1. Into Thin Air? How much of our precious water is lost to evaporation?

2. Teacher Pages A web quest for 11& 12 environmental science students. Designed by Leslie O’Neill & Denny Goode This lesson was developed to lead the students into learning about our unique hydrologic situation in the LVV, where our water comes from, where it goes, how much we use and how much we will need in the future.

3. Standards N12.B.2 Students know consumption patterns, conservation efforts, and cultural and social practices in countries have varying environmental impacts. L12.C.4 Students know the unique hydrologic characteristics of Nevada’s bioregion.

4. What thinking and learning skills are the students developing? Critical thinking – analyzing data Creative production Inference making Problem solving Predicting outcomes

5. How is the lesson organized? Students will work on this individually We will work in the computer lab for 2 days and the site will be available on edline and myclass websites for homework. A misconception, some students do not know how the water cycle works in our valley. This is an easy lesson to load on to myclass website. As long as you have computers available you can do this lesson.

6. How will I know the lesson is successful? If the students can explain that our valley has a very restricted inflow of water and our outflow is ONLY through the LV wash. If they can measure this water in AFY and calculate the amount lost to evaporation If they can identify where this evaporated water goes If they gain a realization of our precarious position in terms of water supply THEN THE LESSON WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!

7. Summary Students must know that: Water is precious resource Water conservation is not propaganda The amount of water we use in this society could be reduced

8. Las Vegas Valley is Unusual WHY? WHY? List the sources of our water http://www.snwa.com/html/resources_index.html List the sources of our water http://www.snwa.com/html/resources_index.html http://www.snwa.com/html/resources_index.html List the outlets that take the water away from our valley. http://www.lvwash.org/wash/4_flow/4flow.html List the outlets that take the water away from our valley. http://www.lvwash.org/wash/4_flow/4flow.html http://www.lvwash.org/wash/4_flow/4flow.html What is the FINAL DESTINATION of our water?http://water.usgs.gov/wsc/map_index.html What is the FINAL DESTINATION of our water?http://water.usgs.gov/wsc/map_index.htmlhttp://water.usgs.gov/wsc/map_index.html

9. Inflow – Outflow = how much water is used????? After we use water, what do we do with it? http://www.pwisolutions.com/esr_process.html After we use water, what do we do with it? http://www.pwisolutions.com/esr_process.html http://www.pwisolutions.com/esr_process.html How do we know how much water flows out of the valley? http://www.lvwash.org/ http://www.lvwash.org/ Is any of our water completely lost from our system? http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/6- 12_sci_hydrologic_cycle.html Is any of our water completely lost from our system? http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/6- 12_sci_hydrologic_cycle.htmlhttp://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/6- 12_sci_hydrologic_cycle.htmlhttp://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/6- 12_sci_hydrologic_cycle.html How? How?

10. What is AFY ? http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/index. html http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/index. html http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/index. html http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/index. html http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/library _water_resources_acrefoot.html http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/library _water_resources_acrefoot.html http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/library _water_resources_acrefoot.html http://www.h2ouniversity.org/html/library _water_resources_acrefoot.html

11. Can this be quantified? Find the total AFY of water that Las Vegas is budgeted by SNWA. Find the total AFY of water that Las Vegas is budgeted by SNWA. –http://www.snwa.com/assets/pdf/res_plan_ch apter3.pdf http://www.snwa.com/assets/pdf/res_plan_ch apter3.pdfhttp://www.snwa.com/assets/pdf/res_plan_ch apter3.pdf –Find the total AFY of water that flows out of Las Vegas Wash. – –http://www.lvwash.org/http://www.lvwash.org/

12. How much water do we use? How many households need water from the SNWA? Search U.S. Census Bureau, American Fact Finder for Clark County, Nevada How many households need water from the SNWA? Search U.S. Census Bureau, American Fact Finder for Clark County, Nevada About how much water does each household use? About how much water does each household use? How else is water used in our valley? How else is water used in our valley? What is the total amount of water the SNWA must provide? http://www.snwa.com/assets/pdf/res_plan_chap ter4.pdf What is the total amount of water the SNWA must provide? http://www.snwa.com/assets/pdf/res_plan_chap ter4.pdf http://www.snwa.com/assets/pdf/res_plan_chap ter4.pdf http://www.snwa.com/assets/pdf/res_plan_chap ter4.pdf

13. What flows in must flow out – Right? AFY water in – AFY out = ?????? AFY water in – AFY out = ?????? Where does all that water go? Where does all that water go? Have people had an effect on the amount of water evaporated from the valley? Have people had an effect on the amount of water evaporated from the valley?

14. Can water ever be completely lost? Draw the hydrologic cycle Draw the hydrologic cycle Find out which direction our prevailing winds blow in Las Vegas Find out which direction our prevailing winds blow in Las Vegas Look on a map - Look on a map - Who gets our evaporated water? Who gets our evaporated water?

15. What are our future water needs and how will they be supplied?