawing for a prize such as a reusable
water bottle, lunch bag, or another cool sustainable prize!
4 - Getting Started A B C D
5 - Hazards in the Home: A B C D
6 - Hazards in the Yard and Garden: A B C D E
7 - Scoop That Poop: A B C D E F
8 - Car Waste: A B C D E F
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________
School Teacher: ___________________________________________________________________
School Address: ___________________________________________________________________
School Phone Number: _________________________________________________
9 - Trash: A B C D E F G
10 - Power Down and Lights Out: A B C D E
11 - Recreation: A B C D E
12 - Get Outside and Get Involved: A B C D E
CutHereCutHereCutHere
16. CHEHALIS WATERSHED PLEDGE

36. 36
Did you know that Seattle was named after Chief Seattle (Seathl),
the Duwamish tribal Chief? Legend states that Chief Seattle once said,
“All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth
befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life;
he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web,
he does to himself.”
Photo Courtesy of: digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/loc/id/2062/rec/15
This booklet was created in partnership with the Chehalis Basin
Education Consortium, Capital Region Educational Service District 113,
(CRESD 113), the Nisqually River Education Project, Nisqually River
Foundation, and South Sound GREEN Thurston Conservation
District. Funding for the Chehalis Watershed pledge version of this booklet
was provided by CRESD 113 and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.