Activity 4 - Water Supply and Demand: Water Budgets

Use the resources listed below to help you complete this activity.

To learn more about this topic, visit the following web sites:

Natural Fluctuations in Water Resources

Water Source - EPA
This site reviews the distribution of water on Earth and how water is used in the United States, including agricultural, industrial, and household usage.

"Natural Processes of Groundwater and Surface water Interaction: The Hydrologic Cycle and Interactions of Ground Water and Surface Water" - USGS Circular 1139
Site reviews the basics of the water cycle, with a focus on the movement of water between and within ground and surface water reservoirs. Includes several full color illustrations. Additional information can be obtained by clicking on "Box" links.

"Challenges and Opportunities" - USGS Circular 1139
Site discusses the issues related to water management and policy, including water supply, water quality, and characteristics of aquatic environments.

"Water on Tap: A Consumer's Guide to the Nation's Drinking Water" - EPA
This online booklet provides information on a variety of topics related to drinking water, including the quality of drinking water in the U.S., where water comes from, how much drinking water is used in the typical home, the future of water resources in the U.S., and steps that can be taken to protect the nation's drinking water.

"Water-Managing a National Resource" - USGS
Reviews steps the USGS takes to be efficient in managing the nation's water supply.

Part A: Your Local Water Budget

To complete the investigation, each student group will need:

• Internet access (or printouts of monthly temperature and precipitation data for the community):

World Climate.com
Go to site and type in the name of your city (do not enter the name of your state). This will open a page with a list of places with the same name. Select your community from the list to view data. Available data will vary with county.

National Regional Climate Centers
Click on your region. This will open a new page. Pages for each of the climate centers differ, so a little searching and looking around may be required. Try to find a link to climate data.

• Graph paper
  

Inquiring Further:

To learn more about the Ogallala Aquifer, visit the following web sites:

The Ogallala Aquifer - Water Encyclopedia
Reviews the initial formation of the aquifer and the current problems facing the aquifer's use as a supply for water.

High Plains Regional Ground Water (HPGW) Study - USGS

Send all comments about this website to education@agiweb.org

Last updated: May 11, 2010

This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation and the AGI Foundation. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.