1. Water Resources

2. Hydrologic Cycle Evaporation and transpiration Evaporation
Precipitation
Unconfined Aquifer Recharge Area
Runoff
Flowing artesian well
Well requiring a pump
Stream
Water table
Infiltration
Lake
Infiltration
Unconfined aquifer
Less permeable material such as clay
Confined aquifer
Confining impermeable rock layer
Fig. 13-3, p. 316

4. Ocean water
Saline-basically unusable to humans
Ocean circulation

5. Thermohaline Currents—The great conveyor belt

6. Freshwater Resources Major limiting factor in modern world
Access to freshwater divides the haves from the have-nots
Plenty of water if we didn’t need electricity and food.

7. Groundwater:
Ground water –
Zone of saturation
Water table –
Aquifers

8. Use of Groundwater in Saudi Arabia

9. Ogallala Aquifer
largest known aquifer- lies under 8 mid western states from South Dakota to Texas
Irrigates the Great Plains
Water table lowered more than 30m
Cost of high pumping makes it too expensive to irrigate in certain areas. Amount of farmland decreased by 11%
Government subsidies to continue farming deplete the aquifer further by encouraging the growth of water thirsty crops
Biodiversity threatened in some areas

10. Freshwater Surface Water Surface runoff – Watershed (drainage) basin –
Reliable runoff –

13. Freshwater conflict on the Klamath River

14. Fight over Klamath River water distribution in early 2000’s
Tribes and environmental groups sued electric company to release water from reservoirs
Result of decades of tension between stakeholders.

15. Historical Impacts of dams on the Klamath river

16. Stakeholders: Native Americans
Traditional uses of salmon fisheries cut short
Pollution
Temperature change
Eutrophication of streams
Dams prevent movement

17. Agriculture
Losses of farm income worth $73-$92 million, when government shut off irrigation because of a severe drought in
13% of jobs in this region are related to agriculture.
Irrigation from the Klamath River Basin accounts for half of the agricultural production in this area.

18. Electric Company
Hydroelectric power is a clean way to fuel the area and removal of dams may increase pollution by increasing other means to generate power

19. Environmental Groups Agricultural runoff fosters massive fish kills.
Cattle grazing on river basin land area and can cause eutrophication and contamination through cow feces.
80% of original wetlands lost
Water quality degraded; quantity decreased during drought
80% of Pacific Flyway’s waterfowl supported by wetlands
Area essential to seasonal migrations:
Fall: waterfowl, peaks can reach 1 million birds
Winter: bald eagles, largest concentration in contiguous U.S.
Spring: waterfowl return, songbirds, shorebirds, one of the few remaining American white pelican breeding colonies
Summer: waterfowl and marsh birds

20. Conclusion 1.1 billion people lack safe drinking water.
66% of total withdrawal of fresh water is used for irrigation, followed by industry, domestic households, and evaporation.
Over 260 river basins are shared by two or more countries.
Aral Sea, in Central Asia, has lost half its superficies, or 2/3 of its volume, leaving 36,000km2 of land covered by salt ater availability will cca

21. Dams Release runoff as needed to control: Floods Generate electricity
Main goals of a dam and reservoir system
Capture and store runoff
Release runoff as needed to control:
Floods
Generate electricity
Supply irrigation water
Recreation (reservoirs)

22. Water Use
Domestic
Indistru
Agriculture

23. Future Will need to begin desalination in near future to provide water
VERY expensive