What factors affect the flow of water in a watershed?
The size of the watershed, as well as the number of tributaries within it, affects the volume of water in a stream or river. A very large watershed, such as that of the Fraser River, can span a number of different types of landforms and ecosystems that affect the flows of the river in different ways.
What can affect watersheds?
Climate, geology, topography, hydrology, soils, land use and other factors influence watersheds and the streams that flow through them.
What are the 3 major watersheds that Virginia contributes to?
Virginia rivers also are part of three major watersheds of North America: The Chesapeake Bay, the North Carolina Sounds, and the Mississippi River. The main rivers in each of these watersheds are listed below: Chesapeake Bay: The Potomac-Shenandoah, Rappahannock, York, and James.
What factor is the largest influence in how water drains in a watershed?
Precipitation
Precipitation: The greatest factor controlling streamflow, by far, is the amount of precipitation that falls in the watershed as rain or snow. However, not all precipitation that falls in a watershed flows out, and a stream will often continue to flow where there is no direct runoff from recent precipitation.
How does climate affect watersheds?
It was predicted that climate change can have a significant affects on streamflow, sediment loading, and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loading in a watershed. Climate change also influences the timing and magnitude of runoff and sediment yield.
Where does Virginia get its water?
Virginia gets its water from the Missabe Mountain pit.
What are all the watersheds in Virginia?
Watershed size, tributaries
Name | Area (sq. miles) | Major Tributaries |
---|---|---|
Chesapeake Bay Coastal | 2,577 | Chesapeake Bay, Piankatank |
Atlantic Ocean Coastal | 580 | Chincoteague Bay, Hog Island Bay |
Rappahannock | 2,714 | Rappahannock River, Rapidan River, Hazel River |
York | 2,669 | York River, Pamunkey River, Mattaponi River |
How does watershed affect water quality?
Watersheds directly affect water quality, whether it’s for drinking or recreation. For example, algae blooms from fertilizer runoff draining into water harm watershed health, as do mercury and lead seeping into the water supply due to pollution.
What are abiotic factors in a watershed?
Abiotic factors include water supply, topography, landforms, geology, soils, sunlight, and air quality/O2 availability. Human activities can alter abiotic components and thus accelerate or decelerate natural processes.
How does rainfall affect water?
Rains have two distinct effects on water quality in shal- low fish-producing systems: a diluting effect by which excess of nutrients, food remains and other materials in the water diminishes; and an increase in turbidity due to excess of particles from sediments in the water.
How do watersheds affect the environment?
Healthy watersheds provide many ecosystem services including, but not limited to: nutrient cycling, carbon storage, erosion/sedimentation control, increased biodiversity, soil formation, wildlife movement corridors, water storage, water filtration, flood control, food, timber and recreation, as well as reduced …
How can human activity affect surface water in a watershed?
Tillage of land changes the infiltration and runoff characteristics of the land surface, which affects recharge to ground water, delivery of water and sediment to surface-water bodies, and evapotranspiration. All of these processes either directly or indirectly affect the interaction of ground water and surface water.
Is Virginia water safe to drink?
Tap water in Northern Virginia might meet legal standards, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. The legal limit of some of the contaminants in Northern Virginia’s drinking water is over a hundred times higher than the health standards recommended by scientists, and some chemicals aren’t regulated at all.
How much of Virginia is water?
How Much of Virginia is Water?
Total Area | 42,775 |
---|---|
Land | 39,493 |
Water | 3,282 |
How many watersheds are in the state of Virginia?
Watershed size, tributaries
Name | Area (sq. miles) | Major Tributaries |
---|---|---|
Atlantic Ocean Coastal | 580 | Chincoteague Bay, Hog Island Bay |
Rappahannock | 2,714 | Rappahannock River, Rapidan River, Hazel River |
York | 2,669 | York River, Pamunkey River, Mattaponi River |
James | 10,236 | James River, Appomattox River, Maury River, Jackson River, Rivanna River |
What biotic factors affect water?
A watershed includes living components or biotic factors such as people, wildlife, plants, and insects; as well as non-living components or abiotic factors, including sunlight, oxygen, temperature, and soil. Both components belong to the environment of a watershed community.
How did DDT affect Virginia’s watershed ecosystems?
How did DDT affect Virginia’s watershed ecosystems? Virginians rely on the state’s three major watersheds to supply most of their freshwater….
WATER LOCATION | WATER FEATURES | FACTS |
---|---|---|
Surface Water | Wetlands | 1,000,000 acres, decreased from 1.8 million acres in 1780 |
How does climate affect a watershed?
Warmer temperatures and variable precipitation will have direct impacts on the water budget and the hydrology of forested watersheds; affecting the timing, distribution and seasonal availability of precipitation.
What are the factors that affect watershed management?
Transcript of Factors Affecting Watershed Management and Amount of Water. An elliptical watershed having the outlet at one end of the major axis and having the same area as the circular watershed would cause the runoff to be spread out over time, thus producing a smaller flood peak than that of the circular watershed.
What is the greatest factor controlling stream flow in a watershed?
Providing safe and sufficient water supplies is one of the world’s greatest. >The greatest factor controlling stream flow, by far, is the amount of precipitation that falls in the watershed as rain or snow.
Does all precipitation that falls in a watershed flow out?
However, not all precipitation that falls in a watershed flows out, and a stream will often continue to flow where there is no direct runoff from recent precipitation. >The amount of rainfall affects the flow of the streams within the watershed area, and ultimately how much water is stored in the watershed.
How does watershed slope affect momentum of runoff?
>Watershed slope affects the momentum of runoff. Both watershed and channel slope may be of interest. Watershed slope reflects the rate of change of elevation with respect to distance along the principal flow path. It is usually calculated as the elevation difference between the endpoints of the main flow path divided by the length.