APES chapter 9 (water)

what is a watershed?

land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt to creeks, streams, and rivers, and eventually to outflow points such as reservoirs, bays, and the ocean.

ex) Ohio river

what present of the worlds water is saltwater?

97%

What percent of the worlds water is freshwater?

3%

What percent of the worlds fresh water is from glaciers/ icecaps?

77%

What is an Aquifer?

An underground swimming pool filled with rocks that collect the water from rain that humans can extract later.

• there are confined and unconfined aquifers

What is infiltration?

the process of water being absorbed into the ground by filtration

What is a water table

Uppermost level at which the groundwater in a given area fully saturates the rock/soil → the water line of a aquifer

What is an Artesian Well?

natural pressure (as opposed to a pump)

which of the two Aquifer types is the least susceptible to change?

Confined aquifer

What is the Ogallala Aquifer?

the largest U.S. Aquifer

what is irrigation?

the supply of water to land or crops to help growth, typically by means of channels.

There are many different types of irrigation

• Furrow

• Flood

• Spray

• Drip

What is subsidence?

the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land

What is Aquifer overuse?

When aquifers are overused (drained before recharge)...
-springs “dry up”
-Cone of depression

What is saltwater intrusion?

If you take too much water the Aquifer gets polluted by the saltwater

Whats a floodplain?

High in nutrients
-from consistent flooding/deposition
Fairly flat
Slow runoff/collect floodwaters

VERY prone to flooding

What are 6 ways that lakes can be made?

1) Where precipitation collects over time (terminal/non-terminal)
2) Glaciation and retreat/recession
3) Tectonic Activity
4) Volcanic Activity
5) Flooding/erosion of rivers (Oxbow Lakes)
6) Man-made

Whats an impermeable surface?

hard surfaces, such as concrete or roofs, that do not allow water to permeate or infiltrate them

What are some ways to slow/ prevent flooding?

• rooftop gardens

• drainage ditches

• catchment areas

Whats a catchment area?

an area of land that collects water after rainfall, typically bounded by hills

what’s a levee?

Redirect flood waters elsewhere, reduced land nutrients as a result

Whats a Dike?

used to remove ocean water to reveal land → water pumped back into the ocean. Basically a levee and a dam

• used in the Neatherlands

Whats a dam?

Flood control and blockage

Good
-Flood control
-Recreation (North Park)
-Water supply/diversion
-Hydroelectricity

Bad
-Habitat destruction/interruption
-Water temperatures

-Lowered dissolved O₂
-Deposition of sediments above dam
-Less erosion downstream

Whats an aqueduct?

canals and ditches that move water elsewhere

What is Diversion?

The removal or transfer of water from one watershed to another.

ex) Aral Sea

What is Desalination?

Removing salt from water for freshwater

What is Reverse Osmosis?

-Forcing saltwater through
semipermeable membrane to
remove salt
-$$$
-more efficient

What is a water footprint?

Total daily per capita use
of freshwater

Describe Furrow Irragation

-easy and inexpensive
-rows / channels
-65% efficient (least efficient of the irrigation methods)
-MOST SALINIZATION

Describe flood irrigation

-easy/inexpensive
-more disruptive to plants (has to be used in specific enviornments)
-70% efficient

Describe spray irrigation

-more expensive, uses more energy
-Like watering lawn
-75%-95% efficient
-LOTS OF EVAPORATIVE LOSS

Describe drip irrigation

-Can’t be used in all applications
-buried tubing
-MOST efficient...95% efficient 

• Is VERY pricey

What is Salinization?

an increase in the concentration of total dissolved solids in water

Describe Hydroponics

Growing plants under greenhouse conditions
-Less pesticides
-year round growing
- Plants placed in nutrient
rich solution, not soil…
- The water can be recycled
More expensive, but much
better results!
Most efficient!!!

What is the difference between Hydroelectric and Thermoelectric power?

Hydroelectric power uses water, Thermoelectric consumes the water

___ of all water use in the USA is Household use

10% of all water use in the USA is Household use

_________ and _______________ are the most water-consuming household use actions

Showers and Flushing the toilet are the most water-consuming household use actions

Xeriscaping

landscaping that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation

common law

people decide who has access to the water

private law

The biggest well always wins