Watershed Boundaries and Drainage

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Questions and Answers

What is a watershed?

A body of water that supplies drinking water to a community

The land area that drains water to a particular stream, river, or lake (correct)

A type of water treatment process

A unit of measurement for water flow

What is the purpose of a public water supplier?

To construct dams and reservoirs

To monitor water quality

To provide water for agricultural use only

To deliver water to users for domestic, commercial, and industrial use (correct)

What is the name of the watershed boundary that separates the flow of water from the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean?

Oceanic Boundary

Watershed Ridge

Continental Divide (correct)

Water Divide

How many service connections are required for a system to be considered a public water supplier?

15 service connections Signup and view all the answers

What is the rate of flow in streams and rivers measured in?

Cubic Feet per Second (CFS) Signup and view all the answers

How many gallons of water are equal to one Cubic Foot per Second (CFS)?

7.48 gallons Signup and view all the answers

What is the conversion factor for Cubic Feet (ft3) to gallons?

1 ft3 = 7.48 gallons Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of calculating the volume of a room in cubic feet?

To calculate the amount of water that can fit in the room Signup and view all the answers

What is a flood plain?

A strip of relatively flat and normally dry land alongside a stream, river, or lake Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary cause of giardiasis?

Drinking water that is not filtered or chlorinated Signup and view all the answers

What is the unit of measurement for the concentration of a constituent in water or wastewater?

Milligrams per liter Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for water that is lost in transit from a pipe, canal, or ditch by leakage or evaporation?

Conveyance loss Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for water that flows or seeps downward and saturates soil or rock?

Groundwater Signup and view all the answers

What is the process where water is put back into groundwater storage from surface-water supplies?

Artificial recharge Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream?

Tributary Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of groundwater recharge?

To add volume to a groundwater reservoir Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the amount of solid particles that are suspended in water and cause light rays to scatter?

Turbidity Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for water-quality indication of the concentration of alkaline salts in water?

Hardness Signup and view all the answers

What is the cyclic transfer of water vapor from the Earth's surface into the atmosphere and back to the Earth?

Hydrologic cycle Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a land area where precipitation runs off into streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs?

Drainage basin Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the sum of evaporation and transpiration?

Evapotranspiration Signup and view all the answers

What is a layer of solid material that does not allow water to pass through?

Impermeable layer Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process by which water is absorbed by plants and evaporated into the atmosphere?

Transpiration Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the use of water in the generation of electricity?

Hydroelectric power use Signup and view all the answers

What is Cryptosporidium?

A microscopic parasite Signup and view all the answers

What is the unit of measure for the turbidity of water?

Nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a place where fresh and saltwater mix, such as a bay, salt marsh, or where a river enters an ocean?

Estuary Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a well constructed for the purpose of injecting treated wastewater directly into the groundwater?

Injection well Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary source of water for industrial uses in the United States?

Self-supplied sources Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which soluble materials in the soil are washed into a lower layer of soil or are dissolved and carried away by water?

Leaching Signup and view all the answers

What is a natural or manmade earthen barrier along the edge of a stream, lake, or river used for?

Preventing flooding Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a flow rate of water equal to 133,680.56 cubic feet per day?

Mgal/d Signup and view all the answers

What type of pollution is caused by sediment, nutrients, and toxic substances originating from land-use activities?

Non-point source pollution Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the need for molecular oxygen to meet the needs of biological and chemical processes in water?

Oxygen demand Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a primarily grassy area where water covers the ground most of the time?

Marsh Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for water used during the extraction of minerals from the land?

Mining water use Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the controlled application of water for agricultural purposes through manmade systems?

Irrigation Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the outlet or structure through which reclaimed water or treated effluent is finally discharged to a receiving water body?

Outfall Signup and view all the answers

What was the Allen brothers' claim about the water supply in their 1836 newspaper advertisement?

That the water supply was abundant and readily available Signup and view all the answers

How was 'pure, cold, and wholesome water' delivered to Houstonians in the early days?

