Module 2: Watersheds, Water Quality, and Eutrophication Flashcards
watershed approach
study the impact of agriculture on water quality and apply solutions to water quality issues
misconceptions about the watershed approach
Represents a volume, not just a surface
Less shed and more soil
what does a flux represent?
represents the flow of water from one pool to another
how much of precipitations falls on our ice-free land surface?
76%
natural ecosystem
water infiltrates the soil where it is stored and filtered
urban ecosystem
runoff is promoted, disconnecting the soil from the water cycle
water quality
reflects the chemical, biological, and physical composition of a water body
what is the biggest contributors of nutrient pollution into the water of the US?
agriculture
what events occurred prior to the clean water act of 1972?
Three cholera pandemics
Diarrhoeal disease
High death toll
Spurred cities to treat drinking water and build wastewater treatment facilities
The cuyahoga river, once one of the most polluted rivers in the united states, caught on fire thirteen times from 1868 to 1970
top sources for pollution in lakes
unknown, atmosphere, deposition, agriculture, and natural
top sources for pollution in rivers
agriculture, atmosphere, deposition, hydrologic modifications
top causes of pollution in lakes
mercury, nutrients, and PCBs
top causes of pollution in rivers
pathogens, sediment, and nutrients
point source pollution
pollutant discharged from well-defined sources
nonpoint source pollution
surface/groundwater contamination (diffuse sources)
not sure where the pollution occurred
Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)
Defined as having 1,000 or more animal units
Waste is often discharged into a man-made ditch or other waterway
What happens with waste is regulated
how does the pollutant get to the surface water body?
for point source, it comes from a pipe or other manmade structure
from non-point source, it comes from rain/stormwater
the enrichment of water by nutrients causing an accelerated growth of algae and higher forms of plant life to produce an undesirable disturbance to the balance of organisms present in the water and to the quality of the water concerned
eutrophication
eutrophication process
Nutrients from the land run off into the pond
Excess nutrients cause algae to bloom
Dying algae sink to the bottom of the pond
Bacteria consumes the decaying algae
Oxygen is used up by the bacteria
Low oxygen “dead” zones harm other aquatic life
what does eutrophication require?
Sunlight and excess nutrients
Warm temperatures
Stratification
Wet weather followed by warm, dry weather
what is a watershed?
a land area whose runoff drains into any stream, river, lake, and ocean
- all land area is part of a watershed
what are the 5 functions of a watershed?
- collects water from rainfall
- stores water of various amounts and for different times
- releases water as runoff
- provides diverse sites for chemical reactions to take place
- provides habitat for flora and fauna
- first three are hydraulic functions, last two are ecological functions
what were the goals of watersheds in florida in 1845?
Drain the swamps to make way for houses and farming;
Cut canals to facilitate drainage and to make navigation faster and safer; and
Hold back flood water.
what are the 5 large basins in florida?
Northwest;
Suwannee River;
St. Johns River;
Southwest; and
Kissimmee-Everglades
what are the three management activities of watersheds?
Rehabilitation of abandoned and misused lands that export excess sediment, chemicals, or ill-timed runoff;
Protection of natural and sensitive areas to avoid having to rehabilitate them; and
Enhancement of water resource characteristics.
what is the aim of the clean water act?
aims to prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution in the nation’s water in order to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters”
pollutant according to CWA
is any type of industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into water.
Explain why this statement is true or false: water quality is the same as water pollution.
false
Water quality reflects the chemical, biological, and physical composition of a water body
The intended purpose of water determines water quality standards
If the water is to support natural ecosystems, then we cannot call that water body impaired because it does not meet our drinking water quality standards
