Botkin & Keller: Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet, 8th Edition APES- Chapter #18- Water Supply,

Use and Management Name: ________Chau Vu_____________________________________ Learning Objectives: At the end of this chapter, students will understand: Why water is one of the major resource issues of the 21st century What a water budget is, and why it is useful in analyzing water supply problems and potential solutions What groundwater is, and what environmental problems are associated with its use How water can be conserved at home and in industrial and agricultural practice Why sustainable water management will become more difficult as the demand for water increases Why sustainable water management will become more difficult as the demand for water increases The concepts of virtual water and a water footprint and their link to water management and conservation What the environmental impacts are of water projects such as dams, reservoirs, canals and channelization What a wetland is, how wetlands function, and why they are important Why we are facing a growing global water shortage linked to our food supply Case Study: Palm Beach County, Florida: Water Use, Conservation and Reuse What are some of the benefits of using reclaimed water? -> Using reclaimed water has some significant benefits: (1) people who use it for private lawns or golf courses save money because the reclaimed water is less expensive; (2) reclaimed water

used on lawns, golf courses, and parks has traces nitrogen and phosphorus, which are types of fertilizer; (3) reclaimed water leaves more fresh drinking water available to the rest of the community; and (4) constructed wetlands that accept treated wastewater help the natural environment by creating wildlife habitat as well as green space in which people can walk, birdwatch, and generally enjoy a more natural setting. 1: What are some of the factors that make water so special? -> Water is a unique liquid; without it, life as we know it is impossible. Water has a high capacity to absorb and store heat. Water is the universal solvent. Water has a high surface tension, a property that is extremely important in many physical and biological processes that involve moving water through, or storing water in, small openings or pore spaces. Water is the only common compound whose solid form is lighter than its liquid form. Sunlight penetrates water to variable depths, permitting photosynthetic organisms to live below the surface. 2: What is the largest reservoir of water on Earth? -> Ocean What is the largest reservoir of freshwater on Earth? -> Glaciers and ice caps 3: What is the residence time of water in the atmosphere? -> 9 days Groundwater and Streams 4: What is the water table? -> The upper surface of the ground water 5: What is a discharge zone? -> Places where groundwater flows or seeps out at the surface, such as springs. 6: What is an aquifer?

-> An underground zone or body of earth material from which groundwater can be obtained (from a well) at a useful rate. What is a cone of depression? How is it created? -> When water is pumped from an aquifer, the water table is depressed around the well. 7: What is an effluent stream? -> The flow is maintained during the dry season by groundwater seepage into the stream channel from the subsurface. What is a stream that flows all year called? -> Perennial stream 8: What is an influent stream? -> Entirely above the water table and flows only in direct response to precipitation. What is a stream that doesnt flow all year called? -> Ephemeral stream Water Supply: A U.S. Example 9: What is a water budget? How is it calculated? -> A model that balances the inputs, outputs, and storage of water in a system. (precipitation evaporation = runoff) Precipitation and Runoff Patterns 10: What is the average water use for people in the U.S.? -> 200 gallons a day per person What is the average water use for people in Europe? -> 100 gallons a day per person

What is the average water use for people in Sub-Saharan Africa? -> 5 gallons a day per person Groundwater Use and Problems 11: How many people in the U.S. use groundwater as a source of drinking water? -> Half of the people in the U.S. 12: What problems can groundwater overdraft cause? -> Damage to river ecosystems and land subsidence. 13: What is happening to the Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains Aquifer)? -> There is concern that eventually a significant portion of land now being irrigated will be returned to dryland farming as the resource is used up. Desalination as a Water Source 14: What is the percentage of salt in saltwater? _3.5_% 15: To be used as a freshwater source, the salt content must be reduced to about _0.05_% 16: What are some of the environmental impacts of desalination? -> Discharge of very salty water from a desalination plant into another body of water, such as a bay, may locally increase salinity and kill some plants and animals. The discharge from desalination plants may also cause wide fluctuations in the salt content of local environments, which may damage ecosystems. Water Use 17: Describe the difference between off-stream use and in-stream use. -> Off-stream use refers to water removed from its source (such as a river or reservoir) for use. Much of this water is returned to the source after use. In-stream use includes the use of rivers for navigation, hydroelectric power generation, fish and wildlife habitats, and recreation.

