1122 Lab 3(Surface Water)

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Name: Simone A. Lattimore TA: Morgan Kerpics Lab 3- Surface Water GEOL 1122 Before answering the questions for each section, make sure you have watched the video(s). After you have completed this worksheet, save it and upload it to the assignment folder for Lab 3 in iCollege. Please use your own words to answer the questions, and include as much detail as possible . Lab Objectives At the end of this lab, students should be able to: • Understand “where is water found and how much is there? ” on a global scale • Name and explain major reservoirs and fluxes in the hydrologic cycle • Know the distinguishing features of wetlands and ponds/lakes • Understand how river velocity and sediment transportation capacity changes along a river network and why this changes. • Understand the importance of urban stormwater infrastructure and how it relates to social and environmental justice or the lack thereof Part 1: Introduction To answer these questions, first watch the “ Lab 3, Part 1: Introduction ” video on iCollege. Please answer the questions in your own words. 1) Hypothesize a process by which water from the ocean moves to the land surface. Please give a detailed answer with your reasoning fully explained. (4 pts) Water from the ocean evaporates due to solar heat, forming water vapor. Winds transport this vapor over the land. As the air cools, the water vapor condenses to form clouds. Eventually, the condensed water droplets fall as precipitation onto the land surface. This precipitation replenishes terrestrial water sources and sustains ecosystems on land. 2) Pick three of the fluxes listed on the right side of this slide. For each of the three fluxes you pick, please search the internet to explain the process, in addition to naming the two reservoirs involved. In other words, your answer needs to include the starting and ending reservoirs for this process . (4 pts) Evaporation : • Process : Evaporation is the process by which liquid water is converted into water vapor and released into the atmosphere. It occurs primarily from the Earth's surface, including bodies of water, soil, and vegetation. Solar energy heats the surface, causing water molecules to gain enough energy to escape into the air as vapor. • Reservoirs Involved : The starting reservoir is typically a body of water such as oceans, lakes, rivers, or moist soil. Water evaporates from these surfaces and

enters the atmosphere. The ending reservoir is the atmosphere itself, where the water vapor accumulates and contributes to humidity and weather patterns. Transpiration : • Process : Transpiration is the process by which water is absorbed by plant roots from the soil, transported through the plant, and released into the atmosphere through pores in the plant's leaves called stomata. This process is essential for the plant's cooling and nutrient uptake. • Reservoirs Involved : The starting reservoir is typically the soil, where water is absorbed by plant roots from groundwater or precipitation. The water is then transported through the plant and released into the atmosphere through transpiration. The ending reservoir is the atmosphere, where the water vapor released by transpiration contributes to humidity and cloud formation. Infiltration : • Process : Infiltration is the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil. It occurs when precipitation, irrigation, or surface water flows into the soil pores, percolating downward through the soil layers until it reaches the water table. • Reservoirs Involved : The starting reservoir is usually surface water such as rainfall, snowmelt, or irrigation water. This water infiltrates through the soil profile until it reaches the zone of saturation, where it becomes groundwater. The ending reservoir is the groundwater table or aquifer, where the infiltrated water accumulates and contributes to underground water resources. 3) Use the internet to find a lake or wetland in the state of Georgia. Please write a thoughtful, well-developed paragraph (of at least five sentences) describing this lake or wetland. Important things to include are: (1) How and when did this feature form? (2) What organisms use this feature as a habitat? (3) what social, historical, or economic functions does this feature serve? (6 pts) One notable lake in the state of Georgia is Lake Lanier, located in the northern part of the state. Formed in the 1950s with the construction of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier serves multiple purposes including flood control, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. The reservoir covers approximately 38,000 acres and has over 690 miles of shoreline. Lake Lanier is a crucial habitat for various aquatic organisms such as bass, catfish, crappie, and freshwater mussels. Additionally, it serves as a stopover point for migratory birds during their seasonal journeys. The lake is a popular recreational destination for boating, fishing, swimming, and picnicking, attracting visitors from across the region. However, its management has been a subject of controversy due to issues surrounding water allocation among different stakeholders and environmental concerns related to water quality and ecosystem health. 4) Please answer whether or not you think you live within a watershed (please explain your reasoning ). (2 pts) Yes, I believe I live within a watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean. Considering that every piece of land is part of a larger hydrological system, it's reasonable to conclude that I live within a watershed. Specifically, the area where I reside is likely to be part of a local

