Water Resources

What is a Watershed ?

Area of land that sheds (moves ) water from the highest to the lowest point.

River Systems

Texas Rivers

Austin’s Colorado River

Lake Travis

Lake Austin

Lady Bird Lake

Watershed MapCity of Austin

What watershed Are we in?Walnut Creek

Groundwater

Cenote in Mexico

Groundwater

Water found in the spaces between soil particles and cracks in rocks underground

A natural resource that is used for drinking, industry and growing crops

Examples: aquifers and springs

Groundwater Flow

Water Table

Porosity and Permeability

How fast water can flow through a material

Depends on the particle size. The larger the particle size the

more permeable the material.

Porosity and Permeability

Impermeable Layer

A layer of material which water does not pass; also known as a confining layer

Examples: Clay and shale(natural), concrete (man-made)

Impervious Cover

Land Use Changes effect the water cycle

Aquifer

An underground geological formation to store and yield water

Aquifer

The Hydrologic Cycle and Groundwater

Edwards Aquifer

Aquifer

San Antonio 1895

Ogallala Aquifer

Spring

Barton Springs Pool

Barton Springs

Recharge Zone

Layer below the surface that has holes where water can go through to the Aquifer.

Example: Karst Limestone

Features of Karst Terrain

Karst Terrain

Landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rock

San Salvador, BahamasKarst Landscape

France

The Environmental Implications of Karst Terrain

Cave FormationAnimation of Cave Formation

Innerspace Cavern

Georgetown, Texas

Cave Deposition

Natural Bridge Cavern New Braunfels, Texas

Carlsbad Cavern New Mexico

Dissolved calcium carbonate is precipitated creating cave formations

Cave Features

How much of the Earth’s water supply is available to drink?

Less than 1 %!