Work sheet 1
Assessment 1
Physical characteristics of your homesite
This assessment table is similar to the assessment tables in other modules in the Missouri Home-A-Syst series. For each question, three choices are given that describe situations or activities that could lead to high, medium and low risks to human or environmental health.
Do the best you can. For some questions, your well-drilling records or local well drillers may be able to help. Some choices may not be exactly like your situation, so choose the response that best fits. Mark your risk level (low, medium or high) in the right-hand column. Refer to the guide if you need more information to complete the table. If no choice is applicable, leave that item blank.
Physical characteristics of your homesite
| Low risk | Medium risk | High risk | Your risk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soil type and risks to lakes, rivers wetlands, or other surface water from runoff. | Sand/gravel (large particles) | Silt/loam (mid-size particles) | Clay (very tiny particles) |
|
| Soil type and risks to groundwater from infiltration | Clay (very tiny particles) | Silt/loam (mid-size particles) | Sand/gravel (large particles) | Low Medium High |
| Soil depth | Deep (over 12 feet) | Moderately deep (3 to 12 feet) | Shallow (less than 3 feet) | Low Medium High |
| Bedrock | Solid, not permeable or fractured | Solid limestone or sandstone | Fractured bedrock, any kind | Low Medium High |
| Depth to water table | Over 20 feet | 10 to 20 feet | Less than 10 feet | Low Medium High |
| Nearness of home to surface water | Over 100 feet | 25 to 100 feet | Less than 25 feet | Low Medium High |
Responding to risks
Do not depend solely on the physical characteristics of your soil, bedrock or other site features to protect water quality. You must take informed steps to prevent pollution. Although you can't change your soil type or the depth to bedrock, you can compensate for less-than-ideal conditions by choosing home management practices that are better for preventing environmental problems. Note especially the medium and high risks you identified. Keep them in mind as you complete your homesite map and work on other work sheets in this program.
Assessment 2
Creating a map of your homesite
The instructions for this exercise, along with a sample and graph paper for you to use, can be found in the fact sheet that accompanies this work sheet.