Everyday activities within watersheds can impact water resources and may affect the surrounding community's well being and economic livelihood. We report on the development of a model that combines undergraduate research with community outreach and that emphasizes watershed management through university and community involvement. In this “Adopt a Watershed” model undergraduates, K-12 students, and community members study the impact of anthropogenic alteration of watershed health and stability by becoming aware of the watershed's evolution from its geologic beginnings to the present. Our model calls for a watershed to first be studied by an undergraduate researcher, who maps the watershed, interprets its stratigraphy, monitors the water quality, and identifies point and nonpoint sources of pollution. Once this information is compiled, the data is used to formulate an environmental management plan for the watershed. The undergraduate researcher then creates an educational packet that guides K-12 students and parents through the ‘adoption’ process. Here they learn the fundamentals of watershed management through a series of activities taught by undergraduates.

Over the course of the past year, we piloted this program and adopted the nearby Holes Creek Watershed. We mapped the watershed, interpreted its bedrock and surficial stratigraphy, identified point and nonpoint sources, and monitored its water quality. Project milestones to date have included: the development of talking tours of the watershed, creation of a cooperative partnership between the University of Dayton and the local community, construction of an watershed education station, and the completion of an environmental management plan. The partnership has placed undergraduate geoscience majors in direct contact with K-12 students, community leaders, and home owners, and has helped to foster an understanding of the role of the geosciences in watershed management.