By wagon from Beauchamp Springs Signup and view all the answers

What was the cost of a 30-gallon barrel of 'pure, cold, and wholesome water' delivered to Houstonians?

75 cents Signup and view all the answers

What is the Houston Public Works department described as?

The largest and most diverse public works organization in the country Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the story of water in Houston from the 1836 newspaper advertisement?

That the story of water in Houston was more complicated than the Allen brothers' advertisement suggested Signup and view all the answers

Where was Beauchamp Springs located in relation to the town of Houston?

One and a half miles outside the town limits Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the early residents of Houston?

That they were willing to pay a premium for 'pure, cold, and wholesome water' Signup and view all the answers

What is implied about the Houston Water Department from the news articles and director's statement?

That it is comparable to other major cities in terms of water quality and service Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the City of Houston's Drinking Water Operations?

To protect public health and the environment Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of the City of Houston's water supply comes from surface water resources?

86% Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of water in Houston's daily water supply comes from surface water?

86% Signup and view all the answers

How many dedicated public servants work together to create a strong foundation for Houston to thrive?

4,000 Signup and view all the answers

What is the daily water supply goal of the City of Houston's Drinking Water Operations?

449 million gallons Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of protecting water resources?

Reducing pollutants and chemical contaminants Signup and view all the answers

What is the main way citizens can help reduce pollution in water resources?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the association that accredits the City of Houston's Public Works?

American Public Works Association Signup and view all the answers

What is the estimated population of Harris County by 2050?

5.5 million people Signup and view all the answers

How many lane miles of streets are maintained by the City of Houston's Public Works?

15,000+ lane miles Signup and view all the answers

What is the total number of street name and traffic signs maintained by the City of Houston's Public Works?

1,100,000+ Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the lake that provides most of Houston's surface water supply?

Lake Conroe Signup and view all the answers

What is the service area of the City of Houston's Public Works in square miles?

671 mi2 Signup and view all the answers

What is the volume of Lake Conroe when it is full?

1.4E11 gallons Signup and view all the answers

How many people are served by the City of Houston's Public Works?

2.3 million Signup and view all the answers

What can commercial, industrial, and residential development of a lake's surrounding habitat lead to?

Runoff of chemicals, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and human waste Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of establishing best-management-practices (BMPs) in residential areas?

To reduce pollutants and chemical contaminants in water resources Signup and view all the answers

What is the total amount of water treated annually by the City of Houston's Drinking Water Operations?

146 billion gallons Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Water and Watersheds

A watershed is a land area that drains water to a particular stream, river, or lake
It can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge
Large watersheds, like the Mississippi River basin, contain thousands of smaller watersheds

Water Supply

Public water suppliers provide water for domestic, commercial, thermoelectric power, industrial, and public water users
Most people's household water is delivered by a public water supplier
The systems have at least 15 service connections or regularly serve at least 25 individuals daily for at least 60 days out of the year

Water Terminology

CFS (Cubic Feet per Second) is a rate of water flow, equal to a volume of water one foot high and one foot wide flowing a distance of one foot in one second
Conveyance loss is water lost in transit from a pipe, canal, or ditch by leakage or evaporation
Drainage basin is a land area where precipitation runs off into streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs
Consumptive use is a part of water withdrawn that is evaporated, transpired by plants, incorporated into products or crops, consumed by humans or livestock, or otherwise removed from the immediate water environment
Evapotranspiration is the sum of evaporation and transpiration
Tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream
Turbidity is the amount of solid particles suspended in water that cause light rays to scatter
Flood plain is a strip of relatively flat and normally dry land alongside a stream, river, or lake that is covered by water during a flood
Flood stage is the elevation at which overflow of the natural banks of a stream or body of water begins

Waterborne Diseases

Giardiasis is a disease caused by drinking water that is not filtered or chlorinated, resulting in abdominal discomfort, nausea, and alternating constipation and diarrhea
Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease caused by the microscopic parasite Cryptosporidium, resulting in watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss

Water Quality Standards

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is the greatest amount of a contaminant that can be present in drinking water without causing a risk to human health
MCL is designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to water-quality standards promulgated under the Safe Drinking Water Act

