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Your Watershed

Before you can set out on a Quest to help the Hackensack River, you need to know what you are dealing with. The WATERSHED of a water body, in this case, the Hackensack River, is the land that surrounds and drains into that water body. So what happens on that land will have a direct effect on the health of the water.

Who and what uses the water in your watershed?

Use the Hudson County Counts - Census/ GIS maps to find out who lives in this community.

Start at the 2020 Census maps, and use the Municipal level population map to see how many people live in each area of Hudson county.

Hudson County Counts

Questions to Consider

Which municipalities had the highest growth rate over the last 10 years?
Which municipalities had the lowest growth rate over the last 10 years?
What factors might contribute to these growth rates?

Next, find the “hard to count population maps”

Some populations have been missed or more difficult to capture in census reports.

Explore at least three of the maps included in the state census "Harder to Count" data sets.

Explore Maps

Questions to Consider

What patterns do you see?
What are possible connections between these 'harder to count' communities and population growth rates in the last 10 years?
What questions do you have? What else would you like to know?

What kinds of plants and animals live in your watershed?

Make a list of all the plants and animals you are aware of in your local area. Don’t forget the ones that live in the water!
Compare your list with your classmates' lists to make a class list.

Questions to Consider

Do you know the names of specific birds, fish, reptiles, or plants? How would you find out their common or scientific name so you could research them more?
Do you think there are species of plants and animals that used to live here but don't live here anymore? If yes, what do you think changed?

What kinds of things are transported and deposited by the water in your watershed?

To understand the quality of water, waterways are monitored for physical, chemical, and biological factors. The results are assessed against EPA approved water quality standards or thresholds. Water that does not meet these standards can be classified as different levels of impaired, meaning it can not be used for certain purposes like swimming, drinking, fishing, etc.

Use the button below to explore your community waterway.

Input your zip code or the zip code of your school
Explore the map by moving through the menu on the right side of the screen starting with the overview.
Explore a different zip code for comparison

How's My Watershed?

Questions to Consider

Are any of the areas in my waterway impaired for any of the following uses?
- Eating Fish
- Aquatic Life
- Drinking Water
- Swimming
What are pollutants in my waterways?
- Identified Issues?

Who is responsible for the quality of my water?

Brainstorm all the possible answers to this question, then watch the videos linked below. Then take a look at your list and make any changes if necessary.

Questions to Consider

What voices or perspectives might be missing? How could we hear from them?
Who is responsible for the water upstream from me?
Who is responsible for the water downstream from me?
Who has authority over the use and protection of water?
What happens when one or more members of the public pollute the water?

What You've Learned

Make a chart in your notebook - KWD:

What do I already KNOW about the Hackensack River Watershed and the waterways within it? Include past learning and new learning here.
What do I still WANT to find out so I can better understand the problems facing the Hackensack River Watershed? What new or existing questions do you have?
What could I DO about the problems I discover? Write down ANY idea that comes to you - nothing is too big or too small at this point.

For each section write as much as you can. Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers - this is YOUR chart to keep up with YOUR learning.

It's time to uncover the answers to your questions

let's go