Snowpacks Research Paper

‘Snowpacks’ are created when layers of snow collect in certain regions. These snowpacks are vital to the water cycle because when the snow melts, they provide a central source of water for streams and rivers. Furthermore, this water could have many potential uses. For example, this water could be use to enhance energy, agriculture, water supply, and be used for recreational use. Mountain snow plays an immense role in the movement, distribution, and quality of water that is utilized by citizens. Without these snowpacks the demand for water would outweigh the supply and the consequences could be devastating. In fact, current trends and predictions show that winter snowpacks are melting earlier and earlier in the year and rain is replacing some of the snowstorms. …show more content…
Disturbing the water flow is an alarming problem because it affects not only our environment but also our day-to-day lives. Citizens’ lives can be severely altered when the water flow is disturbed. For example, when these snowpacks melt earlier in the year they can potentially cause a drought. This unforeseen change creates a drought because it disrupts the water cycle. A drought has many potential consequences; such as fires, or even causing changes in agriculture, the city water supply, and energy. Similar to droughts, a warmer drier climate could quicken the process of transferring snowpacks. Additionally, changes in the transfer of water would also affect irrigation. More specifically, these changes would alter local agriculture by affecting the water that is devoted to urban areas. A factor one tends to forget about when contemplating the issue of melting snowpacks is the economy. The economy is closely connected to agriculture and