WHAT IS THE VALUE OF WHAT IS THE VALUE OF WATER?WATER?

FACTS ABOUT WATERFACTS ABOUT WATER

• What percent of the planet What percent of the planet is water?is water?

• How much is fresh water?How much is fresh water?• Where is most of the fresh Where is most of the fresh

water?water?• 25% of the world’s drinking 25% of the world’s drinking

water comes from this lake.water comes from this lake.• How many oceans are How many oceans are

there?there?• What are the names of the What are the names of the

oceans?oceans?• What percent of your body What percent of your body

is water?is water?

• ~ 75%~ 75%• 3%3%• IcebergsIcebergs• Great LakesGreat Lakes• OneOne• Atlantic, Pacific, Atlantic, Pacific,

Indian, Arctic, Indian, Arctic, AntarcticAntarctic

• ~70%~70%

Earth/ \

25% Land 75% water / \

97% salt 3% fresh

| / \ oceans 2% glaciers 1%

drinkable / \ coastal (~10%) open sea (90%)

│

Contains 90% of all marine species

/ │ \

coastal wetlands estuaries coral reefs

OCEANS OF OUR PLANETOCEANS OF OUR PLANET

What impact have humans had on marine ecosystems?

• 1,200 marine species have become extinct in past 100 years

• Up to ½ all known fish species are threatened with extinction due to:– Overfishing– Habitat destruction– Pollution

• ½ wetlands are gone (agriculture/development)

• 27% of world’s coral reefs are gone or seriously threatened

• 70% could be gone within next 50 years

• 70 % beaches eroded due to development and rising sea levels

What services do marine ecosystems provide us with?

• Ecological

• Climate moderation

• CO2 absorption

• Nutrient cycling

• Water treatment

• Reduced storm impact (wetlands)

• Habitat

• biodiversity

• Economic:

• Food

• Medicine (coral reefs)

• Transportation

• Habitat for humans (coastal)

• Employment

• Oil/gas

• minerals

WHAT ARE WHAT ARE HYDROTHERMAL VENTS?VENTS?

What Is The Water What Is The Water Cycle??

What is a Riparian Zone?

RIPARIAN ZONE RIPARIAN ZONE

Why is a riparian zone important to aquatic ecosystem?

• Riparian zones are narrow strips of land bordering lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water

• Riparian zones are important for several reasons; – Biodiversity: mammals, fish, amphibians, insects, plants liking

moisture– Water quality: traps fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metals, pathogens– Protection against erosion: traps sediments (#1 pollutant in

rivers)– Temperature regulation: Riparian plants shield water from sun

(thermal pollution)– Property value: beautiful scenery, prevents loss of land, and

provides privacy

What services do freshwater aquatic ecosystems provide us with?

• Environmental:

• Climate moderation

• Nutrient cycling

• Waste treatment

• Flood control

• Groundwater recharge

• Habitat

• biodiversity

• Economic:

• Food

• Drinking water

• Irrigation for crops

• Hydroelectricity

• Transportation

• Recreation

• employment

What is a Watershed?What is a Watershed?

• The simple The simple definitiondefinitionIt's the area of It's the area of land that catches land that catches rain and snow and rain and snow and drains or seeps drains or seeps into a marsh, into a marsh, stream, river, lake stream, river, lake or groundwater. or groundwater.

What are Topographic What are Topographic Maps?Maps?

• Topographic maps show a 3 dimensional world Topographic maps show a 3 dimensional world in 2 dimensions by using in 2 dimensions by using contour linescontour lines. .

• Contour lines are curves that connect Contour lines are curves that connect contiguous points of the same altitudecontiguous points of the same altitude

How do we determine Contour How do we determine Contour Intervals?Intervals?

• The contour interval measurement is the vertical distance The contour interval measurement is the vertical distance between adjacent contour lines between adjacent contour lines

• What is the contour interval on this map?What is the contour interval on this map?• Determine the altitude of points a, b, c.Determine the altitude of points a, b, c.

What are Hachures?What are Hachures?

• If a loop instead If a loop instead represents a represents a depression, some depression, some maps note this by maps note this by short lines short lines radiating from the radiating from the inside of the loop, inside of the loop, called "hachures". called "hachures".

What do the Colors What do the Colors Represent?Represent?

• ColorsColorsThe colors on a topographic map are symbolic of different The colors on a topographic map are symbolic of different map features. map features.

• Blue = water Blue = water • Green = forest Green = forest • Brown = contour lines Brown = contour lines • Black = cultural features (buildings, place names, boundary Black = cultural features (buildings, place names, boundary

lines, roads, etc.) lines, roads, etc.) • Red = principal roads Red = principal roads • Pink = urban areas Pink = urban areas • Purple = revisions to an older map, compiled from aerial Purple = revisions to an older map, compiled from aerial

photos. If an area has become urbanized, this may be photos. If an area has become urbanized, this may be shown as purple shading on the new, revised map. shown as purple shading on the new, revised map.

Where does most of our Where does most of our drinking water come from?drinking water come from?

• An An aquiferaquifer is an underground layer of water- is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water wellwater well

Where Does All The Water Go?Where Does All The Water Go?

