Sci 275 - Water Resource Plan

Water Resource Plan

Connie Perkins

SCI275

June 25, 2010

Robert Chambless

Water is the most natural resource that exists on earth. It is over seventy percent of the

earth's surface. Humans know that importance of water but still seem to overlook this when it

comes to pollution. We tend to still pollute over rivers, lakes, and oceans. The organisms are

dying at a high rate and we are the ones to blame for this happening. Not only is the organisms

being affected, our drinking water is also being affected. This is causing us to not be able to

drink water and use it for recreational purposes. In order for something to change in this

situation, we need to become the part of the solution and not continue to be part of the problem.

According to www.thefreedictonary.com pollution means: The act or process of polluting

or the state of being polluted, especially the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere

by the discharge of harmful substances. Water pollution occurs when the water is affected

by large amounts of materials in the water. There are two types of water pollutants that

exists. They are point source and nonpoint source. Point source pollution is contamination that

enters the environment through any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance. Point

source pollution is monitored and regulated. Nonpoint pollution is caused by rainfall or

snowmelt moving over and through the ground. When the runoff moves it picks up and carries

natural and human made pollutants then depositing them into our lakes, rivers, and oceans.

Between the two types of water pollutants, nonpoint is the hardest one to be controlled. The

biggest problem being caused by the nonpoint pollutants.

Many causes of pollution including sewage and fertilizers contain nutrients such as nitrates

and phosphates. In excess levels, nutrients over stimulate the growth of aquatic plants and algae.

Excessive growth of the types of organisms consequently clogs our waterways, use up dissolved

oxygen as they decompose, and block light to deeper waters. With this occurring it tends to be

harmful to the aquatic organisms, affecting the respiration of these organisms. Euthrophication

is the aging process that slowly fills the body of water with sediment and organic matter.

This being done at a faster pace causes the respiration of fish to become impaired, and sows the

productivity of the plants. Pollution enters the water by many different sources such as: sewage,

cut leaves and cut grass clippings and runoffs. A natural bacterium breaks down the organic

material and it begins to use up the oxygen the is dissolved in the water. When this