1. Hydrosphere Notes
Parts 4- Watersheds

2. What’s a Watershed?
An area of land that drains into a common body of water

6. What are Tributaries?
Tributary are smaller streams that flow into larger streams and rivers
Stoney Creek is a tributary of Clinton River

7. Why are tributaries important?
Whatever happens to the tributaries will affect related streams they feed into

8. How does topography affect the flow of water?
Water flows from higher elevations to lower elevations

9. How does water flow between the elements of a watershed.
Watersheds are made up of rivers or streams; lake or ponds; wetlands; ocean coastlines and estuaries.
The boundaries of a watershed are determined by the elevation of surrounding land
Natural and human-made pollutants are carried with the water, affecting the health of the river and the watershed as a whole.

10. What affects the amount of surface runoff?
Type of soil
Condition of soil
Amount of vegetation
Amount and duration of rain or snowmelt
The slope of the land surface
Pore space of soil

11. Parts 5-Watershed Model
Hydrosphere Notes
Parts 5-Watershed Model

12. What is pollution?
Anything that doesn’t belong

13. What is a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO)?
When excess flow of untreated water bypasses treatment due to rainfall and often goes directly into rivers, streams, or lakes

14. Why are Industrial Plants, Sewage Treatment Plants, and Stormwater Drains potentially harmful?
Because they are directly connected to storm sewers and could drain to a river

15. Point and Non-point Sources of Water Pollution
Point = water pollutants discharged from a pipe into lakes and rivers.
Nonpoint = water pollutants carried by runoff over land and into lakes and rivers.

16. What are some examples of point source and non-point source pollution?
Roads, Soil erosion, Runoff from golf courses and lawns, Construction sites, Deforestation, Agriculture
Point Source:
Sewage treatment plants
Industrial plants
Storm drains

17. What are sources of pollution for the following:
Construction Site: Soil, Trash, Oil
Lawns and Golf Courses: Fertilizers and Pesticides
Highways, Roads, and Parking Lots: Salt, Oil, and Trash
Forest Clearing: Soil
Agriculture; Fertilizers and Pesticides, Bacteria
Waste Water Treatment Plant: Fertilizers and Bacteria
Factories: Toxic Substances

18. Why are excessive nutrients a potential problem in the water?
Nitrogen and phosphorus can speed up the aging process of lakes
called Eutrophication

19. What problems can bacteria pose in the water?
They can cause diseases such as Typhoid Fever, Dysentery, and Swimmers Itch
also harmful to aquatic organisms

20. What are toxic substances found in the water and what problems can they cause?
Poisonous substances
They can cause allergic reactions, illness or death in humans
When fish ingest toxins they get into the food chain

21. How can soil become a problem in the water?
Depth of lakes decreases, affecting recreation and/or causing flooding
it can kill fish and disrupt reproduction habits