Hydrologic Cycle

Hydrologic cycle is the cyclic transfer of water vapor from the Earth's surface via evapotranspiration into the atmosphere, from the atmosphere via precipitation back to earth, and through runoff into streams, rivers, and lakes, and ultimately into the oceans

Groundwater

Groundwater is water that flows or seeps downward and saturates soil or rock, supplying springs and wells
Groundwater recharge is the inflow of water to a groundwater reservoir from the surface
Groundwater, confined is groundwater under pressure significantly greater than atmospheric pressure
Groundwater, unconfined is water in an aquifer that has a water table that is exposed to the atmosphere

Early Houston and Water Supply

In 1836, the Allen brothers advertised Houston as a promising town with an abundant supply of pure water from the Buffalo Bayou.
The story of water in Houston proved to be more complicated than the brothers' advertisement suggested.

Water Delivery in Houston

As the town expanded, residents relied on multiple water sources, including Beauchamp Springs, which provided "pure, cold, and wholesome water" at a cost of 75 cents per 30-gallon barrel.

Houston Public Works

Houston Public Works is the largest and most diverse public works organization in the country.
It is responsible for streets, drainage, producing and distributing water, collecting and treating wastewater, and permitting and regulating construction.
The organization has 4,000 dedicated public servants and serves 2.3 million people across a 671 mi² service area.
Houston Public Works is accredited by the American Public Works Association and is the #1 largest water/wastewater utility in Texas, treating 146 billion gallons of water annually.

City of Houston - Drinking Water Operations

The City of Houston drinking water system maintains a "Superior" rating, the highest rating for water quality issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The system serves approximately 2.2 million customers daily across a four-county service area, in excess of 600 square miles.
Notable projects include the Raw Surface Water System Expansion, Surface Water Purification Plant Expansion, and Wastewater Collection System rehabilitation.

Houston's Water Supply

Houston has sufficient water supplies for its wholesale and retail customers through 2050.
The city has 1.2 billion gallons per day of reliable surface water rights and 200 million gallons per day of available groundwater supplies.

Daily Water Supply Monitor

In 2017, Houston's Drinking Water Operations produced and distributed more than 160 billion gallons of water.
The city treated an average of 449 million gallons per day of water through a 7,000-mile plus pipeline distribution system.
The majority of this water is used for industrial and manufacturing purposes.

Reliable Surface Water Rights

The city's reliable surface water rights come from a combination of reservoir and run-of-river yield from Lake Livingston, Lake Houston, Lake Conroe, and the Lower Trinity River.
The City owns 70% shares of Lake Livingston, Lake Conroe, and the future Allen's Creek Reservoir, and 100% of Lake Houston.

Source Water Protection

Local lakes and rivers supply the City of Houston's surface water resources.
86% of the water supply comes from surface water, including lakes and rivers, and 14% comes from deep underground wells drilled into the Evangeline and Chicot aquifers.

Surface Water Protection

The city pipes or gravity-feeds surface water to one of three surface water purification plants for treatment and disinfection.
The water is tested and meets state and federal drinking water standards.

What Can People Do?

By 2050, Harris County's population is expected to exceed 5.5 million people, making it essential for citizens to use water wisely.
Citizens can help reduce pollution in water resources by using water efficiently, properly maintaining motorized equipment, and supporting best-management-practices (BMPs) in commercial, industrial, and residential development areas.

Lake Conroe

Lake Conroe is a 21,000-acre lake in Montgomery County, with most of the lake in unincorporated Montgomery County.
The lake has a surface elevation of 201', a volume of 0.1272 cubic miles, and can store approximately 1.4E11 gallons of water when full.

San Jacinto River and Its Watershed

The San Jacinto River and its watershed cover 4,500 mi² across Harris, Montgomery, Waller, Walker, Grimes, Liberty, and San Jacinto Counties.

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Description

This quiz covers the concept of watersheds, including their definition, boundaries, and how they drain water to specific streams, rivers, or lakes.