King's Canyon National Park

Fresh water, appreciate every drop!

Desolation Wilderness

Gravity bringing fresh water down for irrigation of the Central Valley.

Ground Water exhibit.

Much of our drinking water comes from underground.

1: GROUND WATER Do you know much of our fresh water comes from underground? And this is where many mysterious springs(1) may be found. You see, some parts of the ground are permeable and some not, Because of the impermeable parts, much fresh water have we got. Permeable means water can go through it and impermeable means it cannot. The impermeable ground layer will stop the water, collecting it like a pot. We can sink a well because of underground water, Life’s liquid we have when other sources falter. Where does this fresh water come from? Well, for starters, you may thank the sun. That’s right! The sun evaporates water from oceans and lakes and clouds form. The fresh water is then dropped back down to earth allowing new life to be born. But also realize not all water is used by us or evaporates, Or runs back to the nearest ocean or nearby lake. But over millions of years, in the ground does much of it soak, Which is mighty good news for us and other kindly folk. Because often we can find fresh water far away from a stream, And when we do, the wonder of it can often make us beam. Simply from the permeability or impermeability of sediment and rock, We find the liquid of life, this secret we do unlock. 1: Spring-The discharge of water from underground. Usually this water is quite rich in minerals since it has been sitting in rock, underground, from hundreds to millions of years.

Exhibit of the water cycle.

One of the many miracles performed daily on planet Earth.

2: WATER CYCLE The amount of water on earth always remains the same, And water will often gravitate from whence it originally came. It all starts with evaporation from our oceans and lakes, And this process, does for us, much fresh water make. Fortunately, salt is a solid and does not evaporate. It is this important fact that very much rests our fate. For animals, plants and humans can’t drink water with salt. If we did, it would soon bring life to a screeching halt. Now as this water evaporates, it vaporizes into clouds, Which at times produces thunder, known to be quite loud. These clouds have tons of water, yet they float in the air, Releasing their water over oceans and land, seemingly without a care. The water is in tiny droplet form and the cloud is very very large, So the average density is less than the air, floating like a giant barge. The fresh water nourishes the land, making it green, Changing it in ways both invisible and seen. And plants, using photosynthesis(2), get the water they need, Growing the farmer's crops in which we readily feed. Plant’s excess water evaporates back to the air through transpiration(3), Similar to how your body cools itself through evaporating perspiration. This water vapor doesn’t disappear but will be used many times more, Perhaps from that pitcher in the fridge from whence you a cold drink pour. If water did not from one state to another, readily pass, Perhaps the earth would be like Jupiter, another big ball of gas. 2: Photosynthesis-The process by which plants, using water, sunlight and carbon dioxide gas make their own energy. Animals must find food in order to create energy and growth. 3: Transpiration-The process in which plants release their excess water in vaporous (gaseous) form. A surprising amount of water vapor comes from plants. Think how much it rains in a rain forest.

Exhibit of a water molecule.

Notice the electrical bond between the hydrogen and oxygen.

Exhibit of the world's distribution of water.

As you can see, fresh water is a rare and essential liquid.

3: WATER WONDER Do you know that, without water, there would be no life? So usable fresh water should never be considered rife. Less than one percent of all water is available to drink, So next time you use water, make sure you carefully think, How rare this magical fluid is in usable liquid state, How everything depends on it, yes even our own fate. The atoms of water have an electrical bond(4), Forming molecules of water us humans have grown quite fond. Water can exist as a solid, liquid or gas, And, from one state to another, does water often pass. The star of all this is the energy of the sun, Changing the state of water by the kiloton. Forming mighty glaciers and vaporous clouds, Often working in silence but other times quite loud. Raining and snowing fresh water seemingly for us, Nourishing our bodies but also forming rust. In the universe, liquid water is extremely rare, Always use water with respect and utmost care. Do you know water will eventually dissolve everything(5)? Often forming beautiful landscapes in ways to make us sing. The earth has a fixed amount of water that circulates around. Sometimes you can hear it; sit quietly and don’t make a sound. 4: Electrical Bond-An atomic bond based on the attraction of particles having opposite charges. With H2O, the positively charged hydrogen atoms are attracted to the negatively charged oxygen atom. 5: Dissolve Everything-Water is often called the universal dissolvent, that is, it will eventually dissolve anything given enough time.

Exhibit of a typical river's course.

Where would wetlands form in the above exhibit?

4: WETLANDS The drainage area of a river system is called its watershed, While erosion and deposition change the land in ways seen and unsaid. Ponds and lakes form within the depressions in the land, Where sunlight hits, there will be many plants instead of sand. Convection forces circulate the water in the lakes, While refreshing the water of nutrients(6) in its seasonal wake. Convection forces are caused by density differences between hot and cold. The heat in your home works on this same principal we’ve been told. As the sun heats the surface of a pond or lake, Temperature difference in the water makes it circulate. Wetlands are covered with water for a good part of the year, Filtering our water and breeding mosquitoes, listen, can you hear? The many different animals who call the wetlands home, So please dear humans, leave this land so these animals may roam, And do remember these wetlands do valuable things for you and me. Our survival is hinged with these lands, now please begin to see, That we don’t need more shopping malls or parking lots of cars, Which prevents excess runoff from being absorbed, that impermeable(7) tar. Nature has its rhythms, please don’t intervene, The wonders of the wetlands are not always clearly seen. 6: Nutrient- Providing nourishment, in this case, to the life that depends on the water in the wetlands. An imbalance of nutrients, however, can cause great harm. An example would be an algae bloom which sucks up all the oxygen in the water causing the fish to suffocate. Many imbalances of nutrients are caused by man made errors such as overusing fertilizers or careless disposal of sewage. 7: Impermeable-Incapable of absorbing water.

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Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho.

Always appreciate and respect the world's water whether salt or fresh.