Axia College Material
Appendix E

Water Resource Challenges

Review Ch. 10 and 11 of your text, then complete the following:

Provide at least three freshwater and three ocean water resource challenges by filling in the following table. Then, respond to the question that follows:

|Freshwater Resource Challenge |Description |
|Salinization of Irrigated Soil |When water is irrigated over and over again without running |
| |off into rivers or lakes to get recycled. When this happens |
| |the water is irrigated it picks up more salt. |
|Aquifer Depletion |Lowers the water table, |
| |The upper surface of the saturated zone of |
| |Groundwater. Prolonged aquifer depletion |
| |Drains an aquifer dry, effectively eliminating |
| |It as a water resource |
|Saltwater intrusion |Occurs along coastal areas |
| |When groundwater is depleted faster |
| |Than it recharges. Well water in such areas |
| |Eventually becomes too salty for human consumption |
| |Or other freshwater uses. |
|Ocean Water Resource Challenge |Description |
|Over fishing |Over fishing occurs |
| |Because the world demand for fish has |
| |Grown. To meet the demand, there are more |
| |Large fishing boats than ever before, often |
| |Doing their work in large international fleets. |
| |In addition, more and more fishermen are |
| |Using high-tech methods to find and harvest |
| |Greater quantities of fishes. |
| | |
|Coastal Development |Development of resorts, cities, industries, and agriculture |
| |Along coasts alters or destroys many coastal ecosystems, |
| |Including mangrove forests, salt marshes, sea |
| |Grass beds, and coral reefs. Many coastal areas are |
| |Overdeveloped, highly polluted, and over fished. |
|Invasive Species |Species that are taken from their natural habitats and then |
| |are released inadvertently into the water in a new |
| |environment. species might become invasive if it can out |
| |compete native species for resources such as nutrients, |
| |light, physical space, water or food |

In 200 to 300 words, respond to the following: Choose one fresh or ocean water resource challenge and describe in detail why the issue has become a problem and how human activities have contributed to the problem.

I chose to talk about Over Fishing. Over Fishing has become a problem to do the increasing demand for that type of food supply. To meet this demand, there are more large fishing boats than ever before, doing their work in large international fleets.

More fishermen are using high-tech methods to find and harvest

Greater quantities of fishes. The most serious issue is that many species have been harvested to the point that their numbers are severely depleted. Dramatically depleted fish populations recover only slowly. Some show no real increase in population size up to 15 years after the fishery has collapsed. The fish that are most concentrated on are fish species with high commercial value, such as menhaden, salmon, tuna, and flounder. By-catch is a problem that has been developed over the years. These are the other species that have been caught by accident and they then disregard. Some of them are fishes, marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds, and other animals.