Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Water Pollution
Chapter 9
Water Resources
• Water
– Earth’s surface is covered by 71% water
– Essential for life – can survive only a few
days without water
Supply of Water Resources
Flowing
artesian well
Precipitation
Evaporation and transpiration
Well requiring a pump
Evaporation
Confined
Recharge Area
Runoff
Aquifer Stream
Infiltration Water table
Lake
Infiltration
Unconfined aquifer
Confined aquifer
Less permeable material
such as clay Confirming permeable rock layer
Watershed
Precipitation
Evaporation and transpiration
Well requiring a pump
Evaporation
Confined
Recharge Area
Runoff
Aquifer
Stream
Infiltration Water table
Lake
Infiltration
such as clay
Confirming permeable rock layer
Water sources
• Problems in the
• West
• Dry climate
• Drought
• Desiccation
Acute shortage
US has plenty of water.
Much of it is in the wrong Adequate supply
place at the wrong time. Shortage
Most serious problems are
Metropolitan regions with
flooding, pollution, population greater than 1 million
occassional urban shortages
Water conflicts: Western US
Water and Wash.
Fish
N.D.
Montana
Oregon
Idaho S.D.
Wyoming
Nevada Neb.
California
Oak.
N.M.
Texas
Highly likely conflict potential
Substantial conflict potential
Moderate conflict potential
Unmet rural water needs
Water conflicts: Global
Two main factors for water shortage: dry climate and too
many people. Many people live in hydro poverty – can’t afford clean
water.
Too Much Water: Floods
• Natural phenomena
• Aggravated by human activities
• Rain on snow Living on floodplains
• Impervious surfaces
• Removal of vegetation
• Draining wetlands
Reservoir
Dam
Levee Flood
wall
Floodplain
Deforestation and flooding
Using Dams and Reservoirs to
Supply More Water: The Trade-offs
Flooded land destroys Downstream cropland and
forests or cropland and estuaries are deprived of
displaces people nutrient-rich silt
Large losses
of water through Downstream flooding
evaporation is reduced
• Year-round use
• No evaporation losses
• Often less expensive
• Potential Problems:
• Water table lowering – too much use
• Depletion – U.S. groundwater being
withdrawn at 4X its replacement rate
• Saltwater intrusion – near coastal areas
• Chemical contamination
• Reduced stream flows
Reducing water waste
• RCW 90.82.005
• Purpose.
• The purpose of this chapter is to develop
a more thorough and cooperative method of
determining what the current water resource
situation is in each water resource inventory area of the
state and to provide local citizens with the maximum
possible input concerning their goals and objectives for
water resource management and development.
Watershed Planning