What is surface water and runoff?
Runoff is nothing more than water “running off” the land surface. Just as the water you wash your car with runs off down the driveway as you work, the rain that Mother Nature covers the landscape with runs off downhill, too (due to gravity). Runoff is an important component of the natural water cycle.
How would you describe surface runoff?
Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle.
Why is surface runoff important?
A portion of the precipitation seeps into the ground to replenish Earth’s groundwater. Most of it flows downhill as runoff. Runoff is extremely important in that not only does it keep rivers and lakes full of water, but it also changes the landscape by the action of erosion.
What is runoff Slideshare?
Runoff is generated by rainstorms. Its occurrence and quantity are dependent on the characteristics of the rainfall event, i.e. intensity, duration and distribution. This module highlights about runoff components of the hydrological cycle. Read more. Science.
What is surface runoff affected by?
The type, intensity and distribution of precipitation affects runoff, as does the slope, vegetation and topography of the land over which it travels. Climate change affects the patterns of runoff because as more precipitation falls as rain and less as snow, the snow melts faster as it is hit by rain.
What is the main source of surface water?
Surface water collects on the ground or in a stream, river, lake, reservoir, or ocean. Surface water is constantly evaporating out of water bodies, seeping into ground water supplies, and being replenished by rain and snow. A spring is where ground water comes to the surface and becomes surface water.
How do you control surface runoff?
What can you do to reduce the runoff from your property?
- Disconnect/Redirect Downspouts.
- Use a rain barrel to capture rain from your roof.
- Plant a rain garden.
- Plant trees.
- Reduce impervious surfaces; install permeable pavement.
- Plant a green roof.
What are the components of runoff?
COMPONENTS OF RUNOFF:
- Direct rainfall over the stream:-
- Surface runoff or overland flow: –
- Subsurface flow or interflow:–
- Base flow, groundwater flow or Dry weather flow:-
How is runoff produced?
Runoff occurs when there is more water than land can absorb. The excess liquid flows across the surface of the land and into nearby creeks, streams, or ponds. Runoff can come from both natural processes and human activity. The most familiar type of natural runoff is snowmelt.
How do you prevent surface runoff?
Impervious surfaces include your roof, driveway, patios and lawn. Reduce rooftop runoff by directing your downspouts to vegetated areas, and not to the storm drain on your street. For your driveway and patios, consider putting in permeable paving or patterns of cement and brick that allow water to filter through it.
Why is surface water important?
Importance of Fresh Surface Waters
These fresh surface waters sustain ecological systems and provide habitat for many plant and animal species. They also support a myriad of human uses, including drinking water, irrigation, wastewater treatment, livestock, industrial uses, hydropower, and recreation.
What type of water is surface water?
Surface water is any body of water above ground, including streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, reservoirs, and creeks. The ocean, despite being saltwater, is also considered surface water.
What are the effects of surface runoff?
In addition to causing water erosion and pollution, surface runoff in urban areas is a primary cause of urban flooding, which can result in property damage, damp and mold in basements, and street flooding.
What causes water runoff?
Stormwater runoff is rainfall that flows over the ground surface. It is created when rain falls on roads, driveways, parking lots, rooftops and other paved surfaces that do not allow water to soak into the ground.
What factors affect runoff?
Temperature, wind speed, and humidity are the major meteorological factors, which affect runoff. Temperature, wind speed and humidity affect evaporation and transpiration rates, thus soil moisture regime and infiltration rate, and finally runoff volume.
What is the source of runoff?
It comes from unabsorbed water from rain, snowmelt, irrigation or other sources, comprising a significant element of the water cycle as well as the water supply when it drains into a watershed. Runoff is also a major contributor to the erosion that carves out canyons, gorges and related landforms.
Why is water runoff a problem?
Runoff picks up fertilizer, oil, pesticides, dirt, bacteria and other pollutants as it makes its way through storm drains and ditches – untreated – to our streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Polluted runoff is one of the greatest threats to clean water in the U.S.
How does surface water affect the environment?
How surface water is formed?
Surface water is the residue of precipitation and melted snow, called runoff. Where the average rate of precipitation exceeds the rate at which runoff seeps into the soil, evaporates, or is absorbed by vegetation, bodies of surface water such as streams, rivers, and lakes are formed.
How can we prevent runoff?
How can we prevent surface runoff?
PRACTICES THAT REDUCE RUNOFF THROUGH IMPROVED INFILTRATION CAPACITY AND SOIL TRANSMISSION CHARACTERISTICS
- Mulch Farming.
- Soil Conditioners.
- Cover Crops.
- Alley Cropping.
- No-tillage Farming.
- Ploughing.
- Strip Cropping.
- Contour Farming.
How do you reduce surface runoff?
How can you prevent runoff?
Start with doing one of the actions on the following top 10 list:
- Maintain your car or truck.
- Wash your car at a commercial car wash rather than in the street or in your driveway.
- Drive less.
- Cut down on fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
- Remove part or all of your lawn.
How can we prevent surface water pollution?
Ways to Prevent Water Pollution
- Pick up litter and throw it away in a garbage can.
- Blow or sweep fertilizer back onto the grass if it gets onto paved areas.
- Mulch or compost grass or yard waste.
- Wash your car or outdoor equipment where it can flow to a gravel or grassy area instead of a street.
What causes runoff?
Impervious surfaces, or surfaces that can’t absorb water, increase runoff. Roads, sidewalks, and parking lots are impervious surfaces. Materials as diverse as car-washing soaps, litter, and spilled gas from a gas station all become runoff. Runoff is a major source of water pollution.