Marcel's Sad Story
Imagine Bayou St. John as it meanders through the
countryside, past the fields, narrowing as it goes through the city,
connecting the lake to the river. In the bayou lives a fish.
His name is Marcel. (Point to the fish in the clear water in the jar.)
How does it feel to be Marcel?
Marcel swims down the bayou past an eroding
bank. When it rains what will happen to the
bank? What if it rains a great deal? (Put soil
into the water.) How does it feel to be Marcel?
Suppose part of the soil eroding into the
water came from some farmland. The farmer
has just put fertilizer on the field. Instead of
staying on the field and helping the crops, the
fertilizer rides "piggy-back" on the eroding
soil and goes into the bayou. What effect will
the fertilizer have on the plants in the bayou? If
the plants grow too abundantly and too fast
the bayou can't continually support them and
supply the necessary nutrients. They die, fall
to the bottom, and start to decompose.
Decomposing things use oxygen. What else
in the bayou needs oxygen? How does it feel
to be Marcel?
Farm fields aren't the only source of fertilizer
in a bayou . Homes may also be a source.
Where the bayou is connected to the lake
several families have built their homes.
Perhaps their septic tanks drain into the
water or some of the fertilizers they've put on
their lawns has washed into the water.
How would this make Marcel feel?
As the bayou narrows near the city, our friend
Marcel continues to swim.
Even though the city people don't pollute the
water directly, what they do at their own
homes or subdivisions can affect the quality
of the bayou's water. Have you ever seen a
car leaking oil? Where does the rain wash
this oil? (Put pancake syrup, representing oil,
into the jar.) How does it feel to be Marcel?
Suppose the city has a park next to the bayou.
People litter in the park and some of it blows
into the water. (Put pieces of paper into the
jar.) How does it feel to be Marcel?
As the bayou leaves the city there are several
refineries located along it. Although the
regulations are strict, they are still
dumping some chemicals into the water.(Put detergent
and hot water into the water.) How does it
feel to be Marcel?
The waste water treatment plant for the city
is also located along this section of the bayou.
Rules aren't quite as strict as they are for
factories and the treatment facilities
aren't as thorough as they could be. The
plant does its best but still has to put some
polluted water into the bayou. The bayou has a
large volume of water though and the plant
only puts a small amount of pollution into it.
It shouldn't cause too much of a problem.
Right? It would be like putting 2 drops of
this food coloring into this jar of water. (Stir
it.) How does it feel to be Marcel?
The End (of a sad fish story.)
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