Freshwater Resource Discussion
Underground aquifers: Because of where underground aquifers are located, groundwater typically is protected from pollutants while normal surface waters usually are not. Because of the slow movement of contaminants and subsurface water, there is not a requirement in cleaning the water which saves money. Also this underwater resource provides clean water for many. Approximately two billion of the world's population rely on underground aquifers for clean drinking water.
Also, aquifers provide water for surrounding ecosystems. They actively contribute to giving water to the ecosystems through springs. Trees are able to live and grow through underground aquifers.
Human impact: Certain irrigation practices can increase groundwater salinity and can increase nitrate and pesticide leaching.
Lakes: Many lakes benefit ecosystems by provisioning both food and water and buffering flood flows. Also, lakes support extensive biodiversity and some species are only found in lakes and nowhere else on the planet.
Lakes support transportation, recreation, and other cultural amenities. Because of the Lakes' beauty, many tourists come to visit them positively contributing to the economy. Also, lakes provide food and fiber to many communities and attract many tourists.
Human impact: The extensive use of industrial and agricultural chemicals contaminate the water. Excessive nutrients can lead to eutrophication which is the over-productivity of organisms in water. This leads to the creation of algal blooms and the depletion of oxygen concentrations threaten many animal and plant species.
Rivers: Because rivers are readily available and easy to access, more than two-thirds of terrestrial species use them for daily use. Rivers also provide for global biodiversity attracting many species to their freshwater.
Some rivers carry historical importance such as the Mississippi River which increases the attraction of the river causing people to come and visit them. Also, rivers serve as a way to transport goods.
Human impact: From agricultural runoff and domestic wastes, rivers are negatively affected by humans. Agricultural runoff and domestic wastes causes alterations of the rivers and allow pollutants to disperse throughout the air.
Wetlands: Wetlands store nutrients and pollutants in the soil by trapping and holding water. This allows for cleaner water to flow. Also, wetlands moderate water flows, providing for sediments to settle out before the water is released to other wetlands, lakes or streams. Because there is less sediment, the water is cleaner and it provides a better environment for aquatic life.
Additionally, wetlands are great places to canoe, hunt, fish or explore and enjoy nature. They provide economic commodities such as cranberries and fish. They also provide spatial amenities to developments.
Human impact: Widespread land development and clearing of trees have caused increased erosion in upland areas leading to increased sedimentation in lowland wetlands.
Water Diversion Discussion
Colorado River: The Colorado River aqueduct is a canal that carries water 400 km from the Colorado River to Los Angeles. The water go to the cities but so much water is removed from them, at multiple locations, that they go dry before they reach the ocean. The creation of aqueducts costs a lot of money and requires the use of many resources. Through construction of the aqueducts, various natural habitats are disturbed. On the other hand, because these structures are more efficient in carrying water, more water can be carried out providing for more people. People not only buy this water for drinking purposes but they also buy it for agricultural use. Many species live along these aqueducts or come to these aqueducts for water. These aqueducts allow for species to remain in their habitats.
India-Bangladesh rivers: India proposed a large-scale water diversion project, involving more than fifty rivers, that has caused Bangladesh some major concerns. These rivers originate in the Himalayas of India and flow into Bangladesh. By diverting water from these rivers, India benefits greatly by increasing their water supply for agricultural and household use. While India benefits from this diversion, Bangladesh suffers. From losing massive amounts of water, their local fish population depletes and negatively affects their river navigability for commerce. The project may reduce the flow of fresh water and salinity may rise. Species in India benefit from this diversion while species like fish don't.
Aral Sea: This is the most infamous river diversion project that happened in the 1950s. This is when the Soviet Union diverted two rivers that fed the Aral Sea in Central Asia. Diversion of the rivers dramatically decreased freshwater input into the Aral Sea. Therefore, leading to the increase of salinity in the remaining lake water. The diversion also drastically reduced the surface area which caused the Aral Sea to split into two. Although there were many costs associated with the diversion, there were many benefits too. The production of cotton increased creating a greater demand for it and an increase in supply of the cotton. Also, many species benefited from the split of the sea. They don't have to share as much water anymore.
Water Quality Discussion
We did a pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate test to access the health of the ecosystem and observe the water quality.
We took a slip of pH paper and dipped it into the water and determined what it was on the pH scale based on the color. This test is to show how many things are in the water such as rocks. If the pH deviates from seven then is it same to assume that the water is not clean.