watershed that drains into nearby rivers, streams, or lakes. Given the interconnected nature of water flow and drainage patterns, it's essential to recognize the significance of watersheds in managing water resources and protecting water quality. 5) Please hypothesize whether or not it is possible for a piece of land to be part of more than one watershed simultaneously (fully explain your reasoning). (4 pts) I t is entirely plausible for a piece of land to be part of more than one watershed simultaneously due to the dynamic nature of drainage patterns and geographical features. Watersheds are defined by the natural flow of water, typically delineated by ridges or high points where water separates and drains into different basins. However, certain areas, especially those near drainage divides such as mountain ranges or plateaus, may receive rainfall or runoff that disperses into multiple directions, eventually feeding into distinct watershed areas. Additionally, human alterations to the landscape, including the construction of canals, pipelines, and drainage systems, can further modify natural drainage patterns, causing a piece of land to straddle multiple watershed boundaries. Therefore, the possibility of a piece of land belonging to more than one watershed simultaneously underscores the complexity of hydrological systems and the interconnectedness of land and water resources. Part 2: Why Do Rivers Curve? Watch the linked You Tube video “Why do Rivers C urve ” in its entirety to answer these questions in your own words . 6) According to the video, how are mountain streams different from rivers and streams that run through plains? (4 pts) Mountain streams typically have steeper gradients, faster velocities, and narrower, rockier channels compared to the wider, slower rivers and streams found in plains. 7) Explain the process by which streams/rivers running through flat areas begin to curve. Please use as much detail as possible, and make sure to include the role that water velocity plays (i.e., make sure to describe how water velocity is different in different parts of the stream/river). (4 pts) Streams and rivers running through flat areas begin to curve due to a phenomenon called meandering, which is primarily influenced by water velocity and channel characteristics. As water flows through the river, it encounters varying resistance from the riverbed and banks. Along the outer bends of the river, where the velocity is higher due to less friction against the banks, erosion occurs, gradually deepening the channel. Conversely, on the inner bends, where water velocity is lower, sediment deposition occurs, resulting in the formation of point bars and widening the channel. Over time, these erosional and depositional processes cause the river channel to migrate laterally, creating meanders. The velocity of water is highest on the outer curve of the meander, where erosion is more significant, while it is slower on the inner curve due to sediment deposition. This difference in velocity contributes to the

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continuous widening and curving of the river channel, ultimately shaping its meandering pattern over time. 8) What is the relationship between the width of a stream/river and the distance between consecutive meanders? If the width of a stream is 3 meters, what is the expected length of one S-shaped meander in this stream (explain how this was calculated)? (4 pts) The relationship between the width of a stream and the distance between consecutive meanders is influenced by the sinuosity ratio. A higher sinuosity ratio indicates more meandering and typically results in wider channels and longer distances between meanders. Assuming a sinuosity ratio of 1.5, for a stream with a width of 3 meters, the expected length of one S-shaped meander would be approximately 15 meters, given a straight-line distance of 10 meters between meanders. 9) Explain the formation of an oxbow lake in as much detail as possible. (4 pts) Oxbow lakes form as a result of the natural process of meandering in rivers. Over time, as a river meanders, the outer bend of a meander experiences faster water flow and increased erosion, while the inner bend experiences slower flow and sediment deposition. As erosion continues on the outer bend, the neck of the meander narrows. During periods of high flow, such as floods, the river may cut through the narrow neck of the meander, creating a new, shorter path. As the river continues to flow through this new path, the old meander becomes isolated from the main channel, forming a crescent-shaped oxbow lake. Over time, sedimentation and the growth of vegetation further separate the oxbow lake from the main river channel. Oxbow lakes provide important habitats for various aquatic and bird species and contribute to the overall biodiversity of riverine ecosystems. Part 3: Streamflow Watch the linked YouTube video “Streamflow” in its entirety to answer these questions in your own words. 10) Please define the following terms: headwaters, tributary, main channel, and delta/mouth. (4 pts) Headwaters : The headwaters are the uppermost part of a river, typically found in mountainous areas, where water first accumulates and flows to form the river's initial course. Tributary : A tributary is a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger main river, contributing to its flow and often joining it at a confluence. Main Channel : The main channel of a river or stream is the primary pathway through which the majority of its water flows, defining the river's course and direction of movement.

