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Watershed Impairment

Watershed Impairment. Water Quantity. Volume of water that is available Comes from groundwater (i.e. aquifers) and surface water (i.e. lakes, streams and reservoirs). Factors that affect Water Quantity. Variations in climate (i.e. droughts, ice storms, and floods)

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Watershed Impairment

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  1. Watershed Impairment

  2. Water Quantity • Volume of water that is available • Comes from groundwater (i.e. aquifers) and surface water (i.e. lakes, streams and reservoirs)

  3. Factors that affect Water Quantity • Variations in climate (i.e. droughts, ice storms, and floods) • Human activity- alter the flow by building dams and diverting water for other uses; waste water also reduces quantity of water

  4. Water Quality • Used to describe the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of watercalled water quality parameters • Water quality parameters- determine if water is suitable for drinking, recreation, irrigation, aquatic life, or other designated uses

  5. Common Water Quality Parameters

  6. Causes of Water Impairment • Point pollution- pollution that is discharged from a clearly defined fixed point such as a pipe, ditch, channel, sewer or tunnel • Nonpoint pollution- does not originate from a clearly defined location

  7. Four Main Nonpoint Source Pollutants • Bacteria • Nutrients • Sediments • Hazardous Substances

  8. Consequences of Impaired Water Quality • Poses tremendous risk to human health • Contaminated water can cause: rashes, ear aches, pink eye, respiratory infections, hepatitis, encephalitis, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach aches • More serious consequences: birth defects, cancer, neurological disorders, and kidney ailments

  9. How Land Use Affects Water Quantity and Quality • Most of the ways people use land have the potential to generate pollutants that can impair water quality and/or reduce water quantity

  10. Activities that affect Water Quality and Quantity • Urban and agricultural irrigation • Using fertilizers and pesticides • Mining and resource extraction • Construction of roads and buildings • Disposing of municipal and industrial wastes and wastewater

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