Chapter 4: Water Resource BIG IDEA questions

I can explain what a watershed is and why we need to protect them.

A watershed is a natural system that provides us water. The reason why we need to protect them is obvious. This watershed provides us with the water we need. If we do not protect them and we dump chemicals into rivers and lakes all of the ground water is affected. Future generations and ourselves use this source of fresh water.

I can explain why California needs huge amounts of freshwater.

California needs a huge amount of freshwater because it is the #1 farming state so it needs lots of water to keep the farms going. A way farmers are trying to save water to reduce the amount we use is by using drip irrigation which saves a lot of water instead of flooding our plants with water which wastes a lot of water. We also need the water to support our large population to keep them from being dehydrated.

I can explain how much of the Earth's surface is covered by salt and freshwater.

Earth's surface is about 3/4 (71%) water. And about 1/4 (29%) land. However, saltwater is 97% of Earth's water. And freshwater is only 3%! although, salt water does take up a lot of Earths water and freshwater makes up very little of our water on Earth. That is why we must not wast any of our freshwater and use it as wisly as possible.

I can explain why freshwater is not spread evenly over the Earth's surface.

Freshwater rain falls different amounts in different places because at water and water vapor are not distributed evenly at different places on Earth. This is because some places are dryer than others so they get less water, like San Diego. This is why San Diego only has 5-10 inches of rain per year. While the average amount in California is much greater than that. You can infer from this information San Diego is one of the more dryer places in California. In fact, it is so dry it is a desert!

I can explain how groundwater can become polluted.

Groundwater can become polluted when chemicals from landfills, factories, farms, city streets, and car oil. These things can sinks down into the aquifers, which is were groundwater is hold. Polluting our main source of fresh water, groundwater. Groundwater supports a lot of our freshwater, so we need to protect it and make sure it stays clean for ourselves and future generations. Because, without groundwater finding a good water source would make it really tough!

I can explain where most of California's water is being used.

Most of California's water is being used on the many farms that are located there. California is the number one farming state in the U.S so farmers need a lot of water. In places where large populations of people thrive, they use up a lot of water to help support the large population.

I can explain some ways my family can conserve water.

My family can conserve water by brushing their teeth without the water running the whole time. They also can help by, taking shorter showers. Another way is my family can help is to use drip irrigation. All in all, I know why my family is having to conserve water because of the San Diego drought. We need to know how to conserve our water, and to use it the right way and wisely so that we have enough water for everyone.

I can explain how Northern California is different from the rest of the state in terms of water supply.

Northern California gets more rainfall than the rest of California as shown on page 94. Southern California only gets 5-10 inches of rain. There for, Southern California needs more water than Northern California. Another reason is because Southern California is in a drought and need the water a lot more than Northern California does. Also, more people are living in Southern California than Northern California.

I can recall which rivers are California's main source of freshwater.

One of California's main source of water includes, The Colorado River Aqueduct. The reason this is one of California's biggest water sources is because it gets most of its water from big rivers like the Colorado River. Another one of California's biggest source is the Sacramento-San-Jouquin river.

I can explain how people get to groundwater, so it can be used.

People find springs and take the water from there and then the water goes to an aqueduct and the aqueduct carries the water and gives it to places that need the water. People also create wells that pump up the water from an aquifer up to the surface to get the water we need.

I can explain why rivers are not a reliable source of freshwater in California.

Rivers are not reliable because sometimes people can pollute the water. Also, rivers can pick up salts and minerals and turn the water salty. After this process, the water would not be safe to drink even though it can be purified. Also California will use up most of the rivers freshwater before it can rain and refill. All in all, California should not rely on only river sources, it should up evenly between lakes, rivers, ponds, and groundwater to make sure we do not consume a whole water source.

I can explain the difference between groundwater and surface water.

The difference between groundwater and surface water includes that surface water is found on the surface of Earth, such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and glaciers. Places that are easy for us to see with out using other tools to help us see the water. Groundwater is water found underground. It flows in the aquifers under Earth's surface. Another difference between groundwater and surface water includes, we actually reserve more of our freshwater from groundwater.

I can explain why the ocean is salty.

The ocean is salty because of runoffs. When the rain falls there is water that runs off over land as freshwater. As some water flows, sometimes water mixes with salt, minerals, and rocks in the soil. After that, the salt minerals and rocks are carried into the rivers. The rivers then empty into the ocean, bringing the salts and minerals with them, turning the ocean salty over time.

I can explain the purpose of aqueducts, reservoirs, and dams.

The purpose of an aqueduct is to carry water from far away to us through pipes, channels, siphons, and tunnels. The purpose of our reservoirs is to hold and collect water that comes from runoff, and snow. And lastly, the purpose of our dams is to keep control of the flow of water and also some water from dams is used to create electricity.

I can describe why the water table rises and falls.

The water table rises and falls because if there is a drought there is very little rain so the water table would fall, but if there isn't a drought then the water table would rises so it depends on the rain and the heat and on how much water people can use from wells. If people use too much water from the wells they can use up an aquifer before it can refill from sources of water. So the water table can fall and rise depending on how fast we use our water and the weather.

I can describe where usable and unusable freshwater can be found on Earth.

Unusable freshwater is found in frozen glaciers, polar ice capes, and groundwater that has been polluted with gases and oil. Also saltwater is unusable. Some usable water is found in non-polluted groundwater, rivers, ponds, creeks, lakes and other places were people can easily reach our water.

Where is Earth's water?

Water is almost everywhere! It is in the ground, on the surface, and in the air. Earth's fresh water is mainly found in lakes, rivers, streams, ponds,which is fresh surface water and most of our fresh water comes from the ground. Oceans and seas are Earth's saltwater sources we can't drink this water. There is significantly more salt water than freshwater.

I can explain where water is found on Earth.

Water is found on earth about three-quarters of Earth's surface. Most of the water is found on earth is saltwater which is located only in oceans and seas. Earth's freshwater resources are found in streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, springs, and most of our usable fresh water is groundwater.

I can explain why water needs to be brought through aqueducts to San Diego.

Water needs to be brought through aqueducts because the aqueducts carry water from other places to places that need water like San Diego. Also our share from the Colorado River is not enough water for everybody in San Diego so that is why water is brought through aqueducts to make up for all of the extra water we need. Another reason why water needs to be brought to San Diego is because we use to use more water from our share from the Colorado River, but now we cannot do that anymore because places like Nevada have a population that is growing, so they need more water.

I can describe what water reclamation is.

Water reclamation is the recycling of waste water so it can be used again. One way reclamation can be used is for watering your plants, washing your cars, etc. One way it can't be used is for drinking. This is because, the water has not been cleaned enough that we can drink the reclamation water.