Water and - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Water and

WatershedsSlide2

Our planet is shaped by its water,

and even gets its

welcoming blue hue

from this amazing resource.Slide3

Most people know that water

constitutes

about 70% of the earth’s surface, and about

65

%

of

the human body.

But did you know that it

has unique characteristics

that enable photosynthesis,

f

ertilization, and

cell

division?Slide4

In addition, we have all the water

that we have almost ever had,

since life began, or may ever have. Slide5

Of the water we do have:

97.5% is saltwater

2.3% is in ice or

groundwater; and,

o

nly

.3% is

readily

accessible and drinkable

.Slide6

All our water moves around the planet in a system called the Hydrologic Cycle.

This cycle consists of

four continuous actions

t

hat allow life to flourish

while they erode mountains

and carve river valleys. Slide7

The 4 continuous actions of the Hydrologic Cycle are:

Evaporation

Condensation

Precipitation

AccumulationSlide8

The

hydrologic

cycle, climate

,

and other conditions

present a series of interesting realities for Canada

.

For example, while we have both rain and snow, Canada has a

temperate climate

with relatively

balanced precipitation throughout the

year, with no major wet or dry seasons.Slide9

However, while most people think

that we have an abundance of water, the facts are quite different.Slide10

First of all, Canada

has

about

7

% of the world’s land mass,

and

receives about

7

% of

land-based

precipitation. Slide11

Secondly, while most of our population lives close to the US border,

most of our water flows North,

to the Arctic, Hudson Bay,

and the Labrador Sea. Slide12

An interesting aspect of this is that,

despite the fact that the Great

Lakes have a large

percentage

of the

world’s lake-water

, the annual flow from

each

of 3 Canadian rivers that drain north is greater than the flow from the Great Lakes – St Lawrence.

So, we really don’t have

more than our share,

and we have no water to waste .Slide13

In North America, our watersheds are framed

by the highest ridges of land,

collectively called the

6 Continental

D

ivides.

Regardless of where you

live,

water

runs

downhill,

in

watersheds

. Slide14

Canada has portions of

5 of the 7 watersheds

formed by the 6

Continental Divides,

including a sliver of the

drainage area flowing to

the Gulf of Mexico.Slide15

The Pacific - pink

The Arctic - orange

Hudson Bay - blue

The Atlantic – green

The Gulf of Mexico –

yellow, in the circle

These areas, called Primary Watersheds,

consist of the following in Canada:Slide16

Well-known examples

of these include:

The Mackenzie;

The Fraser; and,

The Great Lakes – St

Lawrence River Basin.

Our 5 Primary

Watersheds are further

divided into 23

Secondary

WatershedsSlide17

t

here are hundreds of tertiary watersheds, including:

The French;

The Grand;

The Credit;

The Rouge; and

The Kawartha.

Within each secondary watershed,

such as the

Great

Lakes - St Lawrence Basin…Slide18

Regardless of their size,

our social

&

economic

vitality is tied to the health of

our

watersheds.

w

hether the

c

ompact Credit,

or the mighty

Mackenzie

,Slide19

Wherever you live, work, or play, get to know:

Your watershed;

Where your drinking-water comes from; and

How we can protect our precious aquatic resources.Slide20

Thanks for watching.

ontarioheadwaters.ca