One concept that is never covered with any depth in Texas classrooms is a "watershed". Often we don't associate our daily lives with the most precious commodity to maintain our existence. Without water, life on Earth would perish. Our ability to understand and sustain watersheds is critical to the survival of living things. Within the next few paragraphs I describe some of the aspects that impact and define a watershed.
Different types of watersheds can be found all around us. The Rio Grande Valley gets water from that which makes it's way down the Rio Grande River. Eventually the water enters into three major watershed types: Closed, Open, and Multiple-open. The closed watershed drains into inland bodies of water such as ponds and lakes. Slightly more complex are the open and multiple-open watersheds that eventually drain into the ocean.
The source of water is regulated by the hydrologic cycle. Times are changing and the hydrologic cycle influencing all types of natural events. Some of these are considered catastrophic. Two extreme examples of catastrophic events are droughts which limit the amount of water and floods which bring an excessive amount of water. Once water enters the hydrologic cycle it is found below the ground, on the surface, and/or above the ground. A good example of surface water includes lakes, while a good example of ground water is soil water, and sometimes we forget that transpiration of plants provides water that moves into the atmosphere.
Watersheds are important because they provide water for industry, drinking, recreation, and agriculture. Hydroelectric power is used by industries and municipalities from electrical energy generated by the conversion of the flow of water near Falcon Dam and a few others. Flora, fauna, and humans are examples of living things that use and require safe drinking water. Without the watershed being able to provide water for recreation, fishing would never take place. The development of irrigation in the Rio Grande Valley was primarily due to the development of systems to capture and distribute water for agricultural purposes.
Of great concern to all of us is the amount and type of pollution that enters our environment. Two types of pollution describe the impact on the environment. One type is called point source pollution which is caused by a single source. Another type of pollution is called non-point source pollution which is caused by runoff from fields that are over-fertilized. In some cases non-point source pollution can be from atmospheric input.
The health of watersheds requires monitoring of the sources, the uses, and the impact on the environment. These practices result in maintaining a well managed watershed. The next grant period will focus a further understanding of the impact increases in salinity caused by drought conditions.
