Chapter 15 APES

dissolved oxygen content

a measure of the amount of O2 in a medium

limnetic zone

sunlit part of a lake where tiny plants and animals live, but no rooted plants can grow.

oligotrophic

describes a body of water with low-nutrient and high-oxygen conditions

septic system

wastewater from the house runs to an underground tank

xeriscaping

landscaping that involves the use of only drought-tolerant plants

consumptive

when water is taken from a source and not returned

water table

the boundary between the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation

watershed

land drained by a river and all its smaller streams.

desalinization

the removal of salt from water

floodplain

land near a river that floods often, leaving fertile soil.

swamp

wetlands with shallow water and lots of plants, found only in forests

aquifer recharge zone

any area where water infiltrates Earth's surface and reaches an aquifer below

littoral zone

The shallow area around a body of water is where plants grow above the surface.

Three Gorges

the world's largest dam

riparian

describes a forest found alongside a river.

zone of saturation

the lower layer of an aquifer where pore spaces are completely filled with water

sludge

the solid material that is separated out during the sewage treatment process

Ogallala

the world's largest known aquifer

reclaimed water

treated sewage water used for landscaping or industrial purposes to save water

secondary treatment

the step that removes organic matter and nutrients from sewage using bacteria

turbidity

measurement of suspended particles in a water sample

hard water

a chemical property of water that makes soap not lather and leaving a chalky residue when heated

point source

a single, identifiable localized source of pollution, such as a factory smokestack or a sewer pipe

dam

blocks the flow of water so that water can be stored in a reservoir

aquifer

sand or gravel that hold water

nonconsumptive

when water is used but isn't removed or is only temporarily removed.

water mining

withdrawing water faster than it can be replenished

non-point source

describes pollution that comes from multiple sources over large areas

benthic zone

the bottom layer of a lake or pond

freshwater

describes 2.5% of the water on Earth

Colorado River Compact

dictates how the seven states along the Colorado River apportion the water

marsh

wetland with shallow water where plants grow above the surface.

hydrologic cycle

the water cycle

primary treatment

removes contaminants and most solids from wastewater physically

zone of aeration

the upper layer of an aquifer where pore spaces are only partly filled with water

Aral

lost most of its water because Russia diverted rivers to grow cotton.

wastewater

water, such as that carrying sewage and the water from washing machines, that has been used by people

Clean Water Act

law that controls water pollution, sets rules for wastewater, and funds sewage treatment plants.

Hoover

this dam holds back four times more water than flows down the river in an entire year

eutrophic

describes a body of water with high-nutrient and low-oxygen conditions

bog

a pond covered with thick floating mats of vegetation

profundal zone

aquatic zone that lacks plant life and very low dissolved oxygen

tributary

a small river that flows into a larger one