ECOREGIONS OF TEXAS:
WATER SHEDS & AQUIFERS
ECOREGION: a region that is smaller
than a biome, and is defined by its:
* location
* climate
* plants (vegetation)
* animals
KEY TO REGIONS
1. Piney Woods
2. Gulf
Prairies/Marshes
3. Post Oak Savannah
4. Blackland Prairie
5. Cross
Timbers/Prairie
6. South Texas Plains
7. Edwards Plateau
8. Rolling Plains
9. High Plains
10. Trans-Pecos
A watershed is:
* The area of land where all of the
water on it drains off of
* All the water drains into the same
low-lying place called a basin
* Watersheds can be mountains, hills,
drainage ditches, bayous, fields,
streets, etc…
* There are 2,110 watersheds in the
Continental USA
WATERSHEDS NEAR MANVEL
WEST GALVESTION BAY WATERSHED
Includes Manvel & Surrounding Areas Such as
Alvin, Pearland, Kemah, Texas City, LaMarque,
and Friendswood
ocate/index.cfm
LOCAL STREAM FLOW IN WEST GALVESTON
BAY WATERSHED
Clear Creek Discharge:
*Mykawa Street in Pearland
*Dixie Farm Street in Friendswood
*Kemah
Chocolate Bayou Discharge:
*Near Alvin
Moses Lake:
*Texas City
WHAT IS GROUNDWATER?
Youtubevide: What is Groundwater:
http://youtu.be/oNWAerr_xEE?list=PLhW3-DBLasDwIa_TCDSYy9xhVT243YIp0
AQUIFERS
* Are underground layers of rock that are
saturated (filled) with water that can be
brought to the surface through natural
springs or by pumping.
* The groundwater contained in aquifers is
one of the most important sources of water
on Earth
* About 96 percent of our freshwater is
groundwater
*The rest is found at the surface in
streams, lakes, rivers and wetlands.
DRILLING WELLS: to get drinking water from AQUIFER
Some of the best places to drill are along the sides of
valleys where the well will be high enough to avoid
flooding but can reach to the bottom of the valley where
the water is stored.
A
Where’s the B
best location
to drill a well?
A or B
BRAINPOP:
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earth
system/groundwater/preview.weml
Front of
foldable:
-Fold the
paper in half
hamburger
style
-Cut a slit on
front flap
ONLY, along
the dotted
line
Terms to include
in pic:
Wind
Rocks
Rain
Erosion
Water drainage
basin
Evaporation
Precipitation
Condensation
Transpiration
Watershed
Surface runoff
Ground water
Percolation
Groundwater
Locations of Water
• Watershed- The land from which surface runoff (rain or snow
melt) drains into a stream or lake (called a water basin)
• Runoff- Water that doesn’t soak into the ground or evaporate
flows across surface to lower ground (back to lakes and oceans)
• Surface water- Precipitation, water pooling or flowing across
grass, soil, pavement towards river or sewers
• Percolation – water moving downward through openings in the
soil
• Ground water- water below the surface of the Earth. Moves
slowly through soil particles (pores in between)
• Aquifer - Are underground layers of rock that are saturated (filled) with
water that can be brought to the surface through natural springs or by
pumping.
Aquifer
• Aquifer- a layer of permeable rock (like
limestone) that allows water to flow thru freely
• Aquifer Recharge Zone- areas at a crack or
fault where water runs into aquifer
• Zone of Saturation- any permeable rock –
pores are saturated or filled up with water
• Water Table- upper surface of zone of
saturation
On the bottom
1/3 of your
paper, please
include a
picture of the
aquifer
Impermeable Rock
(bedrock)
Groundwater (write on the bottom 1/3 of paper)
• Permeable – water passes thru soil/rock freely
(ex: limestone)
• Semi permeable – some water passes thru
• Impermeable – NO water passes through
(bedrock)
1. Watershed-
2. Runoff-
3. Surface water-
4. Percolation –
5. Ground water-
6. Aquifer –
7. Aquifer Recharge Zone-
8. Zone of Saturation-
9. Water Table –
10. Permeable -
11. Semi-permeable –
12. Impermeable -