One definition of a watershed is all of the land drained by a given stream. The Upper Perkiomen Creek is the upstream part of the Perkiomen Creek, starting in Perkiomenville, Montgomery County, at the point where it joins its southern-most tributary, the Unami Creek. The watershed of the Upper Perkiomen Creek encompasses 144 square miles in 25 municipalities in four counties: Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, and Montgomery. Almost 50,000 people live in the Upper Perkiomen Watershed.

The Upper Perkiomen Watershed is composed of land, water, air, and an enormous variety of living inhabitants: plants, animals, and people. All of these members are irreplaceable resources to be enjoyed, cherished, and protected for ourselves, our children, and future generations.

The contests of the annual Aqua Fair are intended to give students an opportunity to explore some aspect of the Upper Perkiomen Watershed. Each year we select a theme for the Aqua Fair to provide a jumping off point for these explorations.

There are student contests for all grade levels from 1 through 12. There are different kinds of contests depending on the grade level. Elementary grades have class-wide poster contests, where students can touch on some aspect of the theme using drawings, pictures, and text. The higher grades have individual student contests in 4 general categories: science, writing, photography, and art. Each participating student explores some aspect of this year's theme using methods in one of these categories.

Student environmental clubs are encouraged to submit their projects to be exhibited in our Exhibitors section of the Aqua Fair.

Our theme this year, "Water: What do we know? Where does it come from? Where does it go?", is broad-based and lends itself to multi-disciplinary approaches. For example, students interested in chemistry can offer views on water as fundamental compound of life and, conversely, the threat, as a universal solvent, that can carry lethal solutes. Those interested in biology may want to focus on the critical needs of organisms, the seasonal impacts associated with the hydrological cycle, and physical aspects of water phases. How does the ecosystem shift in the short term as seasons change?

We encourage the broadest span of interests: artists' renditions in sketching, painting, photography, and sculpture. Students interested in writing can prepare essays on specific aspects of the environment, or prepare a multimedia display expressing individual perspectives. History students might want to investigate and write a perspective on the shifts that have taken place over the years.

We are interested in stimulating the creative process in all aspects of environmental awareness. While it may seem easy for biology students or those in other sciences, we do not believe interest in environmental matters exclude students with interest in other disciplines.

These are just some suggestions to help get you started thinking about an Aqua Fair project. We encourage you to use your imagination to explore our theme.

If you would like to discuss project ideas with me, feel free to contact me directly.

Bob Davis

General chairman, Aqua Fair 2002

Upper Perkiomen Watershed Coalition

610-845-3165

Copyright © 2006 Upper Perkiomen Watershed Coalition

P.O. Box 233

Palm, PA  18070-0233

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This page last updated May 10, 2006