Watershed presentation

1. How does human activity
change our water systems?
Human Activity
and Ground
Water

2. WHAT IS GROUNDWATER?
Water that is found underground
in the cracks and spaces in soil,
sand and rock.
Half of everyone in the United
States gets their water from
groundwater
Groundwater comes from rain,
snow, sleet, and hail that soaks
into the ground
Groundwater is stored in the
ground in materials like gravel
and sand

3. AQUIFERS
A body of porous rocks that allows water to saturate
and easily flow through
An underground “storehouse” of water

4. WHAT IS A WATERSHED?
A watershed is the area of land where all of the
water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the
same location

5. WHAT AFFECTS WATERSHEDS?
 Natural Events:
 Storms, fires and droughts can suddenly alter watershed
conditions
 Human activity:
 Point source pollution is pollution that can be traced to a
specific point such as a disposal site or leaking pipe.
 Nonpoint source pollution occurs when pollutants are found in
water running off of areas such as parking lots or crop lands
 Reduction of the amount of water flowing within a watershed
 About 40 percent of the lakes in the United States are not clean
enough to be used by humans

6. HUMAN IMPACT ON GROUNDWATER
Overuse: groundwater is often withdrawn for
agricultural, municipal and industrial purposes.
Pollution: contaminants released to the ground that
work their way down into groundwater
Misuse of fertilizers or manure
Leakage from underground storage containers and
landfills
Run-off from urban areas
Construction sites
Parking lots

7. TEXAS WATER ISSUES
Rangelands are the major source of water for human use
 Availability is directly related to the amount & intensity of
rainfall
 Typically, below EPA standards for water quality
Traditionally managed for wildlife, livestock, and
environmental impact, but not water use

8. TEXAS WATER ISSUES CONTINUED
Water demand currently exceeds supply in many areas
Population is expected to double by 2050 - water use
will continue to increase
May cause changes in water law and private and public
property rights

9. TEXAS WATER ISSUES
CONTINUED
Sixteen regional citizen water planning groups have been
organized to implement planning and management of
water resources
Many endangered species require specific habitats that
are affected by such management
May impact wetlands and riparian zones which serve as
filter strips for water entering lakes and streams

10. HOW DOES NATURE CLEAN
WATER?
When water soaks into the ground it moves through
soil and rock.
The tightly packed particles that make up the soil
filter out impurities.
Certain ecosystems, such as wetlands, are
especially good natural filters, absorbing excess
nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorous from the
water.

11. HOW HAVE WE PROTECTED OUR
WATER?
The Clean Water Act (CWA):
Regulates discharges of pollutants into waters
Sets wastewater standards for industry
Sets water quality standards for all contaminants in
surface waters

12. RESOURCES
http://www.groundwater.org/kc/whatis.html
http://water.epa.gov/type/
http://www.loudounwildlife.org/PDF_Files/SM_
Human_Impacts.pdf
http://essmextension.tamu.edu/trm/docs/water
series3.pdf