Water Quality Fair at Salt Lake City’s Hogle Zoo

School kids learn about watersheds and clean water

Tracie Kirkham

May 26, 2006

Left to Right: Tracie Kirkham, Laura Haskell     and Vanessa Welsh pose for picture during the Water Quality Fair held at Hogle Zoo.
          Children by the bus loads arrived at Salt Lake City’s Hogle Zoo to learn almost everything about WATER! Salt Lake County Stormwater Coalition hosted the 1st Annual Water Fair at Hogle Zoo on May 10, 2006.  Water quality was the primary focus for water fair, but there were many other useful water education tips.

          Over 1,700 fourth graders from local school districts learned about the water cycle, water quality, stewardship regarding their storm drains, and drinking water protection.  Fourteen booths were stationed throughout the east-west corridor of the zoo.  Sandy City prepared a great hands-on activity of the water cycle. Salt Lake City’s Randy Peterson cooked up some “urban stew” to illustrate results of adding pollutants, such as harmful chemicals, detergents, motor oil, diesel fuel, and gasoline into our urban watersheds including sewers and storm drains.  The Vactor truck, provided by Salt Lake City, was a very big hit - the impressive big truck with extra power to clean out, or “vacuum”, the storm drains of debris.

          Salt Lake County Recycling Program discussed the reduction of waste that goes into the landfill which could be avoided by simple recycling practices, Salt Lake

Randy Peterson shows how stormwater can be polluted.
City’s Keep It Pure program defined the “Protected Watersheds” that supplies Salt LakeValley’s drinking water. Utah Rivers Council offered information how to protect Utah rivers and presented future sponsored activities, such as Paddle Festival at Little Dell Recreation Area. The Salt Lake Valley Health Department provided great tips about swimming pool safety, the Mosquito Abatement Team provided important information about protection against West Nile Virus.  Salt Lake County Public Works showed aquatic macroinvertebrates that are often times used as indicators of poor or high water quality.

          And lastly, there couldn’t be a water fair with out the WATER DROPLET!   Laura from West Jordan dressed up in a full size suit as the famous water droplet character. Children had their pictures taken with the Droplet and Salt Lake County made them into buttons.  By this small educational keepsake, the kids have a reminder as to watershed and drinking water protection, storm drain water quality protection, and overall increased knowledge about their water resources.