3. Most of the Earth’s Freshwater Is Not Available to Us
Freshwater availability: 0.024%
Groundwater, lakes, rivers, streams
Hydrologic cycle
Movement of water in the seas, land, and air
Driven by solar energy and gravity
People divided into
Water haves
Water have-nots

4. We Use Much of the World’s Reliable Runoff
2/3 of the surface runoff: lost by seasonal floods
1/3 is reliable runoff = usable
World-wide averages
Domestic: 10%
Agriculture: 70%
Industrial use: 20%

5. Surface Water Surface Water Surface runoff Watershed (drainage) basin
Found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.
Where did people historically build?
What are some uses of surface water:
Drinking water
Agriculture
Fish & shellfish
Transportation (boat/ industry)
Recreation
Watershed (drainage) basin

6. River systems
Streams form from falling rain and melting snow from mountains, hills, plateaus, and Plains.
Flow is down hill
Streams run into other streams, forming tributaries.
Combines with other streams to form rivers
Streams and rivers move across land to form a larger network.
Can you think of any examples?

7. Saginaw River System

9. Watershed/ Drainage basin
A watershed is the area of land that is drained into a particular body of water. It includes both surface water flow and underground water movement.
Boundaries are determined by specific geographic points on land. A line is able to be drawn that connects all the point of the highest elevation adjacent to that point.
In the continental U.S. there are 2,110 watersheds. There are an additional 167 in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.

11. What watershed are we a part of here in Detroit?

12. Rouge River Watershed

13. Rouge River Watershed Drains 467 square miles. 126 river miles
Includes more than 400 lakes and ponds
Over 1.5 million people included in
50% of the land is urbanized, less than 25% remains undeveloped
Home to 8 species of frog and toad
Volunteer opportunities! Single day and long term.
Friends of the Rouge
Rouge River Project