Then, we took a thermometer and put it into the water for thirty seconds then took it out and recorded the temperature. This test indicates the affect of thermal pollution on the water.
The dissolved oxygen consisted of the temperature and pH.
For the nitrate test, we took a sample of the water and put into a vile and then put nitrate in it. After that we shook the vile for five minutes for the nitrate to dissolve into the water. This test helped show the affect of chemical fertilizers on the water.
For the phosphate test, we followed the same procedure as we did for the nitrate test except we put phosphate into the vile instead of nitrate. This test helped show all the forms of phosphorus present in the water.
An example of a biological indicator species is fish tissue contaminants. It detects contaminants such as a number of organochlorinated pesticides, PCB congeners, and heavy metals including mercury. If there is an increase or decrease of these contaminants then the scientists will know that there is an increase or decrease of fish tissue.
Water Conservation Discussion
Agriculture: Two ways to conserve freshwater better agriculturally are through Zai Pits and through drip, or micro-irrigation. Zai planting pits are hand dug holes about ten inches wide and deep. They are three feet apart used to trap water and increase soil fertility, especially in arid regions. When digging the pits, the excavated soil is used to make a small ridge around the pit to help capture rainfall. Drip, or micro-irrigation delivers water and fertilizer on the soil surface or directly to the roots of plants through systems of plastic tubing with small holes and other restrictive outlets. By distributing these inputs slowly and regularly, drip irrigation conserves fifty to seventy percent more water than traditional methods while increasing crop production by twenty to ninety percent. The water and fertilizer are also more easily absorbed by the soil and plants, reducing the risks of erosion and nutrient depletion.
Industry: Two ways to conserve freshwater through industry are to buy less things and knowing the source of your drinking water. By buying less things, less things are produced and less factories are needed for production. Also by knowing the source of your drinking water, you are less likely to waste water since industries are the reason our water is fresh.
Household: Two ways to conserve freshwater better at home is to recycle and install a low-flow showerhead. By recycling plastics, glass, metals, and paper, reusable products are being made and not wasted since it takes water to make mostly everything. By installing a low-flow showerhead, hot water is saved and so is money.
BIG Picture Discussion
Human Impact: People built Levees, Dikes and Dams. Leeves were built to prevent rivers from flowing over their banks and onto the floodplain. Dikes were built to prevent ocean waters from flooding to adjacent land. Lastly, Dams serve as a barrier that runs across a stream to control the flow of water. Also, people came with up new ways to alter water. For example, fish ladders were created to help migrate fish upstream. Also, aqueducts were made to serve as canals and ditches to carry water from one location to another location. Additionally, people came up with the process of desalinization. Desalinization is the process of removing the salt from water to obtain more freshwater. New ways to alter water proved to be beneficial in many cases but one flaw in altering water was diverting water from rivers and seas. This caused many devastating impacts on the rivers and seas.
Environmental Impact: There is a surplus of mercury dispersed throughout the air as a result of the burning of fossil fuels. Exposure of the mercury usually occurs through the consumption of fish which is an example of bioaccumulation in aquatic food chains. Also, acid results from the burning of coal from industrial plants. These compounds react with water in the air making sulfuric acid and nitric acid which falls back to the earth as acid rain. It also lowers the pH in large bodies of water. The low pH of water causes iron to precipitate out of solution and form a rusty red oxidized iron. This problem destroys many streams also disturbing the habitat of many species.
Economic Impact: There has been a massive development of technology over the past few years to treat wastewater. Wastewater treatments are needed and bought by large communities with dense human populations and less open land. Since these technologies are more environmentally friendly, they are more likely to be purchased and used aiding the economy. Also, because of periods of high industrialization there is a widespread pollution. In efforts of getting rid of this pollution, people try to improve the quality of their waterways. They do this by purchasing the technologies necessary to do so.
Government Legislation: The Clean Water Act (1972): This act supports the "protection propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water" by maintaining and, when necessary, restoring the chemical, physical and biological properties of natural waters.
The Clean Water Act issued water quality standards that defined acceptable limits of various pollutants in the U.S. waterways.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (1974, 1986, 1996): This act sets the national standards for safe drinking water. Under this act, the EPA is responsible for establishing maximum containment levels (MCL) for 77 different elements or substances in both surface water and groundwater.
Water regulations have greatly reduced contamination of waters and nearly eliminated major point sources of water pollution.
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