18: What is one of the issues with off-stream use in the Pacific Northwest? -> Fish, such as steelhead trout and salmon, are on the decline partly because diversions for agricultural, urban, and other uses have reduced stream flow to the point where fish habitats are damaged. 19: Describe what happened to the Aral Sea. -> Diverting water from the two rivers that flow into the Aral Sea has transformed one of the largest bodies of inland water in the world from a vibrant ecosystem into a dying sea. Some Trends in Water use 20: What are the two biggest users of freshwater withdrawals? -> Irrigation and thermoelectric industry Water Conservation 21: What are some of the suggestions for improved irrigation to conserve water? -> Public Supply and Domestic Use 22: Domestic use of water (homes) accounts for _12_% of total national water withdrawals. 23: What is Southern California (San Diego) doing to help with water shortages in the future? -> Building desalination plants and considering raising the height of dams so more water can be stored for urban uses. 24: List 5 things that you can do at home to help conserve water usage * Turn off water when not absolutely needed for washing, brushing teeth, and so on. * Flush only when really necessary * Take a long bath rather than a long shower

* Dont hose sidewalks and driveways; sweep them. * Plant drought-resistant vegetation that requires less water. Virtual Water 25: What is virtual water? -> The amount of water necessary to produce a product, such as automobile, or a crop such as rice. 26: How much water does it take to make a cup of coffee? -> 40 gallons of water 27: How much water does it take to raise beef? -> 15,500 m3 Wetlands 28: How do we define wetlands? -> Wetlands may be defined as areas inundated by water or saturated to a depth of a few centimeters for at least a few days per year. 29: Wetlands are very important, what are the natural service functions of wetlands? -> Freshwater wetlands are a natural sponge for water. Many freshwater wetlands are important as areas of groundwater recharge or discharge. Wetlands are one of the primary nursery grounds for fish, shellfish, aquatic birds, and other animals. Wetlands are natural filter that help purify water; plants in wetlands trap sediment and toxins. 30: How much of the original wetlands of the U.S. have disappeared? _50_% Restoration of Wetlands 31: What did the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 require?

-> The developer to obtain or create additional wetlands at another site to compensate the destruction or damage to wetlands by a particular project. Dams and the Environment 32: Explain the environmental impacts of dams -> Loss of land, cultural resources, and biological resources in the reservoir area. Potential serous flood hazard, should larger dams and reservoir fail. Storage behind the dam of sediment that would otherwise move downstream to coastal areas, where it would supply sand to beaches. 34: What are some of the issues associated with removing of dams? -> Cost of removing a dam is 10 times more than creating it. Global Water Shortage Linked to Food Supply 35: What are the environmental issues associated with global water shortage and food supply? -> Groundwater in many countries is being mined and is therefore being depleted. Large bodies of water are drying up. Large rivers do not deliver any water to the ocean in some seasons or years. 36: Water is one of our most abundant resources, why are we concerned about its availability in the future? -> As the population increase, the more people need water, the less water is left. Study Questions 1: Which is more important from a national point of view, conservation of water use in agriculture or in urban areas? Why? -> I think it is more important to conserve water use in agriculture rather than in urban areas from national point of view. Different crops like paddy, wheat, maize etc. are the main agricultural products which are necessary for us to run our life. Agro-products like cotton plant etc. are also important raw materials for the promotion of industry. For this water and also other resources should be used properly. Maximum export of such goods helps to earn foreign

currency which helps to uplift the country as water is the essential factors to grow yield good crops. This water and also other resources should be used properly. Maximum export of such goods helps to earn foreign currency which helps to uplift the country as water is the essential factors to grow yield good crops.