Science.7.11.A

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The student is expected to analyze the beneficial and harmful influences of human activity on groundwater and surface water in a watershed; and
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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Earth and space. The student understands how human activity can impact the hydrosphere.

This is the first time students are introduced to the terms groundwater and watershed.  A watershed is a system which contains both surface and groundwater. Water and the chemicals it contains are constantly being exchanged between land and the area beneath the surface. Surface water seeps into the ground and recharges the underlying aquifer—groundwater discharges to the surface and supplies streams with water. There are many ways human activity may impact the watershed. For example, societies may develop regulations which support monitoring and controlling sources of contamination such as industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and sewage. Other examples of activities that may impact the watershed include agricultural practices, wetland restoration, and water sports.

in a watershed, water that seeps through the ground and is stored below the Earth's surface

the system on Earth that contains all of the liquid and frozen water on Earth's surface as well as groundwater below the surface and water vapor in the atmosphere

in a watershed, natural water that is at the surface or has not penetrated much below the surface of the ground; drainage water

a region or area bounded peripherally by a divide and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water; consists of all of the surface water and ground water within the system

Research

Jackson, Julia A., Carol Zokaites, Michael J. Smith, Emily Crum, and Caitlin Callahan. “An In-Depth Exploration of Karst.” Science Scope 24, no. 8 (2001): 36–39. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43178825

Summary: Both karst and non-karst watershed environments and impacts that can benefit and harm watersheds are detailed in the article "An In-Depth Exploration of Karst." An investigation using a student-constructed karst watershed and a non-karst watershed are used to explore the impact of pollutants on the water table.