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80 Cards in this Set

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  • Back
Lake Baikal
Lake located in Southern Siberia; it is the deepest lake in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Owens Valley
Valley of Owens River located in Southern California; it is a graben (a downdrop between two faults). Provides to LA Aqueduct and provides 1/3 of LA water. Was a primary location of California Water Wars.
Mono Lake
Hypersaline lake in California; it is unsually productive and is the end of a watershed by runoff
Colorado River
a river in the southwestern US, that is approx. 1,450 mi (2,330 km) long, that naturally flows into the Gulf of California, however due to damming and human-induced diversions the river usually dries out before reaching the ocean. (it is a huge irrigation source for the Imperial Valley)
Glen Canyon Dam
a dam on the Colorado River in Page, Arizona whose construction resulted in the creation of Lake Powell. (and the flooding of Glen Canyon)
Hoover Dam
(aka Boulder Dam) this dam was created in 1935 on the Colorado River, on the border between Arizona and Nevada. It is currently the 35th largest hydroelectric generating station in the world.
Three Gorges Dam
Located on the Yangtze River in China; it is the largest hydroelectric power project in the world, but there are several humanitarian and environmental concerns
California Water Project
0
confined aquifer
an aquifer which is overlain by a confining bed (aquitard) of significantly lower hydraulic conductivity which retards the vertical movement of water
unconfined aquifer
(sometimes also called: water table or phreatic aquifers) usually teh shallowest aquifer within a given location is unconfined/ it doesnt have a confining layer between it and the surface. Usually they recharge water directly from the surface: precipitation or from a body of surface water (rivers, streams, or lakes, etc.)
groundwater recharge zone
0
saltwater intrusion
The invasion of fresh surface water or groundwater by saltwater
aqueduct
A channel or passage designed to move water using the force of gravity, from a source to an agricultural/ urban area without a natural source of water.
groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of lithologic formations.
watershed
A watershed is an area of land in which the water flows in ne direction. Mountain ridges, or basins create watershed boundaries. Water would flow downhill from the either side of the crest of the ridge. A watershed can be as small as a stream, or as large as the Mississippi River
floodplain
a nearly flat plain along the course of a stream or river that is naturally subject to flooding.
subsidence
Sinking of the Earth's surface in response to geologic or man-induced causes. This can be caused by irrigation when water penetration causes a shifting in particles and a compacting of sediment. This can also be caused by mining and wells.
water table
the planar, underground surface beneath which earth materials, as soil or rock, are saturated with water.
infiltration
Infiltration is the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil or an aquifer.
percolation
the slow movement of water through the pores in soil or permeable rock- occurs after infiltration.
overdraft
The pumping of water from an aquifer or groundwater basin that exceeds set/safe limits. Los Angeles experiences an overdraft by using more water than they naturally have, and is conservable.
artesian well
A deep, naturally pressurized well which extends below the water able line. Tapping into an artesian well causes water to emerge on the surface without mechanization. An artesian well usually comes from a confined aquifer.
water budget
relationship between input and output of water in a system; balance of precipitation, runoff, infiltration, and usage
dessication
the drying of soil due to deforestation and overgrazing; if water is added to this severely dried land, it will mostly runoff beacuse the soil is so compacted
water stress
when more people are relying on the same amount of water
zone of aeration
0
zone of saturation
0
desalination
-Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove excess salt and other minerals from water. More generally, desalination may also refer to the removal of salts and minerals, as in soil desalination
ephemeral stream
A stream channel that carries water only during and immediately after periods of rainfall or snowmelt.
perennial stream
A perennial stream or perennial river is a stream or river (channel) that has continuous flow in parts of its bed all year round during years of normal rainfall.
cloud seeding
0
wetland
bogs, marches, esturaries, and swamps; they slow down and filter water and enhances infiltration into aquifers
channelization
0
fecal coliform
Total coliform bacteria are a collection of relatively harmless microorganisms that live in large numbers in the intestines of man and warm- and cold-blooded animals. The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in aquatic environments indicates that the water has been contaminated with the fecal material of man or other animals. At the time this occurred, the source water may have been contaminated by pathogens or disease producing bacteria or viruses which can also exist in fecal material. Some waterborne pathogenic diseases include typhoid fever, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis and hepatitis A. The presence of fecal contamination is an indicator that a potential health risk exists for individuals exposed to this water.
cholera
an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food
E. coli
Escherichia coli is a bacterium found usually (though not always) in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. Most strains of E. Coli are harmless, although certain strains can cause food poisoning (such as the O157:H7.
Salmonella
An enterobacteria which produces hydrogen sulfide and usually can be found in the intestines of both warm and cold blooded animals as well as nonliving habitats. They can cause food poisoning such as salmonellosis as well as typhoid fever, just to name a few.
acid mine drainage
Acid mine drainage is the process by which acidic water flows out of abandoned metal/coal mines. The water is often highly toxic and filled with many heavy metals. The outflow of water can cause an increase in pH of nearby streams and waterways and also, in some cases, thermal pollution.
