IMPORTANCE OF RUNOFF

It determines many of the characteristics of a landscape and the occurrence and size of floods; thus,
understanding and modeling the rainfall-runoff process is essential in many flood and water resources
problems.

During rainfall, part of the precipitation is captured by plants or infiltrates into the ground, and
the remainder flows over the land surface as stormwater runoff to the nearest ditch or creek. In
urban areas the percentage of precipitation that becomes stormwater runoff is much larger than in
non-urban areas. Natural land cover that once absorbed rainfall has been replaced with impervious
surfaces including streets, parking lots, and rooftops that prevent stormwater from soaking into the
ground, and instead forces more water to flow at a faster rate into the storm drainage system (fig.
1). As it flows over the land surface, stormwater picks up potential pollutants that may include
sediment, nutrients (from lawn fertilizers), bacteria (from animal and human waste), pesticides
(from lawn and garden chemicals), metals (from rooftops and roadways), and petroleum by-
products (from leaking vehicles). Pollution originating over a large land area without a single point of
origin and generally carried by stormwater is considered non-point pollution. In contrast, point
sources of pollution originate from a single point, such as a municipal or industrial discharge pipe.
Polluted stormwater runoff can be harmful to plants, animals, and people.

Stormwater Runoff
Stormwater runoff is the runoff drained into creeks, bays, and other water sources after a storm.
Stormwater runoff includes all debris, chemicals, and other pollutants picked up by the rain or snow.

Runoff occurs when there is more water than land can absorb. The excess liquid flows across the surface
of the land and into nearby creeks, streams, or ponds. Runoff can come from both natural processes and
human activity.

The most familiar type of natural runoff is snowmelt. Mountains that cannot absorb water from heavy
snowfalls produce runoff that turns into streams, rivers, and lakes. Glaciers, snow, and rain all
contribute to this natural runoff.

Runoff also occurs naturally as soil is eroded and carried to various bodies of water. Even toxic chemicals
enter waterways through natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions. Toxic gases released by
volcanoes eventually return to the water or soil as precipitation.

Runoff from human activity comes from two places: point sources and nonpoint sources. Point source
pollution is any source that empties directly into a waterway. This might include a pipe
from specific sewage treatment plant, factory, or even a home. Regulations determine what type of
runoff, and how much, industries are allowed to release. These regulations vary by region, state, and
nation.
Nonpoint source pollution is any source where runoff does not go directly into a waterway. Nonpoint
sources of runoff can be large urban, suburban, or rural areas. In these areas, rainwater
and irrigation wash chemicals into local streams. Runoff from nonpoint sources includes lawn fertilizer,
car exhaust, and even spilled gasoline from a car. Farms are a huge nonpoint source of runoff, as
rainwater and irrigation drain fertilizers and pesticides into bodies of water.

Impervious surfaces, or surfaces that can't absorb water, increase runoff. Roads, sidewalks, and parking
lots are impervious surfaces. Materials as diverse as car-washing soaps, litter, and spilled gas from a gas
station all become runoff.

Reducing Runoff

Runoff is a major source of water pollution. As the water runs along a surface, it picks up
litter, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizers, and other toxic substances. From California to New Jersey,
beaches in the U.S. are regularly closed after heavy rainfall because of runoff that includes sewage
and medical waste.

These chemical pollutants can harm not just a beach, but an entire ecosystem. Tiny microbes, such
as plankton or algae, absorb pollutants in the runoff. Fish or shellfish consume the microbes or absorb
the pollutants directly. Animals such as birds consume the fish, increasing the level of pollutants in their
own bodies. This process in which the concentration of a substance increases as it passes up the food
chain is called biomagnification.

Biomagnification means organisms high on the food chain, including people, have a higher
concentration of pollutants in their bodies than organisms such as seagrass or algae. As people eat foods
such as oysters, they may be ingesting runoff from farms, sewage treatment plants, and city streets.

Runoff is an economic threat, as well as an environmental one. Agribusinessloses millions of dollars to

runoff every year. In the process of erosion, runoff can carry away the fertile layer of topsoil. Farmers
rely on topsoil to grow crops. Tons of topsoil are lost to runoff every year.

People can limit runoff pollution in many ways. Farmers and gardeners can reduce the amount of
fertilizer they use.

Urban areas can reduce the number of impervious surfaces. Soil acts as a natural sponge, filtering and
absorbing many harmful chemicals.

Communities can plant native vegetation. Shrubs and other plants prevent erosion and runoff from
going into waterways.
FROM THE VIDEO
"Surface runoff" is the flow of water that occurs when excess stormwater, meltwater, or other
sources flows over the earth's surface. This might occur because soil is saturated to full capacity,
because rain arrives more quickly than soil can absorb it, or because impervious areas send their
runoff to surrounding soil that cannot absorb all of it. Surface runoff is a major component of the
water cycle. It is the primary agent in soil erosion by water. Runoff that occurs on the ground surface
before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source. If a nonpoint source contains man-made
contaminants, or natural forms of pollution the runoff is called nonpoint source pollution. A land area
which produces runoff that drains to a common point is called a drainage basin. When runoff flows
along the ground, it can pick up soil contaminants including, but not limited to petroleum, pesticides,
or fertilizers that become discharge or nonpoint source pollution. In addition to causing water erosion
and pollution, surface runoff in urban areas is a primary cause of urban flooding which can result in
property damage, damp and mold in basements, and street flooding. Surface runoff can be
generated either by rainfall,snowfall or by the melting of snow, or glaciers. Snow and glacier melt
occur only in areas cold enough for these to form permanently. Typically snowmelt will peak in the
spring and glacier melt in the summer, leading to pronounced flow maxima in rivers affected by
them. The determining factor of the rate of melting of snow or glaciers is both air temperature and
the duration of sunlight. In high mountain regions, streams frequently rise on sunny days and fall on
cloudy ones for this reason.