Delta/Mouth : A delta is a landform created at the mouth of a river where it meets a larger body of water, characterized by sediment deposition and the formation of distributaries. The mouth refers to the point where the river empties into the larger body of water. 11) Please explain how sediment grain size changes from the headwaters to the mouth of a river system. Make sure to include how water velocity is involved with this. (4 pts) As a river flows from the headwaters to the mouth, sediment grain size tends to decrease. In the headwaters, where water velocity is high due to steep gradients, the river transports larger sediment particles like gravel and boulders. However, as the river progresses downstream, the velocity decreases, causing it to deposit larger particles while continuing to transport smaller ones like sand, silt, and clay. Ultimately, finer sediment predominates near the river mouth due to the lower velocity in this region. 12) Pause the video at the Hjulstrom Diagram presented at 3:54 and predict what will happen (at a flow velocity of 1 cm/second) for clay, silt, sand, and gravel (i.e., whether each of these will be transported, eroded, or deposited, or a combination). (4 pts) Clay: Clay particles are very fine and require extremely low velocities to be transported. At 1 cm/second, clay particles are likely to remain suspended in the water column and be transported downstream. Silt: Silt particles are finer than sand but coarser than clay. They require moderate velocities for transportation. At 1 cm/second, silt particles are likely to be transported downstream rather than deposited or eroded. Sand: Sand particles are coarser and require higher velocities to be transported. At 1 cm/second, sand particles may be at the threshold of transportation or deposition, depending on factors like sediment supply and channel conditions. They may start to be deposited if the flow velocity decreases further. Gravel: Gravel particles are much coarser and require even higher velocities for transportation. At 1 cm/second, gravel particles are unlikely to be transported and are more likely to remain in place or be deposited if the flow velocity decreases. 13) List the reasons given in the video for why stream velocity generally increases with distance downstream (4 pts) Stream velocity generally increases with distance downstream due to factors such as increased discharge, larger stream channel size, decreased friction, and changes in stream characteristics. 14) First, give the definition of a hydrograph. (Note that while this video shows a period of months on the x-axis, hydrographs can be generated for any time period.) The graph below shows a hydrograph for a single storm event at Snapfinger Creek near Decatur, Georgia. The x-axis represents minutes since the start of the storm event. The y-axis represents discharge in units of cubic feet per second (although not metric, this is a unit for streamflow commonly used by the US Geological Survey). Using the diagram, locate peak discharge on this hydrograph and estimate the approximate magnitude (amount) of this discharge, as well as the approximate minute since the start of the storm event that this peak discharge occurred. (4 pts)

Hydrograph: this is a graph that shows the rate of water flow in relation to time providing a specific point or section Approximate magnitude: 220 cubic ft per second Approximate minute since the start of the storm: 250 Min Part 4 : Atlanta’s Proctor Creek Read the linked article on iCollege in its entirety to answer these questions in your own words. 18) Summarize the reasons given in this article for the flooding problems and pollution that have long been associated with Proctor Creek. In your answer, hypothesize about how hydrologic processes in this watershed (that is mostly covered by concrete) are different from those in a forested watershed (hint: think about some of the fluxes listed in the introduction video) (4 pts) To summarize, the flooding issues and pollution in Proctor Creek are primarily attributed to its urbanized setting with extensive impervious surfaces, exacerbating runoff during heavy rainstorms and overwhelming the creek's capacity. Urban runoff laden with sediment, heavy metals, and pollutants from streets and industrial areas flows untreated into the creek, further contributing to its contamination. In contrast, forested watersheds possess natural buffers and vegetation that slow down rainfall, promote infiltration, and filter pollutants, mitigating flooding and pollution concerns. The absence of these natural features in Proctor Creek's predominantly concrete-covered watershed disrupts hydrological processes, intensifying flooding risks and pollution levels. 0 50 100 150 200 250 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 Discharge (CFS) Time (minutes) USGS 02203950 (December 28, 2012)

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19) The US EPA defines the term “Environmental Justice” as follows: Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work. Using this definition, write a well-developed paragraph (at least five sentences) about how residents in the neighborhoods comprising the Proctor Creek watershed have historically and are currently experiencing environmental injustice (8 pts) Residents in the neighborhoods within the Proctor Creek watershed have historically faced significant environmental injustices. The area is characterized by high levels of pollution, flooding, and inadequate infrastructure, which disproportionately affect marginalized communities living in proximity to the creek. These neighborhoods, often populated by low- income and minority residents, bear the brunt of environmental hazards stemming from industrial activities, urban runoff, and outdated stormwater management systems. Historical disinvestment and discriminatory land-use policies have perpetuated the concentration of polluting industries and infrastructure in these areas, exacerbating health disparities and economic hardships. Furthermore, residents have limited access to decision-making processes concerning environmental regulations and policies, hindering their ability to advocate for equitable solutions and safeguards. As a result, Proctor Creek's communities continue to face systemic environmental injustices, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive approaches to address pollution, flooding, and health disparities while ensuring fair treatment and meaningful involvement for all residents.

1122 Lab 3(Surface Water)

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