EES 112 Water Resources, Water Treatment and Pollution, and Sustainable Fisheries

base flow

groundwater that passes from aquifers and into surface water bodies

evaporation

phase change from liquid water to water vapor

runoff

meteoric water that reaches stream channels from the surface

reliable runoff

surface runoff of water that generally can be counted on as a stable source of water from year to year

zone of aeration

zone in soil that is not saturated with water and that lies above the water table

desalination

purification of salt water or brackish (slightly salty) water by removal of dissolved salts

zone of saturation

area where all available pores in soil and rock in the earth's crust are filled by water

ogallala

this aquifer supplies 33% groundwater in the USA; Great Plains

permeability

the degree to which underground rock and soil pores are interconnected and thus a measure of the degree to which water can freely flow from one pore to another

porosity

percentage of space in rock or soil occupied by voids, whether the voids are isolated or connected. Compare permeability

point sources

single identifiable source that discharges pollutants into the environment

inorganic chemical

pollutants that include metals, anions, and radionucleotides

secondary

wastewater treatment system that biologically removes dissolved and fine-grained organic material through bacterial action aeration (oxidation) and biological decomposition

meteoric water

precipitation created by atmospheric processes

fisheries

natural stocks of fish harvested by fishermen

physical

pollutants which include pH, turbidity, salt water intrusion

aerobic

oxygen requiring bacteria that breaks down much of the organic material in wastewater

sustainable seafood initiative

designed to promote the use of local and sustainable seafood; helps ensure that consumers have fish for the future by teaching partnered chefs about sustainable and local seafood, while at the same time educating the consumer

effluent

flow out of an area

groundwater

water that sinks into the soil and is stored in slowly flowing and slowly renewed underground reservoirs called aquifers; underground water in the zone of saturation below the water table

transpiration

process in which water is absorbed by the root systems of plants, moves up through the plants, passes through pores (stomata) in their leaves or other parts, and evaporates into the atmosphere as water vapor

aquaculture

farming of any aquatic organisms in controlled environments

floodplain

flat valley floor next to a stream channel; for legal purposes, the term often applies to any low area that has the potential for flooding, including certain coastal areas

overfished

a status assigned to fish stocks that have been harvested beyond the maximum sustainable yield, so there is not enough breeding stock left for replenishment

freezing

phase change from liquid water to solid water (ice)

infiltration

the passage of water from the ground surface into the underlying soil

deposition

water vapor is transformed into solid water (ice, snow, sleet, hail) through the removal of heat

melting

phase change from solid water (ice) to liquid water

sublimation

phase change from solid water (ice) to water vapor

biological

pollutants that include fecal material, pathogens, bacteria, viruses

percolation

passage of a liquid through the spaces of a porous material such as soil

percipitation

water in the form of rain, sleet, hail, and snow that falls from the atmosphere onto the land and bodies of water

non point source

broad and diffuse area, rather than a specific point, from which pollutants enter bodies of surface water or air

water pollution

any physical or chemical change in surface water or groundwater that can harm living organisms or make water unfit for certain uses

organic chemical pollutants

pollutants which include pesticides, herbicides, household and industrial chemicals, and petroleum (these typically end in -ene)

commercial extinction

the depletion of a species to the point where it is no longer profitable to harvest

exclusive economic zone (EEZ)

a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources

condensation

phase change from water vapor to liquid water

mariculture

farming of marine organisms in controlled environments

primary

wastewater treatment system that physically removes organic and inorganic solids through screening and sedimentation

water table

upper surface of the zone of saturation, in which all available pores in the soil and rock in the Earth's crust are filled with water

cultural eutrophication

over nourishment of aquatic ecosystems with plant nutrients (mostly nitrates and phosphates) because of human activities such as agriculture, urbanization, and discharges from industrial plants and sewage treatment plants

maximum sustainable yield

the maximum amount of any species that can be harvested without affecting future yields

saltwater intrusion

movement of salt water into freshwater aquifers in coastal and inland areas as groundwater is withdrawn faster than it is recharged by precipitation

tertiary

wastewater treatment system that removes chemicals (N, P) through fine filtration, passage through activated charcoal, and other processes, some also kill microorganisms through chlorination

natural recharge

natural replenishment of an aquifer by precipitation, which percolates downward through soil and rock

influent

flow into an area

aquifers

porous, water saturated layers of sand, gravel or bedrock that can yield an economically significant amount of water

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precipitation released by the cooling of magma or the eruption of a volcano or geyser

bycatch

animals unintentionally killed when other species are being harvested

bufferzone

an undisturbed area between a riparian zone and an altered area which slows the flow of water and allows for a reduction in nutrients/ pollution before water enters streams and creeks