Most people associate water shortages and issues with the American Southwest. However, the US southeast, in particular the Apalachicola R. in Florida and its source waters and reservoirs in Georgia, are experiencing their own water wars and shortages associated with heavy population growth and agriculture use of this vital resource. The resulting downstream consequences have been the loss of water flow, increasingly poor water quality in the Apalachicola R. and Estuary, and the loss of its nationally important historical oyster fishery. This suggests that despite the annual heavy rainfall in this region, an increasing population’s demand for water consumption creates a myriad of competing issues.
This assignment fulfills the following objectives:
Explain the processes, properties, and importance of aquatic ecosystems.
Identify water’s importance to people and ecosystems, and its distribution of fresh water on Earth
Recognize the freshwater, marine, and coastal portions of the interconnected aquatic system
Appraise how humans use water and alter aquatic systems Identify problems of water supply and propose solutions to address depletion of fresh water