BOD (biological oxygen demand)
biological oxygnen demand measures the demand for oxygen that the detritivores place on the system. It measures
how much O2 is used by organisms over a 5 day period
DO (dissolved oxygen)
dissolved oxygen is how much oxygen is dissolved in the water. It
is affected by temperature and aeration. The colder the water, the more oxygen will be able to be dissolved in the water
oxygen sag curve
An oxygen sag curve is a graph that explains how much dissolved oxygen is available in a body of water with the introduction of something like a pollutant.
organic waste
A major component of solid waste. Most of this component is formed from household wastes although there are other contributers as well. This type of waste is biodegradable and it can be processed.
oxygen-demanding waste
0
sediment pollution
Sediment Pollution is the largest pollutant by volume in most parts of world. Erosion (both human caused and naturally occuring) has increased sediment levels (25 billion metric tons of topsoil from runoff and erosion
50 billion from grazing, construction etc) Sediment pollutions fill reservoirs, shipping channels, and makes them less suitable for life and recreation. With this in mind, Small levels of sediment are good.
urban runoff
Urban runoff is the process by which rainwater flows off impervious surfaces such as concrete, carrying water to streams, rivers and the ocean. Oftentimes, the water picks up pollutants along the way from streets and carries them to nearby sources of water, causing pollution. Urban runoff also can cause a lowering of the water table, since less water infiltrates the soil.
ocean pollution
A huge problem that not only affects the ocean but the whole Earth as well. Oil spills, toxic wastes, and disposal of harmful materials all are major contributers to this problem.
pathogens
An infectious agent or a germ. This agent causes species to become infected or catch the disease. There are three types of pathogens, Viral, bacterial, and fungal.
agricultural/feedlot runoff
the runoff of various kinds of pollutants caused by agriculture. This includes manure, feed for animals and pesticides.
center pivot irrigation
Also called circle irrigation, this is a method of crop irrigation where an overhead sprinkler is rotated around a pivot to water a circular pattern of crops.
gravity flow irrigation
This is a type of irrigation where water is transported to a field of crops by means of open ditches or piper from bodies of water such as a nearby river.
drip irrigation
Also known as trickle irrigation, this is a method of irrigation which minimizes the use of water by allowing water to slowly drip to the roots of plants. Through a network of pipes, water is transported directly to the base of the crop.
clean zone
the area of a river before pollutants enter the stream and after the polutants have been filtered out. it has a high dissolved oxygen content and a low biochemical oxygen demand. this part of the stream has organisims such as trout, bass, and stonefly.
decomposition zone
the place where the polutants are being dropped into the rtiver. at this point, the disolved oxygen content rapidly decreases (oxygen sag) and the biochemical oxygen demand becomes very high. this happens because the particles enter the river and get eaten by bacteria that take up the oxygen and increase the need for oxygen. the organisms present here are things such as trash fish and blackfly larve.
septic zone
it is here in the river where the dissolved oxygen content is at it's lowest point, but begins to rise again and the biochemical oxygen demand slowly begins to decrease. all fish are absent here. only sluge worms and mosquito larve remain.
recovery zone
this is the zone in a river where the disolved oxygen content rapidly increases to the clean zone level and the biochemical oxygen demand rapidly dicreases to the clean zone level. the organisms found here are similar to those found in the decomposition zone like trash fish and blackfly larve.
midge larvae
0
inorganic plant nutrients
0
oxygen-demanding wastes
0
eutrophication
Eutrophication is an increase in chemical nutrients — compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus — in an ecosystem, and may occur on land or in water. However, the term is often used to mean the resultant increase in the ecosystem's primary productivity (excessive plant growth and decay), and further effects including lack of oxygen and severe reductions in water quality, fish, and other animal populations.
cultural eutrophication
Cultural eutrophication is the process that speeds up natural eutrophication because of human activity. Due to clearing of land, deforestation, agriculture, and building of towns and cities, more nutrients (phosphates and nitrate) enter bodies of water such as lakes and rivers. These nutrients spur a growth in plant life called algal bloom which also reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water for organisms to breathe.
oligotrophic
An oligotrophic environment is one that has little to sustain life. This kind of environment can describe bodies of water or soils with a very low nutrient level.
heavy metal
Any metal with a specific gravity of 5.0 or greater, esp. one that is toxic to organisms, as lead, mercury, copper, and cadmium.
Brownfield
Abandoned lands or underused facilities. This can also be a land that was used for industrial purposes but now is contaminated with waste
HAB’s/red tides
A HAB/red tide occurs when storms bring nutrient-rich runoff to the oceans and the oceans obtain a high water temperature.These nutrients, then cause a bloom in phytoplankton in the oceans -- which are harmful because they can be toxic to kinds of shellfish, oysters, and clams that digest them on the ocean floor.
septic tank
A tank in which solid organic sewage is decomposed and purified by anaerobic bacteria.
primary wastewater treatment
The removal of materials that can be easily collected from raw wastewater and disposed of, like fats, oils, greases, sand, gravels, rocks, large settleable solids, and other floating materials. This treatment is done entirely with machinery.
secondary wastewater treatment
This treatment is designed to degrade the biological content of the sewage (human waste, food waste, soaps, and detergents). May use aerobic biological processes to remove to treat water.
tertiary wastewater treatment
The final treatment before the water is released into the environment. Filtration, lagooning, constructing wetlands, nutrient removal, and disinfection are all tertiary wastewater treatments.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
This is a patch of marine debris traped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre. It is located in the North Pacific Ocean and is characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of suspended plastics.
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
The goal of this act was to make all U.S. surface waters safe for fishing& swimming by 1983 and restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the US' waters. This act created controls for each major type of pollutant and provides billions of dollars for sewage treatment plants.
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the symbolic goals of eliminating releases to water of high amounts of toxic substances, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that surface waters would meet standards necessary for human sports and recreation by 1983.
SUPERFUND
Superfund is the federal government's program to clean up the nation's uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
Safe Drinking Water Act
0
Water Quality Act
In the Water Quality Act of 1987 (1987 WQA) Congress responded to the stormwater problem by requiring that industrial stormwater dischargers and municipal separate storm sewer systems (often called "MS4") obtain NPDES permits, by specific deadlines.
Groundwater recharge
a hydrologic process where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. This
The California State Water Project,
commonly known as the SWP, is the world's largest publicly built and operated water and power development and conveyance system
ocean pollution
this is pretty much self explanatory
pathogen
any bacteria that may spread as a result illness will occur