Water Resources Surface Water

Surface Water part 2

Surface Water Hydrology

The study of moving water found in rivers, open channels, and runoff flowing across the open land.

the Ecological Zones

Littoral Zone

Limnetic Zone

Profundal Zone

Benthic Zone

Littoral Zone

near lake shore where adequate sunlight pentrates water surface to promote growth of plants

Limnetic Zone

open water area where light does not penetrate all the way down to bottom

Profundal Zone

bottom of the lake where no plants or light. Inhabited by bacteria, worms, mollusks, etc.

Benthic Zone

FORMS lake bottom; sediment region. Decomposition takes place here.

Seiche

Difference of water level elevation due to wind or atmospheric changes

Crater Lakes

formed in volcanic craters and calderas

Pluvial Lakes

created during a glacial or wet period followed by a dry period when the lakes shrink in size or vanish

Cirque Lake

Glacial debris block upper reaches of mountainous valley and is filled with water

Kettle Lake

created by blocks of stranded, buried or partially buried glacial ice

Reservoir

Human-made lakes by construction of dams or dikes

Dike

a barrier used to regulate or hold back water from a river, lake, or even the ocean

Laminar Flow

water flow of an extremely GENTLE nature as parallel sheets of moving water molecules

Turbulent Flow

agitated flow of water molecules that bounce off channel walls and each other.

Materials carried by river

Dissolved Lead, Suspended Load, & Bed Load

Dissolved Load

Material carried in solution, has no effect on stream flow.

Suspended Load

Material suspended by turbulent flow; called suspension

Bed Load

Material moved by traction (dragging, rolling, skipping in stream bed)

Saltation

the bouncing of sand grains as they are picked up, carried along, and dropped repeatedly by flowing water

Sediments are driven by…

Gravity, plate tectonics, and wind

River Hydrograph

a graph that shows how the rate of flow of water changes over time at a specific point in a river, channel, or conduit

Seiche

the difference in water level elevation in a lake due to wind or sudden changes in atmospheric pressure

River Discharge

the volume of water flowing through a river channel

water measurement

1. rainfall-runoff

2. River discharge

3. water storage in lakes & reservoirs

Overland Flow

the movement of water across the land’s surface, usually after rainfall or snowmelt, toward a body of water

Q=K*I*A

Overland Flow equation stands for?

Q= peak rate of runoff

K= coefficient

I= rainfall intensity

A= watershed area

River Discharge equation stands for?

Q=A*V

A= cross-sectional area of a channel

V= average water velocity

What instrument is used to calculate water velocity?

a Flow Meter

Water Diversion

Construction of dams, levees, pumping stations, irrigation

canals, or any other manmade structure that modifies the

natural flow of a waterway

active treatment system

a small, on-site water treatment plant that uses chemicals and equipment to improve water quality

Sediment pollution

Occurs when water carries too much sediment, such as dirt, rocks, and organic matter, into bodies of water.

What are problems with sediment pollution?

• clogs up pipes and drains, and clogs up fish gills leading to suffocation.

• prevents natural vegetation from growing in water.

• cost of treating drinking water

• nutrients transported by sediment can activate blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) that release toxins.

what are examples of sediment pollution preventive strategies?

• sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of hosing them off

• avoid mowing within 10 to 25 ft from the edge of a stream or creek.

*anything we can do to help keep soil from washing away!