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Surface water
water found on Earth's surface
Runoff
water that flows over land and has not been absorbed by the land.
Watershed
all of the land area that supplies water or drains into a river system
River system
a network of connected streams and rivers
Groundwater
water found below Earth's surface.
Aquifer
permeable layers of rock and soil that hold water
permeable
contains pore spaces that water can flow through
impermeable
contains few pore spaces, water can not flow through
water table
the boundary that separates the zone of saturation from the zone of aeration (or the upper part of the aquifer)
recharge zone
area where water soaks into the ground and reaches an aquifer
well
a hole dug into an aquifer to reach groundwater
water diversion
the process of moving water from its source to places it is needed
dam
a structure built across a river to control the river's flow
reservoir
artificial lake created by a dam; stores water for human use.
Desalination
"Making" fresh water by removing salt from saltwater.
point-source pollution
water pollution that comes from one distinct source that is easy to identify
nonpoint-source pollution
water pollution that comes from many places, spread out over a large area; not easy to identify the source
Eutrophication
Excess nitrogen & phosphorus in the water causing nutrient pollution.
sediment pollution
Unusually large amounts of sediment that change an aquatic environment
thermal pollution
a heat source that raises the temperature of a waterway
Biological pollution
occurs when pathogens enter a waterway.
pathogens
disease-causing organisms and viruses
algal bloom
sudden growth of algae in a body of water (sometimes this produces a red tide)
The Clean Water Act
A government regulation that decreased water pollution, signed in 1977.
Note
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