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Surface Water

What Is surface water?


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Lakes, ponds, rivers, and streamsALL water above ground.


Most urban areas rely on surface water.
Supply resources and allow for travel/trade.

What impacts whether water becomes surface (run off) or ground


(seep)?
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Vegetation:
o The more vegetation, the more ground water. Less vegetation,
more surface water.
o Vegetation allows for loose soil
o Loose soil allows water to enter ground
o Gardeners do not pack their soil

Rate of Precipitation:
o

Heavy:

Soil clumps together closing pores

Fills up ground too quickly and water becomes runof

Light:
Allows water to gently slide through
Less erosion
Soil Composition:
o Efects the waters holding capacity
o Decayed organic material
o If its mostly clay, there is mostly surface water. If it is mostly sand or
humus, there is mostly ground water.
Slopes:
o Steep: allows for high runof and little absorption (more surface
water)
o Little: low runof and high absorption (more ground water)
o

Where Does the Water Go?


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Water Sheds:
o Drainage basin
o Land where all water drains into
o Divide: High land area that separates water sheds.
Floodplain:
o Broad flat area of land that extends from streams
Freshwater Ecosystems:

Lakes and Ponds:

Nekton: anything that swims (fish, turtles, whales)


Littoral Zones: nutrient-rich area near shore. Variety of plant
and animal life.
Benthic Zone: Bottom of a pond or lake. Inhabited by
decomposers, insect larvae, and clams.
Eutrophication:
More nutrients: more plants: more decomposers using
oxygen: less oxygen for other organisms
Can be caused by runof of sewage, fertilizers, animal
waste.
o Wetlands:
Marshes
o Rivers
Marine Ecosystems:

Coastal wetlands
Covered by salt water at least part of the time
Estuaries
Mangrove Swamps
Found along the coast in tropical and subtropical zones
Dominated by mangroves
Rocky and Sandy Shores
Coral Reefs

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