- Water is called the universal solvent because almost any substance will dissolve in it.
- The hydrologic cycle is the movement of water throughout the environment from the atmosphere to the earth
- Table 2.1 presents an inventory of the earth's water reserves. The available fresh water
- As water is evaporated, it generally is purified with most contaminants left behind
- Sediments, nutrients, organic and inorganic contaminants, heat, etc, are constantly entering
- Dams creating reservoirs are built to equalize water supply, for flood control and for hydroelectric power.
- Water is held by the atmosphere and released
as precipitation. It infiltrates the soil and flows
as groundwater eventually to surface waters. From the lakes and oceans,
it is evaporated back to the atmosphere. (See figure 2.5)
- equals <.5% of all water on earth.
- receiving water bodies as a consequence
of precipitation events.
Two special environments that need to be
protected
are watersheds and recharge zones.
Watershed is a waterway's drainage basin.
A recharge zone is associated with an aquifer
or water-bearing geologic strata.
A listing of surface water quality legislation
is in Table 2.2.
- Ecological impact from the dam
include: loss of habitat, loss of silt,
increase in disease-cauing vectors, interruption of life cycles, nitrogen supersaturation.
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