Freshwater and Society
Module 1, part A
Developed by: Svendsen Updated: 12-2003 U1-m1a-s2
Content of module 1
Beneficial uses of water Hydrologic cycle History of watershed science Watersheds Human impacts and impairment of water
resources
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What are the resources?
More than 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams (including intermittent streams)
www.noaa.gov/str-plan/images/river.gif
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What are the resources?
Approximately 40 million acres of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs
The area of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs in the United States converts to about 62,500 square miles An area larger than
many individual states such as Illinois, Georgia, or New York
http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/gallery/world/new_world/new_world1.html
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5,382 miles of Great Lakes shoreline
What are the resources?
http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/
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More than 277 million acres of wetlands such as marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens, including 170 million acres of wetlands in Alaska
What are the resources?
http://www.in.gov/dnr/soilcons/programs/iwcp/plan/ http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/hab/science/tcwp/graphics/mcmilan.jpg
http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/dslcomplex/mantles.htm
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How do people use freshwater resources?
Beneficial uses of water
http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/circ/circ1156/circ1156.4D.html
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Aquatic life and wildlife support Fish/shellfish consumption Drinking water supply Recreation Agriculture Transportation Industrial
Beneficial uses: Summary
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Beneficial uses: Aquatic life and wildlife support
The waterbody provides suitable habitat for survival and reproduction of desirable fish, shellfish, and other aquatic organisms
http://www.pnl.gov/breakthroughs/images/fall02/fish.jpg
Don Breneman
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The water body supports populations that do not pose a human health risk to consumers: Fish free from contaminants Shellfish free from toxicants and pathogens
Beneficial uses: Fish and shellfish consumption
http://seagrant.umn.edu/pubs/vgl/com3.html http://hawaii.gov/health/eh/food/
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http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/
Beneficial uses: Drinking water supply
The water body can supply safe drinking water with conventional treatment
Consider possible negative impacts of this beneficial use: May greatly reduce water
quantity in rivers, lakes and groundwater
Rivers and streams may be dammed to store water for dry seasons
Groundwater retrieval may create saltwater intrusions in coastal areas
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Beneficial uses: Recreation
Primary contact recreation - Swimming People can swim in the
waterbody without risk of adverse human health effects (such as catching waterborne diseases from raw sewage contamination)
Secondary contact recreation People can perform activities
on the water (such as canoeing) without risk of adverse human health effects from occasional contact with the water
http://www.recreation.gov/FWSimgs/
http://www.recreation.gov/USACEimgs/
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Beneficial uses: Agriculture
Agriculture The water quality is suitable for irrigating fields or
watering livestock
http://www.florence.ars.usda.gov/kidsonly/element/dirtcp3.jpg
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/jul02/k4117-15i.jpg
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Other beneficial uses
Landscaping Power generation Industrial processing and/or cooling
http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/wsd/wateruse/images/sprinkler.jpghttp://www.seagrant.umn.edu/pubs/vgl/medium/168.jpg
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Beneficial uses: Water use and management
Beneficial uses are driven by societal values Vary geographically due
to numerous characteristics
Vary over time Governs the science
and administration of water quality Guides water quality
assessment and monitoring
Results in water quality classifications
http://www.hanford.gov/docs/annualrp00/graphics/public.jpg
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Beneficial uses:
Water quality for the beneficial uses can be degraded by human actions or natural events
The US Environmental Protection Agency is a major federal agency responsible for monitoring and assessing water quality
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Beneficial uses: Monitoring program questions
What is the overall quality of waters in the State? To what extent is water quality changing over
time? What are the problem areas and areas needing
protection? The State must identify impaired waters. The State should also identify waters that are
currently of high quality and should be protected from degradation
What level of protection is needed? How effective are clean water projects and
programs?
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Beneficial uses: Five levels of water use
1. Fully supporting overall use All designated beneficial uses are fully supported
2. Threatened overall use One or more designated beneficial uses are threatened
and the remaining uses are fully supported
3. Partially supporting overall use One or more designated beneficial uses are partially
supported and the remaining uses are fully supported
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Beneficial uses: Five levels of water use
4. Not supporting overall use One or more designated beneficial uses are not
supported
5. Not attainable The State has performed a use-attainability study
and documented that use support of one or more designated beneficial uses is not achievable due to natural conditions or human activity that cannot be reversed without imposing widespread economic and social impacts
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Introduction to the hydrologic cycle Brief history of the hydrologic cycle
The hydrologic cycle: Understanding the context
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The hydrological cycle: What is it?
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•http://www.in.gov/idem/water/kids/waterpix/watercycleimage2.gif
The hydrologic cycle: Active model
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The hydrologic cycle: Water cycle active model
The water cycle includes: Precipitation events: rain, fog,
mist, snow Infiltration and ground and
surface water flow events with eventual discharge into creeks and rivers
Intercepting this process is the vegetation process of root adsorption
Water enters back into the atmosphere in the form of water vapors through transpiration (plants) and evapotransporation (water bodies)
Vapors condense, form clouds, and result in another precipitation event
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The hydrologic cycle: 1955 historical
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The hydrologic cycle: Global water balance
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The hydrologic cycle: Global cycle
http://www.unesco.org/science/waterday2000/Cycle.htm
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The hydrologic cycle: Global water balance
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The hydrologic cycle: Global water balance
http://www.dkrz.de/dkrz/broschuere-eng/research/water.html
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History of hydrologic cycle and watersheds
900 B.C. - The Chinese develop the concept of the hydrological cycle. Had no influence on Western thought
400-300 B.C. - Aristotle & Plato described some portions of the water cycle, but believed rivers arose from deep, dark, cold caves, where air was transformed into water
1215 - Louis VI of France issued decree on water and forests
1342 - Switzerland community beginning of an era on forest protection
1500’s - Paulini brothers of Venice accounted correctly for the silting and flooding of the lagoons
1563 - Bernard Palissy of France published a correct version of the hydrological cycle
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History of hydrologic cycle and watersheds
1670’s - Pierre Perrault measured and correctly accounted for the major elements of the hydrological cycle; precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, and discharge of the Seine River Basin
1864 - George Perkins Marsh wrote a book called Man and Nature focusing on the effects of deforestation
1874 - New York State report to legislature outlining the negative effects of deforestation: ...”creating vast areas of
naked rock, arid sand and gravel unable to retain the bounty of clouds. Streams that now flow icy cold will flow exposed to the sun, heated and impure.”
1890’s - First forest research efforts appear
1910 - Forest watershed research begins