WATER RESOURCES Chapter 9 “It is not until the well runs dry that we know the worth of water” - Ben Franklin

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/env-freshwater-whycare

“Liquid Capital” Why is Water Important? *Regulates climates, makes up cells, dilutes pollutants, sculpts the earth’s surface, etc. *Availability of water is one of the major problems the world faces this century!

Availability- LESS THAN 3% FRESHWATER Less than 1% of freshwater available to humans © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP

WATER VOCAB Watershed (drainage basin): The region draining into a river, river system, or other body of water. Surface water: freshwater on the Earth’s surface. Lakes, Rivers, wetlands, etc. Groundwater: water that sinks into the soil and is stored. Aquifers: water–saturated layers of soil or rock through which groundwater flows. Water that is available for use.

Watershed and Aquifers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f63pwrMXkV4&nohtml5=False

Recharging of Aquifers Aquifers are naturally recharged by precipitation. slow process-ground water moves ~ 3 feet/year Removing ground water faster than it is replenished disrupts the water cycle. Resulting in dry streams, lakes, etc.

Ogallala Aquifer Ogallala is the world’s largest aquifer and allowed many parts of the U.S. (arid regions) to become fertile farming areas. Water is being removed 8-10x faster than its natural recharge rate. http://science360.gov/obj/video/6d8a2e02-0936-47d8-b2f4-3833c63d11ad/sustainability-water-ogallala-aquifer

Aquatic Life Zones (Aquatic Biomes) Characterized by the amount of NaCl dissolved in the water- Marine or Freshwater.

Freshwater Life Zones Cover less than 1% of earth’s surface. Types: Lentic- Flowing water - streams, and rivers Lotic- Still water - ponds, lakes, wetlands

Freshwater Ecological and Economic Services Climate moderation Nutrient cycling Flood control Habitats Waste treatment Economic Food Hydroelectricity Transportation Recreation

Lakes and Ponds Zones Littoral zone- top shallow layer along the shore,  biodiversity. Limnetic zone- surface/open water, main photosynthetic layer. Plankton, fish 3. Profundal zone-cool and dark layer,  D.O 4. Benthic zone- bottom layer. Decomposers.

Lakes- Classifying Oligotrophic- Low Productivity due to low nutrients (P and N) Mesotrophic- Moderate Productivity Eutrophic- High Productivity due to excess nutrients from natural processes.

Importance of Freshwater Wetlands Originally considered “WASTELANDS”. Majority of wetlands are privately owned. Clean Water Act helps to restore/protect as well as other incentives.

Ecological role of Wetlands Purify water, Habitats for many species, & Prevent soil erosion and flooding

Florida Everglades Largest restoration project.

Saltwater/Marine Life Zones Includes oceans, estuaries, coral reefs Ecological importance: - CO2 sinks - high biodiversity - algae provides most of the world’s supply of oxygen

Estuaries/Coastal Wetlands Enclosed body of water formed where seawater mixes with freshwater from rivers/streams “ Marine Nurseries”- MAJOR COMMERCIAL VALUE Temperature and salinity vary Important in filtering pollutants and sediments. http://estuaries.noaa.gov/Teachers/estuaries.aspx

Water Shortages Causes: Dry climate Drought Water stress a period in which precipitation is lower and evaporation is higher than normal Water stress increasing demand for limited resource © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP

Potential areas for water wars By 2025. Competition for water for Wash. Montana N.D. Oregon Potential areas for water wars By 2025. Competition for water for urban growth, irrigation, recreation, etc Idaho S.D. Wyoming Neb. Nevada Utah Colo. Kansas California Ok N.M. Texas Highly likely conflict potential Substantial conflict potential Moderate conflict potential Unmet rural water needs

Ways to Increasing Water Supply 1. Build more dams and reservoirs 2. Transport surface water in from other areas 3. Desalination (salt H20 to fresh H2O) 4. Reduce water use- - import more food and cut down on meat (5200 gal H2O to produce 1 lb beef) - cut down on driving (6000 gal of H2O to refine 1 gal of gasoline) - buy recycled goods. Which of these seems the most realistic?

Dams 800,000+ dams currently restrict the world’s rivers- electricity, flood control, & recreation Positive: Storage of water for human use. Negative: Slows downstream flow and disrupts reproductive cycle of many fish. Ex: Salmon difficulty swimming upstream and get caught in turbines. Pooling of water behind dams caused a rise in water temperature unfavorable for many fish FISH LADDERS- reduce impact on migrating fish © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP

Pros and Cons of Dams and Reservoirs

Three Gorges Dam Yangtze River dammed- 1.3 mi wide, 610 ft high. Reservoir it created flooded towns and displaced people. Positives- creates 18.2 million kWh renewable energy.

Desalination Process of removing salt from salt water to make it suitable for drinking. Cons against plants: 1. Energy intense 2. Waste product- where to dump???? -Ocean- increases salinity- effects ecosystems -Land- contaminate groundwater supplies.

World Wide Water Use 70%- Agriculture * 1 metric ton grain (2200 lbs) requires 264,000+ gallons of water. * livestock use ~11X more water. 20%- Industry 10% Household (toilet flushing, laundry) * Avg person in U.S. uses 157 gal/day Avg person in Kenya uses 11 gal/day

Agriculture 65% efficient 70-80% efficient 75-95% efficient

Access to Potable Drinking Water 15% of world’s population (~1 BILLION people) do not have access to clean water. Those areas have high percentage of illness and deaths due to WATER-BORNE diseases.

Increasing Water Efficiency increase efficiency of irrigation (~40% is wasted with old techniques- flooding) use recycled water (Gray water) treat gray water from showers and washing machines- reuse for water plants and washing cars fix leaky pipes water–saving toilets, faucets, and shower heads xeriscaping plant drought–tolerant vegetation in residential communities located in arid and semi–arid areas

Gray Water/Grey Water -Household wastewater from kitchen sinks, dishwashers, bathroom sinks, tubs and showers. - Can be used for irrigation, washing cars but not for consumption or bathing.