• Municipal/Residential 7%Municipal/Residential 7%

• Industrial Industrial 21% 21% – Paper/pulp 10%Paper/pulp 10%– Wood/Lumber 6%Wood/Lumber 6%– Mining/oil/gas 3%Mining/oil/gas 3%– Other 2%Other 2%

• Agricultural Agricultural 72%72%

Residential Use Of WaterResidential Use Of Water

• Lawns 29%Lawns 29%

• Toilet 29%Toilet 29%

• Bathing 23%Bathing 23%

• Laundry 11%Laundry 11%

• Dishes 6%Dishes 6%

• Drinking 2%Drinking 2%

Can we learn from our mistakes?• Aral Sea Crisis• Location: Russia

– Diversion of water to irrigate cotton fields, vegetable, fruit and rice crops has caused:

– Tripling of sea’s salinity– Decreasing the sea’s surface

area by 54% and volume by 75%

– Converting the lake bottom to a human-made desert

– Devastated the fishing industry (extinction of 20 out of 24 fish species)

– Alteration of climate– Health problems such as throat

cancer from toxic dust

Can the Aral Sea be Saved?• Already $600 million

has been invested in:– Purifying drinking water– Improving irrigation

techniques– Constructing artificial

wetlands

• However this will take decades for area to improve and this will not prevent Aral Sea from shrinking into a few brine lakes

The shrinking Ogallala Aquifer

• The world’s largest aquifer (size of lake Huron) is a nonrenewable resource produced by the last ice age (15,000-30,000years ago) with an extremely slow recharge area due to the clay content in the soil.

• It is being depleted much faster than it is able to recharge.

• At this rate ¼ of the remaining aquifer will disappear by 2020.

What can be done?

• Use more efficient irrigation systems– Gravity flow– Center pivot– Drip irrigation (best)

• Switch to crops that need less water

• Irrigate less land

• Citizens can conserve water

Three Gorges ProjectThree Gorges Project

• Largest dam project in the world (China) costing Largest dam project in the world (China) costing $26 billion$26 billion

• One mile long and 575 ft above Yangtze RiverOne mile long and 575 ft above Yangtze River• Reservoir 350 miles upstreamReservoir 350 miles upstream• Scheduled to be completed in 2011Scheduled to be completed in 2011• 32 turbines, 22,500 megawatts32 turbines, 22,500 megawatts• Displace 2 million peopleDisplace 2 million people

How Does Building Dams How Does Building Dams Affect The Environment?Affect The Environment?

• Destroys habitatsDestroys habitats• Displaces peopleDisplaces people• Causes droughts in Causes droughts in

other regionsother regions• Extremely dangerous Extremely dangerous

if failsif fails• Provides clean powerProvides clean power• Controls flooding Controls flooding

down riverdown river• Provides water Provides water

What are Sources of Pollution?What are Sources of Pollution?

• The U.S. The U.S. Environmental Environmental Protection Agency Protection Agency (EPA) defines (EPA) defines point point source pollutionsource pollution as as “any single identifiable “any single identifiable source of pollution source of pollution from which pollutants from which pollutants are discharged, such are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack” or factory smokestack”

To drill or not to drill, that is the question?

• Oil spills:

• Exxon Valdez (1989) in Alaska– Amount spilled estimated

32 million gallons– Double hulled ships to

carry oil

• Bp “Deepwater Horizon” Spill in Gulf (2010)

• Amount spilled:

• Some Numbers to think about!

• 27 offshore drilling projects approved in Gulf after BP spill

• 11 billion gallons of oil spilled each year into oceans

• 19.5 million barrels of oil used in US per day

• $1.6 billion as of June 2010 used to clean up oil spill

How can we clean up oil spills?

• Mechanical:– Floating booms to contain oil– Skimmer boats to vacuum– Absorbant pads (feathers and

hair to clean up)

• Chemical:– Coagulating agents to cause

oil to clump for easier pick up or sink to bottom

– Dispersing agents to break oil apart

– Fire (but crude oil is harder to burn than refined oil and contributes to air pollution

What is Nonpoint Source What is Nonpoint Source Pollution?Pollution?

• Nonpoint-source pollution is another term for polluted Nonpoint-source pollution is another term for polluted runoff.  Water washing over the land, whether from runoff.  Water washing over the land, whether from precipitation, car washing or watering crops or lawns, precipitation, car washing or watering crops or lawns, picks up an array of contaminants including oil, sand and picks up an array of contaminants including oil, sand and salt from roadways, agricultural chemicals, and nutrients salt from roadways, agricultural chemicals, and nutrients and toxic materials from both urban and rural areas. and toxic materials from both urban and rural areas. 

How Can We Clean Up?How Can We Clean Up?

• Most environmental Most environmental projects sooner or projects sooner or later will arrive at the later will arrive at the remediationremediation or clean- or clean-up stage of the up stage of the project. project.

• Three forms of Three forms of cleanup: Physical, cleanup: Physical, Biological, ChemicalBiological, Chemical

What is The Clean Water Act What is The Clean Water Act of 1972?of 1972?

• It’s goal is to restore and It’s goal is to restore and maintain the chemical, maintain the chemical, physical, and biological physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s integrity of the nation’s waterswaters

• All water must be “fishable All water must be “fishable and swimmable”and swimmable”

• Requires discharge Requires discharge permits of major polluterspermits of major polluters

• Identify toxins and use Identify toxins and use best practical methods to best practical methods to remove pollutantsremove pollutants

• Set goal for best available Set goal for best available technology to be technology to be developed in the futuredeveloped in the future

How Can We Control Water How Can We Control Water Pollution?Pollution?

• Reduce NOx and sulfur emissionsReduce NOx and sulfur emissions

• Modify agricultural practicesModify agricultural practices

• Separate storm water runoff and septic Separate storm water runoff and septic treatmenttreatment

• Decrease silt runoff (# 1 polluter: holding Decrease silt runoff (# 1 polluter: holding ponds and permeable surfaces)ponds and permeable surfaces)

• Seal LandfillsSeal Landfills

• Stop Ocean DumpingStop Ocean Dumping