What conditions affect surface water availability?

What conditions affect surface water availability?

The physical characteristics of a watershed (land use, soil type, geology, vegetation, slope, and aspect) and climate control the quantity and quality of water that flows from them. Changes to any of these characteristics can affect water quantity and quality.

What is the main problem with surface water?

Surface water is extremely susceptible to pollution because it occupies such a large portion of the earth’s surface. Surface water pollution is almost entirely the result of human activities.

What are the geological conditions necessary for construction of dams?

� The site should be as sound as possible: strong, impermeable and stable. � Strong rocks at the site make the job of the designer much easy: he can evolve best deigns. � Impermeable sites ensure better storage inventories.

What is river impoundment?

Any transverse barrier to the flow in a river impounds water upstream. When this barrier is small (e.g. less than 10 m high) it may be called a weir, dike or small dam. All of these barriers are used for retaining water for many purposes and the river is transformed into an impoundment upstream.

How does geology affect the availability of water?

Geology. Rainfall flows down to the rocks beneath the ground. Some rocks are permeable and allow water to flow through them. Permeable rocks can lead to less surface water.

What are the geological factors governing the occurrence of groundwater?

The physiography, rainfall pattern, geological details, aquifer details, availability of groundwater and degree of fracturing and jointing are contributing factors in hard rock area to make it a potential aquifer (Maggirwar, 1990; Thigale, 2004).

What are surface water pollutants?

Surface water pollution is often caused by nutrients, pathogens, plastics and chemicals such as antibiotics, heavy metals and pesticides. These pollutants have different environmental effects. Excess nutrients, for instance, may result in harmful algal blooms and hypoxia both in rivers and in coastal seas.

What causes surface water pollution?

Some of the leading causes of water contamination include runoff from things like fertilizers from farms and homeowner lawn care and salts and chemicals from city and highway roads. Surface water can also become contaminated through sewage leaks and waste products from animal factories.

What are the geological considerations for the selection of dam and reservoir site?

The main geological considerations in the selection of sites for dams are: (a) The rocks which are underlying must have enough strength to withstand the weight of the dam and the resultant thrust. (b) The rocks should be impervious to prevent leakage of water beneath the sole of the dam.

What is the importance of geological investigations for dam?

To check whether the dam foundation has sufficient strength and durability to support the type of dam proposed, whether the foundation is watertight, especially, when karstified rocks occur in the site and in deeper horizons bellow the foundations.

What is impounded surface water?

Surface Impoundments A surface impoundment is a natural topographic depression, man–made excavation, or diked area formed primarily of earthen materials (although it may be lined with man–made materials), which is designed to hold an accumulation of liquid wastes or wastes containing free liquids.

How does geology affect your well water quality?

how geology affects your well water quality dissolve and are often fractured. When the rock is exposed at the land surface, the snowmelt and rainwater infiltrate into fractures and remain very dilute and of very high quality for drinking water. The problem is these rocks are hard to drill into, and hitting a good water-

What are the physical characteristics of a watershed?

The physical characteristics of a watershed (land use, soil type, geology, vegetation, slope, and aspect) and climate control the quantity and quality of water that flows from them. Changes to any of these characteristics can affect water quantity and quality.

How does burning affect the quality of water?

Because burned areas contain less vegetation to slow runoff and hold soil in place, the rate and quantity of water that runs off the surface to streams increases, and so does erosion. During heavy rains, the increased runoff and erosion can result in increased chance of flooding, mudslides, and impaired water quality.

Why are surface waters important to the environment?

Surface waters and their associated ecosystems provide habitat to many plant and animal species. Because surface waters are on the land surface, they are easily developed for use and provide about 78 percent of the United States’s total off-stream water use.