Unit 8 Blog

Freshwater Resource Discussion

Aquifers-

• Ecological benefits
• 1) Provides water in wells for animals 
• 2) It is stored underground and is a good source of water to irrigate crops
• Economic benefits
• 1)Does not have to be desalinated unless there is a saltwater intrusion
• 2) Aquifers are a reliable way to get water
• Human impact-  Humans use aquifers to irrigate crops and if the pumping of water from the aquifer is more than the amount of water in the recharge then a cone of depression can form and dry up nearby wells.

Lakes

• Ecological benefits
• 1)Fertile Soil is common around 
• 2) Regulate the water flow of a river
• Economic benefits
• 1) Lakes attract activities like boating, fishing, and other activities that contribute to the economy
• 2) Artificial lakes are used for hydro-electric power generation
• Human impact- The use of fertilizers can cause eutrophication in Lakes and affect the level of productivity in the lake.

Rivers

• Ecological benefits
• 1) Home for many animals like fishes and turtles
• 2) The rivers fertilize soil in the area
• Economic benefits
• 1) Transport. Like in boats or ships if it is huge river
• 2) Usually people and communities settle near rivers thus making them dependant of the river and creating a lot of activities around the river that create jobs and help the economy. 
• Human impact- Overusing rivers or living near rivers can contaminate or drain them. The thames river in London, England was once a beautiful river, but when the industrial revolution came about it got nasty with pollution. 

Wetlands

• Ecological benefits
• 1)Natural filter of water
• 2) Regulate water distribution
• Economic benefits
• 1) Wetlands reduce the impacts of hurricanes thus making said natural disasters less costly
• 2) Benefit the growth of rice and helps the rice industry
• Human impact- Humans drain wetlands and harm the wetland ecosystem in doing so. 

Water Diversion Discussion

Hoover Dam

• Location- The Hoover Dam is located in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River and impounds Lake Mead to make electricity 
• Ecological
• Benefits
• The Hoover Dam controls floods and can even prevent them. 
• Costs
• The construction of the Dam hurt the ecosystem that took place in the Colorado River. The change of watershed, the erosion of river banks, and the pollution of increased vehicles have hurt said ecosystem. 
• Economic
• Benefits
• Produces electricity
• Costs
• It put the Hoover administration into debt because the cost of the dam was extremely expensive.

Pont du Gard

• Location- The Pont du Gard crosses the Gardon River in Remoulins, in southern France. The PdG carries water from Uzes and diverts it to Nimes. 
• Ecological
• Benefits
• Got water to the people of Rome and maintained the Roman Empire and helped it expand. Got fresh and clean water from streams and springs all the way to Rome!
• Costs
• The fall of the Roman empire was caused partly because of the great aqueducts. Enemies would poison the water which would not only harm the animals, but it would also kill the Romans leading to their fall.
• Economic
• Benefits
• In its time of use the PdG would transport water to the citizens of Nimes making water cheaper. It is now used for tourist purposes in Rome.
• Costs
• The Pont du Gard was costly to build and even more to maintain and in the 10th century the aqueduct became clogged with mineral deposits. The aqueduct also took 15 years to be finished.

Three Gorges Dam

• Location- The Three Gorges Dam is located in the Yangtze River in China. 
• Ecological
• Benefits
• The TGD has many purposes and one of them is flood control. 
• Costs
• The fish have been heavily affected by the dam. They can't cross the river anymore because of the dam and their habitats and lifestyle have and will continue to be affected
• Economic
• Benefits
• The TGD produces electricity for the area around it and it produces energy for nine provinces and two cities. 
• Costs
• Erosions in the reservoir have increased the number of landslides in the area. This is costly for the government. 

Water Quality Discussion

Nitrate- In Parr Park we tested the water for nitrate. Nitrate in water can be bad for the consumers health if there is too much of it in the water. At small amounts nitrate isn't bad, but if the water has too much nitrate then that water is unsafe to drink. Nitrate can get into the water in several ways. It can come from fertilizer runoff, leaking from septic tanks, sewage, and erosion of natural deposits. 

Phosphate- Phosphate is not bad for the water but in excess it can lead to algal blooms and thus intoxicate the water. The test for phosphate is to see if the water is still safe for the wildlife or from whoever uses it. Phosphate is naturally in streams but can also come from sewage or fertilizer. 

Temperature- The temperature of the water determines what type of animals can live in it. The temperature of the water is also an indicator of the oxygen levels. If it is warm then it can hold less oxygen. 

Fecal Coliform- Fecal Coliform is a test run to see if the water is intoxicated with fecal matter. If it is then that water is unsafe to drink and can be even hazardous to consume. FC in water can also lead to an increase in oxygen demand for the water. FC comes from human and animal digestive systems. 

Ph- Acidity or baseness of the water. HIgh acidity is horrible for wildlife. The Ph levels normally range from 6.5-8.5.

Biological Indicator Species- Stoneflies. If there are a lot of stoneflies in the area then that tells scientists that the water is high in its oxygen levels. If the temperature is cold then the oxygen levels are high and can lead to an increase in stoneflies.

Water Conservation Discussion

Agriculture

• 1)Use drought tolerant crops and seeds so that you don't need to water them whenever there are droughts
• 2)Harvest rainwater and use that instead of regular irrigation techniques. 

Industry 

• 1)Water-less fracking. A lot of times companies frack for oil and to do that they need water. Water-less fracking technology, albeit expensive, can help preserve water. 
• 2)Don't use nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors use up a lot of water and water vapor that wastes a lot of water.

Household

• 1)Use low flush toilets to help preserve water instead of wasting clean water on flushing a dump. 
• 2)Be more efficient in the use of sprinklers and gardening techniques in order to cut down on water waste. 

BIG FOUR

Human Impact- Humans contribute a lot to the water world and pollution. In the assignments I did alongside my group I learned that the construction of dams, aqueducts, dikes, etc are all ways that human beings have diverted water for their benefit. The Romans did it in the olden days with aqueducts and now we have huge dams that everybody cares about. I do give a dam(hahaha just a joke Mrs. Kays). Sadly we also impact the environment in a negative manner. Humans have polluted the water and overused it and when we do use it we use it incorrectly. There are more efficient ways to flush to the toilet or to frack for oil. In the Salton Sea project I learned that the use of water from the sea to irrigate can dry out the sea and hurt the whole ecosystem around, irrigation that is cause by humans. 

Environmental Impact- The environment is greatly impacted as well in this. Water is one of the most important parts of the environment. It is essential for farming and for animal life and the pollution of water can really harm the environment. Dams control floods and help the environment but they also prevent water from crossing to another side and harm the wildlife there or prevent fish from getting to their breeding grounds. 

Economic Impact- Hydropower provided by dams helps the economy by providing cheaper energy. Aqueducts in the olden days made clean water cheaper and easier to acquire. Energy is cheaper, but the water can also get polluted in industry when trying to make items more economically viable. In agriculture the government subsidizes the farmers to help them grow crops and even put themselves into debt with the hoover dam. Oil spills are massively harmful and very expensive to fix and recover from. 

Government Legislation- Humans are destroying mother earth. That is a fact. Luckily there are laws to help keep her destruction to minimum. There is the clean water act of 1972 that supports the protection and propagation of fish, wildlife and shellfish and recreation in and on the the water. It is enforced by the EPA. The safe drinking water act of 74, 86, and 96 set standards for what safe water for drinking should be in the USA. These laws have been put into place to not only help prevent mother earths inevitable destruction but to help human beings health as well.