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Science In Your Watershed

Science in Your Watershed
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Science in Your Watershed

Watersheds:

Table of Contents:

Watershed Tools:

  • Conservation Technology Information Center

    • -Know Your Watershed
    -National Watershed Network
    -Conservation Technology Information Center

  • Environmental Statistics Group, (Montana State University)

    • -Montana State University, Environmental Statistics Group
    -Environmental Statistical Group - Hydrologic Unit Project
    -Graphical Locator

  • U.S Bureau of Reclamation

    • -HydroMET Data System Find information on reclamation reservoirs, reclamation facilities, water data, engineering, contacts and more

    -AgriMET Weather Station Instrumentation fina the data parameters collected at each AgriMet station: temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, soil temperature, average dew point temperature, average relative humidity, wind direction, peak wind gusts, average wind speed, and soil temperature.

    -Recreation Find recreation information on the Columbia River Basin in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana & Wyoming on boat ramps, reservoirs and more.

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

    • -How's My Waterway
    -My Environment
    -EPA National Geospatial Program
    -Technical Tools for Watershed Management

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

    • -National Wild Fish Health Survey

  • U.S. Geological Survey

    • -USGS Surface Water Software
    -SPARROW - SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed Attributes
    -Chesapeake Bay Data and Spatial Links Research, monitoring and modeling information related to land cover and use, water quality and quantity, and biological resources and their habitats.
    -Chesapeake Bay Program (CIMS) is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners include the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; the Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government; and participating citizen advisory groups.
    -Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Watershed Profiles) Learn about the watershed, the bay geology, estuary systems, and the chemical makeup of the bay.
    Interactive Major/Minor (HUC Level 4/5/6/7) Minnesota Interactive Watershed
    -StreamStats is a Web-based tool that allows users to obtain streamflow statistics, drainage-basin characteristics, and other information for user-selected sites on streams.
    -Locate Your Watershed is a Web-based tool (this site) that allows users to obtain watershed information, statistics, characteristics, and other resources for any user-selected watershed throughout the U.S.
    -Watershed Basin Study Unit Reports Page links to complete reports and watershed basin studies.
    -Education - Learn About Water

  • Other Resources Relating to Watershed Analysis

    • -Acid Rain: Rainfall that has turned acidic due to the burning of various fossil fuels and atmospheric waste gases like sulfur and nitrogen oxides. In simple terms, it is rain that can cause damage to the environment and ecosystem.
    -Aqueduct: An artificial channel or canal created by man to transport water from the source to place of use.
    -Aquifer: An underground layer of permeable rock or body where water gets stored and can be extracted or transmitted.
    -Boiling Point: The temperature at which liquids boil and convert to vapor. Water turns to vapor at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
    -Buoyancy: Defined as the force that enables objects to stay afloat in water or other liquids.
    -Calibration: The comparison and correction of measurements on a valve, gauge or other such instruments based on the standard measurements set on the base or control instrument.
    -Dam: A structure that is used to store water and restrict its flow.
    -Desalination: Desalination of seawater or brackish groundwater or river water for a public potable water supply is increasingly being considered or adopted around the world in areas where demand has been increasing beyond sustainable supply, where water sources are fragile or overdrawn and climate change is making previously reliable sources unreliable.
    -Drainage Basin: An area of land, usually low lying, where water is collected as a result of an overflow from the boundary or wall containing it.
    -Estuaries: Points where a river or stream meets the sea.
    -Evaporation Ponds: Artificial ponds with a large surface area so that water can evaporate quickly. These ponds are used to extract minerals from the water. Sometimes, artificial methods are used to make the process faster.
    -Field Capacity: Refers to the maximum amount of water a particular soil can hold.
    -Flood Plain: A flat low lying area next to a river or stream that gets flooded when there is heavy rain.
    -Gaging Station: An area next to a water body like a river or stream where samples are taken for testing by scientists.
    -Groundwater Runoff: When water enters the ground directly instead of going to a containment or treatment plant, it is known as groundwater runoff.
    -Heavy Water: Water that is changed to contain more hydrogen isotope deuterium than regular water. It's used mainly in nuclear reactors.
    -Hydroelectricity: Generation of electricity through the flow of water. Turbine generators are placed near dams, reservoirs or areas where water can be controlled to generate electricity.
    -Irrigation Water: Used for agricultural purposes, the water is pumped or directed via channels from its location to the crops.
    -Light Water Reactor: A thermal reactor that uses light water i.e. water with normal deuterium oxide instead of heavy water.
    -Meltwater: When ice or snow from the glacier melts due to sunlight, it is known as meltwater.
    -Municipal Sewage: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/mpp/msrhome.html
    -Outwash: A deposit of sand and other debris along the glacier carried by meltwater.
    -Passive Solar Water Heater: A device used to heat water by exposure to direct sunlight.
    -Percolation: The filtering and movement of water through a porous material.
    -Polluted: Refers to water which has been infiltrated with harmful or toxic matters, thereby rendering it undrinkable and unusable.
    -Rain Gauge: An instrument that is used to collect and measure rainwater by meteorologists.
    -Removal Action: Removal of toxins or other such hazardous materials as may be present in water. This is an extreme measure taken during emergencies.
    -Reservoir: A body of water, natural or manmade, which supplies water to community or town around it.
    -Sediment: Solid particles found in water that are broken down by weathering and transported by the water itself. These particles eventually settle at the bottom of the water body.
    -Stormwater Authority a resource of comprehensive and relevant information, news, events, and education on stormwater, assisting professionals on making educated and environmentally sound decisions about stormwater management and treatment.
    -Stream Segment: Refers to a part of a stream which is put under observation for research and further development.
    -Stream Flow: Describes the flow of water in rivers or streams.
    -Thermal Pollution: The pollution of water by an electrical power generation systems or similar systems that use heated water.
    -Toxicity: The degree to which a substance becomes harmful or toxic to the human body.
    -Wastewater: Water that cannot be used for any purpose so it's better disposed.
    -Water Pollution: Refers to the contamination of a water body due to the introduction of any foreign substance or material in the water.
    -Water Wheel: An instrument in the form of a wheel used to generate hydropower on a small scale to machinery nearby.
    -Wet Cooling: Refers to the process that reduces heat by using the natural method of evaporation.
    -Zone of Saturation: An area below the water table where all the pores are filled with water. It varies depending on the seasons.

    The water cycle refers to the continuous and natural flow of water starting from the clouds, through different stages, finally joining the clouds again. Water from the clouds enters the ground through precipitation as rain, snow or hail. Then, it joins the river and the sea. Due to evaporation, the seawater is converted into vapor which joins the clouds. It's a never ending cycle. Evaporation can happen at any point when the water travels and exposed to sunlight.

    -Animated Water Cycle: Animated presentation of the water cycle.
    -The Water Cycle: Detailed description of the water cycle.
    -Activities: Go through these activities to learn about the process of water cycle.
    -Hydrologic Cycle: Explains the hydrologic cycle with diagrams and concise descriptions.
    -The Global Water Cycle: The program by the US Global Change Research Program to study the role of the water cycle in global climate change and variability.

Watershed Educational Information:

Watershed Journals and Magazines:

Watershed Hotlist Sites:

Watershed Bulletin Boards, Listservers, Newsgroups, and Usenet:

Search for more sites at BestEzines

Watershed Bookstores:

(Sites with many titles on watersheds, and on-line ordering.)

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