Let’s go!Please go get your interactive notebook!

Please get out your permission slip and $5 to turn in.

Which way is the water running?

Does being downstream matter?

February 16

*Houston Water sources:Lake Livingston (806 MGD)

Lake Conroe (60 MGD)

Lake Houston (150 MGD)

Evangeline aquifer

1. Screening

2. Coagulation withalum; chlorine treatment

3. Mixing

4.settling tank – flocs sink to bottom

5. Filtration

6. disinfection with chlorine/ fluoride added

Does being downstream matter?

How can we meet water needs?ConservationUse more surface water (build more dams)Use aquifers (groundwater)Transfer water from other areasDesalinate ocean water

Consequences of using our ground waterOverdraft – taking more water OUT of an

aquifer than is recharging IN to the aquifer

(What would happen to your bank account if you did this?)

February 16

*Water has mass and fills an aquifer through a recharge zone

*Subsidence – sinking of land due to aquifer overdraft

Brownwood subdivision Baytown

Brownwood 1953

Brownwood 1978

Baytown Nature Center today

Houston is switching to just surface water to

protect the city from further subsidence.

*Overdraft – taking more water OUT of an aquifer than is recharging IN to the aquifer

*Overdraft leads to subsidence

*Texas Aquifers in trouble!Evangeline – Houston (overdraft and

subsidence)Ogallala – Pan handle through South Dakota

(overdraft by farmers)Edwards – Austin and Hill Country (overdraft

from cities and ranchers)

Label these on your map!

Check for understandingWhat clues on a map will show which

direction is downstream?How are an aquifer and a recharge zone

related?How are a watershed and a river related?How are subsidence and overdraft related?Why does it matter that our drinking water

supplies are downstream of Dallas?Describe the tradeoffs between using surface

water and using ground water.

Issue Analysis ProjectProject purpose: To analyze one

aspect of our field trip to describe the challenges and possible solutions for living sustainably in Houston

Due March