Surface runoff occurs when rainwater pools on the surface after infiltrating the soil to its maximum capacity. It flows across the land into low points and bodies of water, carrying pollutants from urban and agricultural areas that can harm the environment, wildlife, and water quality. Increased urbanization reduces groundwater recharge and exacerbates drought by preventing water absorption, impacting farmers and communities that rely on well water. Contaminants transported by surface runoff threaten aquatic species through fish kills, population imbalances, and interference with reproduction. Simple actions like proper pesticide use, cleaning up pet waste, and recycling motor oil can help reduce pollutants entering watersheds via surface runoff.

1. Surface Runoff
Briana Rudolph

2. During rainfall, it is common for a portion of the
rain to immerse into the ground until the soil
becomes saturated. After the soil is infiltrated
to its maximal ability, the water pools on the
surface, causing it to flow into any nearby low
point. The excess water that flows over the
land is known as surface runoff.
What Is Surface Runoff?

3. Surface Runoff is a negative, because it can
carry detrimental substances such as
herbicides and pathogens with it.
(Ex: E Coli breakout in Haiti after the flooding)
Why Is Surface Runoff A
Negative Thing?

4. While surface runoff is extremely harmful to the
environment, it also has its benefits.
Surface runoff benefits us in two ways.
1. It restores surface water sources
2. It helps us calculate how much we can harvest for
future value.
Why Is Surface Runoff A
Positive Thing?

5. What Are The Effects of
Surface Runoff?
(((Lake Pontchartrain Basin)))

6. Urbanization creates more impassable surfaces such as
buildings and pavements, that keep the water from going
into the soil, and to the aquifer. Instead, it is taken
directly into streams or storm water runoff drains, where
even flooding is not a considerable issue, erosion and
siltation can be. An increase of runoff leads to the
reduction of groundwater recharge, furthermore lowering
the water table, making droughts exceedingly worse.
This is a major setback for farmers and others who
depend highly on water wells.
Human Impacts On Surface
Runoff

7. Surface runoff carries many endangering
pollutants that ultimately destroy the
waterbodies in the watershed.
You can help by:
● Recycling used motor oil
● Cleaning up pet waste
● Use pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides properly
Ways To Stop Contaminating
The Watershed

8. Contaminants are known for traveling through surface run
offs. Surface runoffs many times end up bodies of water
such as rivers and lakes. The contaminants the surface
runoffs carry provide a prominent threat to various
underwater species.
Some threats they carry are:
● Fish kills
● Imbalance of underwater populations
● Direct impacts on mating, egg/larvae viability, spawning, exc.
● Research shows that pesticides such as DDT can alter the gender of a fish
genetically, turning a male fish into a female
Wildlife Affected By Surface
Runoffs

9. Stay Humane,
Save The Drain!
Public Service Announcement