Surface Water and
Groundwater
Fusion Text: Pages 30-38
Where on the Earth is fresh water found?
• On the Earth’s Surface
(Surface Water)
• Beneath the Earth’s surface
(Groundwater)
• On the Earth’s Surface (Surface Water)
Streams, Rivers, and Lakes.
Comes from precipitation or fresh
water streams (springs).
Water that flows across the Earth’s
surface is called runoff. Runoff can
enter streams, rivers and lakes.
• Beneath the Earth’s Surface (Groundwater)
Water drains down through the soil
because of gravity and collects in the
spaces between rock particles.
Most drinking water in the U.S.
comes from drilling wells down into
the water table or aquifers.
The water table is the upper
boundary, or surface, of a location’s
groundwater.
How does water move on the Earth’s surface?
• Precipitation hits the Earth and flows from
high to low ground forming streams.
• Streams erode rocks and form channels.
• Channels are paths that streams follow.
• Tributaries are small streams that feed into
river systems.
• A river system is a network of streams and
rivers that drain an area of runoff called a
watershed.
Watersheds
• A watershed is an area of land that is
drained by a river system.
• Watersheds are separated from one
another by a ridge or an area of higher
ground called a divide.
• A large part of Pennsylvania lies within
the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/demo/Watershed.html
Rivers and Streams
• Gradient describes the steepness of the
ground that a stream or river runs down.
• Steep gradients, rainstorms and rapid snow
melt increase the flow rate of streams and
rivers.
• The flow rate is the amount of water that
flows through a channel in a given amount
of time.
• The flow rate determines the stream load,
or the size and amount of particles carried
and deposited.
How does groundwater flow?
• Water from precipitation or streams may percolate or
seep below the Earth’s surface to become groundwater.
• An aquifer is a body of rock or sediment that stores
groundwater.
• Recharge occurs when water seeps through the ground
and enters an aquifer.
• Discharge occurs when groundwater becomes surface
water which pools to form wetlands or flowing as a
spring.
• Groundwater is also discharged where water is extracted
from wells which are drilled into the water table.
How do people use surface water and groundwater?
• Drinking and Home Use
• Agriculture
• Industry
• Transportation and Recreation
Drinking and Home Use
• Surface water and groundwater are
both important sources of drinking
water.
• In a typical home, 50% of all water is
used for washing clothes, bathing,
washing dishes and flushing toilets.
• About 33% of all water used is to water
lawns and gardens.
• The remaining 12% is used for drinking,
cooking and washing hands.
Drinking and Home Use
Agriculture
• 40% of the fresh water in the
U.S. is used for growing crops
and raising livestock.
• These activities account for
about 70% of all groundwater
use.
Industry
• Almost half of the fresh
water used in the U.S. is
used for industry.
• Almost half of the water
used in industry helps cool
elements in power plants.
Transportation and Recreation
• Surface water is used to transport
products and people from place to
place.
• People use rivers, streams and lakes for
recreation.
Water Skiing
Sailing
Swimming
Fishing