Surface Water Notes

What is surface water?

Lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.

(any water above ground)
Most urban areas rely on surface water
Supply resources and allow for travel/trade

What impacts whether the water is surface or ground?

Vegetation
- Vegetation allows for loose soil
- Loose soil allows water to enter ground
- Gardeners do not pack their soil
Heavy
- Soil clumps together closing pores
- Fills up ground to quickly and water becomes runof
Light
- Allows water to gently slide through
- Less erosion
Soil composition
- Efects the waters holding capacity
- Decayed organic matter (humus)
(creates the pores in soil- increases retain ability)
Slopes
- Steep: allows for high runof & little absorption
- Little: low runof and high absorption
Water sheds
- Drainage basin
- Land where all water drains into

Where does the water flow to?

-

Freshwater ecosystems: (river, streams, ponds, etc.)

Littoral zone
Nutrient- rich area near shore
Variety of plant and animal life
Benthic zone
Bottom of a pond or lake
Inhabited by decomposers, insect larvae, and clams
Eutrophication
More nutrients= more plants= more decomposers using oxygen =
less oxygen for other organisms