NRE 3105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Tide, Water Table, Aquifer

• School: UConn
• Department: Natural Resources and the Environment
• Course: NRE 3105
• Professor: Lawrence

Document Summary

The single most important determinant of the establishment and maintenance of specific types of wetlands and wetland processes. Most of the planets freshwater is in glaciers (79%) and groundwater (20%) Water is renewed and recycled by the water cycle. Where does water in a wetland come from: precipitation, groundwater, surface inflow (streams or overland flow) Groundwater plays a key role: groundwater: water beneath the surface held in pores in soil or rock, aquifers: porous, sponge-like formations of rock, sand, or gravel that hold water, water table: the top of the aquifer. Land use in a water shed influences water quality and quantity: Impervious surfaces create stormwater runoff: precipitation does not percolate into the ground, runoff flows over streets, parking lots, rooftops, and accumulates debris, chemicals, sediment, and other pollutants. Hydroperiod: seasonal pattern of water levels (where water table is over time: characterized by flood frequency and flood duration.