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Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e

William P. Cunningham, University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham, Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo, St. Cloud State University

Water Use and Management

Essay Quiz


1		What is meant by the phrase mining water, and under what circumstances could you withdraw water from an aquifer without mining it?



2		Describe the basic events that move water among the earth's water compartments.



3		Specifically how do the water use patterns of the less-developed countries compare with those of the rich countries?



4		Explain how the price charged for water can work either for or against water conservation.



5		Personal water use habits can conserve water. a. Identify three ways of reducing water use at the toilet. b. Identify two ways of reducing water use in doing laundry and dishes. c. Describe one way to save lots of water while brushing teeth and washing hands. d. How can you cut the amount of water used to wash your car?



6		Why is it said that the hydrologic cycle is driven by solar energy?



7		In drier parts of the United States, use of surface water is tightly regulated by law and appropriation rights. Yet in those same areas, groundwater is pumped essentially without regulation. Why the difference?



8		The Ogallala aquifer has supplied huge amounts of water to sustain irrigation on millions of acres of cropland, from Nebraska to Texas. Unfortunately, 85 percent of the economically recoverable water is gone. If present rates of pumping continue, this water source will be depleted early in this century. When that happens, it will become a classic study in how agriculture, economics, sociology, politics, and ecology are all interrelated. a. What would be the consequences for people in other parts of the country of a dried-up Ogallala? b. What would be the likely consequences for a community whose economic vitality depends on the intensive agriculture sustained by irrigation water from the Ogallala? c. If you lived in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, or another of the Great Lakes states, what would be your reaction to a request from local officials in the Ogallala communities for piping Great Lakes water south to replace the dried-up aquifer?



9		It is estimated that humans currently exploit 54 percent of the earth's accessible runoff. Yet, the world's population continues to grow, and per capita water use is dramatically rising in developing countries. What is your response to that information in terms of the following issues? a. Future world population trends b. Future water use policies c. Future global political stability



10		After the disastrous flooding on the Mississippi River in 1993, a number of people have suggested that we not rebuild dikes and levees and return to the land use patterns existing before the flood. They suggest instead that lands of the floodplain be allowed to return to a more natural state. What reasons are there for believing that such a plan could effectively reduce future flood damage?



11		In a previous chapter, you learned that the tectonic plates of the earth's crust move slowly over the globe's surface, sometimes colliding and forming mountains. Mountains are not forever, however, as you learned in the rock cycle discussions in the same chapter. Describe how these geologic events of mountain building and mountain destruction could impact features of the hydrologic cycle in the area.



12		Visit the Current Global Environmental Issues map on this Web site. Under Forests, choose the piece Record conservation land purchase saves forests in Adirondack Park. What is the connection between this land purchase and water issues?

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