| A | B |
|---|
| aquifers | Underground formations, usually composed of sand, gravel, or permeable rock, capable of storing and yielding significant quantities of water. |
| discharges | Defined by the Clean Water Act as the addition of pollutants (including animal manure or contaminated waters) to navigable waters |
| estuaries | Coastal waters where seawater is measurably diluted with freshwater; a marine ecosystem where freshwater enters the ocean. |
| freshwater | Water without significant amounts of dissolved sodium chloride (salt). Characteristic of rain, rivers, ponds, and most lakes |
| groundwater | Water contained in porous strata below the surface of the Earth. |
| permeability | The ease with which water and other fluids migrate through geological strata or landfill liners. |
| porosity | The total volume of soil, rock, or other material that is occupied by pore spaces. A high porosity does not equate to a high permeability because the pore spaces may be poorly interconnected. |
| recharge | A hydrologic process where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. This process usually occurs in the vadose zone below plant roots, and is often expressed as a flux to the water table surface. |
| vadose zone | The area of the ground below the surface and above the region occupied by groundwater. |
| watershed | The area of land that drains into a lake or stream. |
| United States water consumption | among highest in world. 1350/gal/person/day |
| Twin Cities watershed | Mississippi River |
| Ways to conserve water | low flow plumbing, gray water, on demand use |
| water filtration process | Twin Cities Water treatment plant |
| diagram of water cycle | evaporation, transpiration, condense, precipitate, groundwater, 3 steps |
