CHAPTER 9

Water Resources

Answer in groups

Describe the difference between confined and

unconfined aquifers.
Compare and contrast oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes.
List and describe three ways humans alter the natural
flow of water.
What are the two ways we desalinize water, and what
is the main reason we dont do this more often
considering most of the planet is salt water?
What are the four main methods of irrigation, and
which is the most and which is the least efficient?

Water Abundant, but Not Usable

Water

70% of earth is covered in water, but 97% of

that is salt
Remaining freshwater (<.5% salt), 22% is
underground, and 77% is frozen (<1% fresh
water bodies)

Groundwater

Groundwater exists in permeable layers of rock called aquifers. These

allow us to get usable ground water

Unconfined aquifers are aquifers that water can easily flow in and out of

Confined aquifers are aquifers that are surrounded by an impermeable

layer

Easily recharged from above

Under high pressure and can create artesian wells

Water table is the uppermost limit of saturated rock. Separates zone of

aeration from zone of saturation

Zone of aeration = pore spaces are partly filled with water

Zone of saturation = spaces are filled with water

Groundwater recharge zone is where water gets added to an aquifer

(harder in confined aquifers)

Springs are where ground water reaches the surface. Naturally clean

Wells are holes dug into the groundwater (cone of depression)

Problems with depleting GW

Saltwater intrusion- when the pumping of

fresh water out of a well is faster than the
recharge. Near coastal areas this can cause
salt water to infiltrate the aquifer.
Sinkholes
Reduction of water in nearby
streams/lakes/etc

Surface Water

Surface water is fresh water that exists above ground

(1%)
Much farming takes place near rivers because of water
supply and floodplain make for nutrient rich plains
Oligotrophic lakes = low nutrients, high oxygen, low
productivity
Eutrophicare lakes = high nutrients, low oxygen, high
productivity

Humans Alter Availability of

Water

Levee is a bank alongside a river

Dikes are similar to levees but they prevent ocean

flooding
Dams are barriers that control water flow and create
reservoir

Prevents natural floodplains, lead to more sediment

downstream, may cause other areas to flood, and leads
to development in floodplain

Affect habitats, take nutrients out of the water,

sediments pile up, displace people, uses large amount of
resources

Large amounts of water get diverted (Colorado River)

Aqueduct

Depleting Surface Water

In many places, we are withdrawing

water at unsustainable rates

Reduced flow drastically changes the

rivers ecology, plant community, and
destroys fish and invertebrates

The Colorado River

often does not reach
the Gulf of California

Can we quench our thirst

for bottled water?

Groundwater is being withdrawn for bottled water

People drink bottled water for portability,

convenience

An average American drinks 29 gallons/year

They think it tastes better or is healthier

Bottled water is no better than tap water

It is heavily packaged and travels long distances

using fossil fuels
Bottles are not recycled
Corporations move in, deplete water, and move away

1535% of water
withdrawals for irrigation
are unsustainable

Desalinization
Desalinization is removing salt from water
Expensive
Two ways:
1. Distillation is when water is boiled and the
water and salt separate
2. Reverse osmosis is when water is forced
through a semipermeable membrane (filter)

Ways to increase water

Desalination
Use more effective irrigation methods (drip
irrigation)
Water efficient appliances
Xeriscaping
Rainwater harvesting = capturing rain from roofs
Gray water = wastewater from showers and sinks
Demand industries use less
Level fields to reduce runoff
Genetic modification
Water lawns at night

Water Uses

70% agriculture (water crops), 20% industry (coolant

power), 10% households worldwide
Arid countries use more for agriculture, developed
countries use more for industry
Irrigation is the use of water for crops. 4 main methods
Furrows are when trenches are dug that fill with water
(cheap, easy, 65% efficient)
Flood irrigation floods the whole fields and let it soak
slowly (less ideal for plant growth, but 70-80% efficient)
Spray irrigation is when water is pumped and sprayed
(more energy intensive, but 75-95% efficient)
Drip irrigation is when water drips out of a hose with
holes (>95%)

Water Scarcity

Dry Climate: normally has little precipitation

Drought: precipitation is 70% lower than
normal
Desiccation: drying of soil because of
deforestation, overgrazing
Water stress: low water availability because
more people are relying on the water supply.
Water withdrawals can cause rivers, lakes and
streams to shrink in volume
Do the math, page 251

Anupam Mishra: The ancient ingenuity of

Areal Sea

The Draper family of four wanted to find ways to live more sustainably. Dad
recommended analyzing their water and energy usage. He noted that each person in the
family showers twice a day with an average of 6 minutes per shower. The shower has a
flow rate of 5.0 gallons per minute. Their standard hot-water heater raises the water
temperature to 130 OF, which requires 0.2 kWh per gallon at a cost off $0.10/kWh.
Problem:
1. Calculate the total amount of water the Draper family uses for showering per year.

Problem:
2. Calculate the annual cost of the electricity needed to heat the water the Draper family
uses for showers. Assume that 2.5 gallons per minute of hot water is being used.

Emptying the oceans

Overharvesting is the worst marine problem

We are putting unprecedented pressure on
marine resources

Total fisheries catch leveled off after 1988

Half the worlds marine fish populations are

fully exploited and cant be fished more
intensively
28% of fish population are overexploited and
heading to extinction
Despite increased fishing effort

The maximum wild fisheries potential has

been reached

The global fisheries catch has

increased

It is predicted that populations of all ocean species we fish for today will
collapse by 2048

Fishing has industrialized

Factory fishing = huge

vessels use powerful
technologies to capture
fish in huge volumes

Even processing and

freezing their catches at sea

Driftnets for schools of

herring, sardines,
mackerel, sharks, shrimp
Longline fishing for tuna
and swordfish
Trawling for pelagic fish
and groundfish

Fishing practices kill

nontarget animals

Bycatch = the accidental capture of animals

Drift netting drowns dolphins, turtles, and seals

Fish die on deck

Banned in international waters
But it is still used in national waters

Longline fishing kills turtles, sharks, and over

300,000 seabirds/year
-

Methods (e.g., flags) are being developed to limit

bycatch

We can protect areas in the

Marine protected areas (MPAs) = most are
ocean
along the coastlines of developed countries

Marine reserves = areas where fishing is

prohibited

They still allow fishing or other extractive activities

Leave ecosystems intact, without human interference

Improve fisheries, because young fish will disperse
into surrounding areas

Many commercial, recreation fishers, and

businesses do not support reserves

Be sensitive to concerns of local residents