1. Water Cycle and Watersheds
Mr. Brian Oram, PG Professional Geologist, PASEO, Licensed Well Driller
Lab Director, Center for Environmental Quality
Wilkes University
GeoEnvironmental Sciences and Environmental Engineering Department
Wilkes Barre, PA 18766
4/22/2017

2. Center for Environmental Quality
Non-profit/ equal opportunity employer, is operated and
managed, within the GeoEnvironmental Sciences and
Engineering Department
Outreach Programs
Environmental and Professional Education and Training
Applied Research
Community and Business Outreach Programs
Website:
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3. The Water Cycle
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4. Components of the Water Cycle
First The Ins Solar Energy Input Precipitation Condensation Well Injection Irrigation
The Outs Evaporation Transpiration Infiltration Percolation Runoff Groundwater Flow Surfacewater Flow Well Pumping
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water cycle

5. The Water Cycle Powered by the Sun- Solar Power
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6. Precipitation Types of Precipitation Natural Rain Snow Ice Hail
Condensation/ Dew
Man-Made Irrigation Wastewater Applications
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7. Interception Infiltration / Percolation
Infiltration- Movement Water Into Soil Percolation - Water Movement Through the Soil
Canopy Interception
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8. Evaporation / Transpiration Evapotranspiration
Evaporation- Driven by Thermal Gradient and Moisture Difference
Stomata
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9. Runoff / Overland Flow
Uncontrolled Runoff Causes Erosion
Low Infiltration Causes - Overland Flow- Loss Organic Material
When Rainfall Rate Exceeds Infiltration Runoff is Generated
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10. Groundwater Zone of Saturation
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11. Primary Aquifers in PA
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12. Well Geology
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13. Groundwater Flow and Aquifers
Unconfined Aquifer
Confined Aquifer
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14. Surface Water & Groundwater They Are Related and Connected !
Local Water Divide
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15. Groundwater Moves - Slowly feet per year
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16. Induced Recharge or Artificial Discharge
Artificial Recharge- Septic Systems
Pumping Well - Artificial Discharge
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17. Right Now You’re Sitting In a Watershed !
What is a Watershed?
The simple definition It's the area of land that catches rain and snow and drains or seeps into a marsh, stream, river, lake or groundwater.
Right Now You’re Sitting In a Watershed !
They cross county, state, and national boundaries (This is the challenge !)
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18. Watershed Map
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19. Watershed View
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20. Non Point Source Pollution
Non-point source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water.
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21. Sources of Non-Point Pollution
Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas;
Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals;
Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding streambanks;
Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, urban runoff and faulty septic systems; and
Atmospheric deposition and hydromodification are also sources of non-point source pollution.
We are Still the Largest Source of Oil Pollution to the Environment !
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22. Sources of Pollution Causes of Contamination
Improper Waste Disposal Improper Well Construction Poor Site Selection Wells Not Properly Abandoned Improper Waste Storage Lack of Information on
Hazardous Sites or Activities
(Partial Listing)
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23. Groundwater Moves
1. Which ways can groundwater move? a. Up b. Down c. Sideways d. All of the above
1. d. All of the above Although most movement is lateral (sideways), it can move straight up or down. Groundwater simply follows the path of least resistance by moving from higher pressure zones to lower pressure zones.
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24. Groundwater Moves
2. How is the speed of groundwater movement measured? a. Feet per day b. Feet per week c. Feet per month d. Feet per year
2. d. Feet per year Groundwater movement is usually measured in feet per year. This is why a pollutant that enters groundwater requires many years before it purifies itself or is carried to a monitored well.
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25. Groundwater Moves
3. How is stream flow usually measured? a. Feet per second b. Feet per minute c. Feet per hour d. Yards per hour
3. a. Feet per second Water flow in streams/rivers is measured in feet per second.
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26. Groundwater Moves
4. What determines how fast groundwater moves? a. Temperature b. Air pressure c. Depth of water table d. Size of materials
4. d. Size of materials Coarse materials like sand and gravel allow water to move rapidly. (They also form excellent aquifers because of their holding capacity.) In contrast, fine-grained materials, like clay or shale, are very difficult for water to move through. Thus, water moves very, very slowly in these materials.
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27. Groundwater Moves
5. Can the water table elevation change often? a. Yes b. No
5. a. Yes Water table elevations often fluctuate because of recharge and discharge variations. They generally peak in the winter and spring due to recharge from rains and snow melt. Throughout the summer the water table commonly declines due to evaporation, uptake by plants (transpiration), increased public use, industrial use, and crop, golf course and lawn irrigation. Elevations commonly reach their lowest point in early fall.
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28. Groundwater Moves
6. Does aquifer storage capacity vary? a. Yes b. No 6. a. Yes Just like the water level in rivers and streams, the amount of water in the groundwater supply can vary due to seasonal, weather, use and other factors.
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29. Water Cycle and Watersheds
Mr. Brian Oram, PG Professional Geologist, PASEO, Licensed Well Driller
Lab Director, Center for Environmental Quality
Wilkes University
GeoEnvironmental Sciences and Environmental Engineering Department
Wilkes Barre, PA 18766
4/22/2017