Student Worksheet

Name:

Date:

THE COHANSEY AQUIFER AND CRANBERRIES

Directions: Based on your observations during the classroom water demonstrations, your reading of "Cranberry Growing--Backwoods Agriculture in New Jersey," and related classroom discussion, answer each of the following questions. If you need additional space, your answers may be written on the back of this worksheet or on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Where do you think New Jersey's Lenape Indians discovered cranberries growing in the wild?

2. What is the name of New Jersey's major Pinelands aquifer?

3. Describe this aquifer

4. How does most of the water get into the Cohansey Aquifer?

5. About how many inches of precipitation (rain and snow) fall on New Jersey's Pinelands each year?

6. Are Oswego Lake and Chatsworth Lake naturally formed lakes?

7. Can you name any naturally formed lakes in the Pinelands?

8. Name three reasons why cranberry farmers need an abundant source of pure water.

9. Why are cranberry bogs called natural "frost pockets"?

10. Sprinkler irrigation is often used on bogs when temperatures drop to freezing or below during the cranberry growing season. Why?

11. What is "headland" and why do cranberry farmers think it's important?

12. Pretend it's the third day of 95 degree F temperatures on your cranberry bogs. Within a month, you'll start to harvest your crop, but you're concerned that these high afternoon temperatures may scald the ripening berries and destroy your crop. What could you do to prevent this from happening?

13. You own 400 acres of bogs and it's time to begin September harvest. What natural force do you depend upon to move the water from your reservoirs to your bogs?

14. How does this natural force work?

15. What are two characteristics that researchers at the Rutgers Experiment Station think good varieties of cranberries should have?

16. Why do you think farmers could benefit from cranberry varieties that ripen (turn red) early?

17. Why does water in a reservoir decrease if there is a severe drought?

18. When did commercial cranberry farming begin in New Jersey?

19. Today there are five major cranberry producing states in the United States - Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. Is New Jersey first, second, or third in overall cranberry production?

20. What happens to the water used to flood the bogs when cranberry harvest is completed in November?

Bonus Question:
Do you think cranberry bogs and nearby reservoirs provide food and shelter for Pinelands animals? If so, give some examples of these animals.