Rain fell as I started walking down to the Westhampton Lake. Down, it is the only way to get to the lake. Not only for me but also for all the water in the Westhampton Lake watershed.
I asked myself the question, “At what point does the water become the Lake?”
Our class on Wednesday consisted of a calm stroll from Atlantic House to the Westhampton Lake. Rain fell quietly above me and as it soaked into my cotton shirt, its journey in the watershed ended. The rain that falls from the same cloud that hits the Westhampton Lake or any of the surrounding area becomes part of the lake. Rain slithers through drain pipes, winds through asphalt and concrete, and slides slowly off various trees and flora in efforts to reach the lake. Rain transforms its existence into something new and different, escaping the lonely existence as a single rain drop and becoming part of the murky concoction of minerals and wildlife that defines the lake.
The lake appears peaceful, isolated, and independent but the detachment is an illusion. Watersheds are a hierarchy, large watersheds are made up of smaller watersheds, for example, the Westhampton Lake Watershed is within the Little Westham Creek Watershed which is within the James River Watershed. Thousands of streams converge into rivers, rivers feed into the bay, and the bay feeds into the ocean. The University of Richmond campus makes up about 15% of the Little Westham Creek Watershed which makes the Westhampton Lake a short pit stop on a long downhill journey to the ocean.
Water reinvents itself with new names and forms by relocating seamlessly into new locations, while at the same time, creating new definitions for itself. Taking a class tour around the perimeter of the Westhampton Lake, it was clear to see the boundaries of the University campus drawn by roads and fences. The difference between being “on campus” and being “off campus” is immediately clear to me. I had trouble identifying the boundaries of water, the division markers are transparent and loosely defined. All the water from surrounding areas immigrate to the lake to become a single unified entity, defined by its residence in the Westhampton Lake. The moment the water from urban runoff or the Little Westham Creek transforms into Westhampton Lake water is still a mystery to me, especially since water flowing downhill is always in motion.
During our tour, our Professor discussed the complex relationship our peaceful lake has with the surrounding area. In particular, the types of runoff that pollute the local waterways. As he discussed the effects of urban runoff, I imagined the journey of the rain flowing off the roof of Atlantic House. After the rain fell down the rain gutter it passed through the ivy in front of my window, across our lawn, through a large parking lot, across the street and finally reaching the water. Along its journey, it runs into little resistance from plants or soil which means all the pollutants resting in the parking lot asphalt are carried straight to the Westhampton Lake. This is only one example of how pollutants are transported into the lake. Imagining the runoff from the construction around campus and the residential areas surrounding the University creates a fearful image of the lake in my mind, further discouraging me from taking a dip in the murky waters.
The Westhampton Lake has a complex existence that plays a vital role in the watershed but most importantly it plays a role as “the unending witness of past and future generation[s]” and is forever connected to the University of Richmond experience (In River Time).
Watersheds are more organized than I previously thought. The HUC is a system used by the EPA to categorize Watersheds by creating a hierarchical system distinguished by groups of numbers. If I had known about the HUC before writing about the Little Westham Creek watershed I could have explained how the particular boundaries of the watershed are clearly defined in a logical manner. The boundaries of the watershed also help define geographical areas and can be used to compliment political maps to better understand locations. For example, the University of Richmond is fully within the Little Westham Creek watershed but is divided politically by the Henrico-Richmond county line. HUCs are useful tools to help understand better understand our surroundings.
“At what point does the water become the Lake?”
What a great question! I think if people took that into consideration more often, then we wouldn’t have as many issues with water pollution as we do. For instance, if people thought about rain falling from the sky and across surfaces, then finally flowing into a water source, they would already know more about what happens to water than the average person. They would consider what the rain brings with it when it comes into contact with the lake. They would also probably think about how rainfall should go through the soil before entering underground water sources, yet our surfaces prevent this purification process from taking place. In my opinion, asking this question is central to water education.