Environmental Science Chapter 14 - Water Resources (sorta chunky version)

sorta chunky flashcard set

aquifer

A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.

cultural eutrophication

the pollution of a body of water as a result of human activity

also called artificial eutrophication

dam

an obstruction placed in a river or stream to blocks its flow

desalination

the process of removing salt from seawater, also called desalinization

fresh water

relatively pure water

water with few dissolved salts

groundwater

fresh water found below Earth's surface

impermeable

not allowing water or other substances to pass through

nonpoint-source pollution

pollution that comes from many places over a large area

pathogen

a disease-causing organism

algal bloom

the rapid growth of algae in an area that can cover the surface of the water and block sunlight from reaching plants below

recharge zone

an area where surface water soaks into the ground and reaches an aquifer

reservoir

an artificial lake where water for human use is stored

river system

a network of connection streams and rivers

runoff

water that flows over land and collects in a stream or river

salinization

the buildup of salts in the surface layers of soil

water diversion

the process of moving water from its source to places where humans can use it (e.g. homes and farm fields)

water table

the boundary between the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation in an aquifer

watershed

all of the land area that supplies water to a particular river system

well

a channel dug into an aquifer to reach groundwater

wastewater

water that has been used in households, businesses, industries, or public facilities and drained or flushed down the pipes, as well as the polluted runoff from streets and storm drains

surface water

water found on earth's surface

reservoirs

large lakes that store water for human use

The Clean Water Act

makes the release of point source pollution illegal without a permit and gave EPA ability to restrict or regulate types of pollution

xeriscaping

a method of landscaping that uses plants that are well adapted to the local area and are drought resistant.

point source water pollution

a single localized source of water pollution

Permeability

the ability for water to flow through sediment

Porosity

how much space in between sediment

Saturation Zone

the area in the ground where water fills all the pores between sediment

What happened to the Aral Sea?

Diminished 1/10 of its size

What percentage of Las Vegas's water supply is used for aesthetic features along the famous Las Vegas Strip?

3%

What is so special about Lake Mead?

It is the biggest water supply in the United States

How is Lake Mead related to water supply and usage in Las Vegas?

Las Vegas uses Lake Mead for its water supply (no water will be left)

How much river elevation is the Colorado River losing each year?

10 ft

How is the Colorado River related to operations of the Hoover Dam?

Related to Hoover Dam by the power plant

How is the city of Las Vegas proposing to fix their impending problem with water shortage?

Taking water form towns that need it by building water systems with tubes

What large scale process is responsible for "renewing" our water resources?

Hydrologic cycle (water cycle)

What percentage of food consumed by the USA is produced in the Central Valley of California?

25%

What changed for the Central Valley in terms of its water availability?

Water availability decreased so water for agriculture decreased = less food production

What sector is the biggest user of water in the Central Valley?

Farming aka agriculture = 80%

Where does this sector largely get its water supply?

Getting water form groundwater through wells and aquifers

What is generally happening to the water cycle and what is the impact of the change?

Water cycle is intensifying - Extreme droughts - Extreme weather effects

What is the single greatest source of water use in the home? What is the solution?

• Toilets - Solution = get toilets that are water efficient

How many times was the Clean Water Act been violated from 2004-2009?

A half a million times

What is atrazine? What is an endocrine disruptor and how is this related to amphibian development?

• Herbicide and weed killer = pesticide - Anything that interacts with hormone secretion - Amphibians wont make enough testosterone and will make estrogen (turn into females)

How is the development of amphibians and humans similar and why is this significant?

Estrogen that amphibians and humans have are the same so it can be tested on amphibians to see how it would effect humans

How does atrazine affect human health?

Causes cancer and birth defects

What level of atrazine is known to be harmful to amphibians? How does this relate to EPA standards for atrazine (based on human health)?

• 1 parts per billion - 3 parts per billion ok to drink

What is the precautionary principle? Is the principle followed in the USA?

• Manufactures have to prove the compounds used are good - US measures if it is bad and if it is bad the results get thrown away

How many chemicals has the EPA issued regulations against? Out of how many?

5 out of 80,000

What is CAFO?

Concentrated Area Feeding Operations = farm with seven hundred plus cows

Waste - cows v. humans

1 cow = 23 humans 6000 cows = 140K humans ** Streams and groundwater is being contaminated

Bottled v. Tap Water

• Tap is regulated - Bottled is regulated by food companies and water is tested by bottle water companies - Water in your bottle of water actually come from tap water

What percentage of bottled water originates as tap water?

45%

What is recycled water?

Taking water you use and reusing the water for other sources/resources

What is the barrier to our use of recycled water?

Thinking the water is contaminated and is portrayed as being disgusting

What percentage of Singapore's water comes from recycled water?

30%

infiltration

the process by which precipitation that falls on land surfaces enters the ground and becomes groundwater.

permeability

the ability of a material to let water pass through it. Sand and gravel have high permeability, while silt, clay, and shale have low permeability.

zone of saturation

the area below the Earth's surface where the pores are completely filled with water.

zone of aeration (unsaturated zone)

the area below the Earth's surface and above the water table where the pores are filled mostly with air.

springs

natural discharges of groundwater that tends to occur where an aquifer and an aquiclude come in contact with Earth's surface.

wells

holes dug or drilled deep into the ground to reach a reservoir of groundwater

drawdown

the difference between the original water-table level and the water level in the pumped well.

artesian well

is a well drilled into a confined aquifer from which water spurts above the land surface in the form of a fountain.

ground subsidence

the sinking of land that is caused by the excessive withdrawal of groundwater.

unconfined aquifers

aquifers that are closer to the land surface and lacks a protective barrier between the surface and water table and thus easily polluted.

confined aquifers

deeper aquifers that are generally sandwiched between two aquicludes and thus less easily polluted.

cone of depression

If water is withdrawn from the ground at a faster rate that it is replenished then the water table can become lower, leaving an area where the water table dips down to form a cone shape.

How much of Earth is covered with water?

about 70%

How much of Earth's water is fresh water?

about 3% ( and over half of that is frozen)

What is the name of the largest watershed that we here in Bloomer, WI are a part of?

Upper Mississippi

What part of the Upper Mississippi watershed do we belong to?

Lower Chippewa watershed

What is the name of our local watershed, that is a part of the Lower Chippewa watershed?

Duncan Creek watershed

Which type of soil (gravel, sand, clay) has the lowest permeabiltiy?

clay

What are some environmental concerns related to CAFOs?

Contamination of water sources. Air pollution and quality. Pathogen and disease risk