Transcript Watersheds: Connecting Weather to the Environment

WATERSHEDS
Connecting Weather to
the Environment
Presented by
Kimberly Bradley
& Kristen Ponak
GEI Consultants, Inc.
Produced by the COMET® Program in partnership with
the National Environmental Education Foundation
Watersheds:
Connecting Weather to the Environment
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is a watershed?
The System of Watersheds
Where does our water come from?
Weather & Watersheds:
• Rain
• Flooding and Tropical Storms
• Drought
5. What You Can Do
What is a watershed?
A watershed is an area of land from
which all runoff drains, or 'sheds' to the
same river, lake, or other body of water.
Everyone lives in a watershed
You don’t need to visit the Grand Canyon
to see a watershed. You’re already in one!
Your own backyard is
part of a watershed.
The System of Watersheds
Watersheds are like pieces of a
puzzle: Each is part of a larger
picture or mosaic.
A Nested System
Watersheds are also like Russian Matryoshka
or nesting dolls. Larger watersheds contain
smaller watersheds, which contain even
smaller ones.
Watershed Addresses
Just as our homes have street addresses,
our neighborhood watersheds have
environmental addresses.
Sacred Heart University’s Watershed
Address
Resources for finding your
watershed:
USGS Science in Your Watershed:
water.usgs.gov/wsc/
EPA Surf Your Watershed:
www.epa.gov/surf
CT Environmental Conditions
Online (ECO):
http://www.cteco.uconn.edu/
UCONN CLEAR Connecticut
Changing Landscape:
http://clear.uconn.edu/projects/l
andscape/
Where does our water come from?
All of our freshwater starts as precipitation, which
moves continually through the hydrologic cycle.
Condensation
Precipitation
Snowmelt
Evaporation
Streams
and rivers
Springs
Lakes
Aquifers
Ocean Storage
Groundwater
flow to oceans
Infiltration
into the
ground
The Surface-Groundwater System
Surface and underground water bodies form an interconnected system. Surface water recharges groundwater
storage. Groundwater also flows up into surface water bodies.
Drinking Water Sources
Most water
systems (80%) in
the U.S. use a
ground water
source for drinking
water, but the
majority of the
population (66%)
are served by
surface water
sources.
Fairfiled’s Drinking Water
Identify where your city’s drinking water comes
from. Visit
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html
Is it surface water or groundwater?
Weather & Watersheds: Rain
What is the most common cause
of pollution in streams, rivers,
and oceans?
1. Dumping of garbage by cities
2. Surface water running off yards,
streets, paved lots, and farm
fields
3. Trash washed into the ocean
from beaches
4. Waste dumped by factories
Sources of Pollution
Precipitation runoff from farms, lawns, and paved surfaces is
the leading source of water pollution in America today.
What’s in the water?
Main pollutants:
•Fertilizers
•Herbicides
•Insecticides
•Oil, grease, and
toxic chemicals
from urban areas
•Sediment
•Road Salt
•Bacteria and
Nitrogen
•Air pollutants
Weather & Watersheds: Flooding
A flood occurs anytime a water body overflows or when
an unusual amount of water collects in dry areas.
Flash Flooding
A flash flood is a particularly dangerous
type of flood that occurs within 6 hours or
even an hour after the start of rainfall.
Causes of Flash Floods
Flash floods are typically caused by
intense thunderstorm downpours,
but…
…the failure
of a dam or
levee can also
trigger flash
flooding.
Urban Flooding
Because urban
watersheds
contain so many
paved surfaces…
Less water goes
into the ground,
and…
More heads for
the nearest
stream or lowlying area.
Flooding from Tropical Storms
Sometimes a hurricane’s worst punch comes after the storm
has passed.
Hurricane Floyd (1999)
This was the case with Hurricane Floyd, which left North
Carolina inundated with historic and deadly floods days after
the storm.
Weather & Watersheds: Drought
How can drought impact a watershed?
1. Reduced soil moisture
(plant stress)
2. Reduced water levels in
lakes, reservoirs,
wetlands
3. Reduced water flow in
streams, rivers, springs
4. Groundwater depletion,
land subsidence
5. Water quality problems
Drought in Your Area
Is your area experiencing drought?
Resources:
U.S. Drought Monitor - http://drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
Click on your state for a close-up view of drought stages.
Protecting Watersheds:
What You Can Do Everyday
Simple Ways to Protect Your Watershed
• Don’t Dump or Litter
• Water and Landscape Wisely
• Control the Flow
• Pick up After Rover
• Fix that Leak
• Participate in a Cleanup