El Tour de Agua PILOT Student Study Guide To Accompany the Pre-­‐Visit Power Point: El Tour de Agua Name________________________________________________________ Teacher_______________________ 1. Everything we have, do, or make… everything we need…relies on natural resources – things that come from the earth. (Slide 3) 2. We live in the Sonoran Desert. (Slide 5) 3. Our rainfall is less than 12 inches per year. (Slide 5) 4. Earth is called: the blue planet . (Slide 7) 5. 70 % of Earth’s surface is covered in water. (Slide 9) 6. Only ~0.007% of Earth’s water is fresh and available for human use. (Slide 12) 7. Only around 1% of Earth’s water is surface water and readily available to humans. (Slide 19) 8. Based on the Average Annual Rainfall Map of the United States, what can you observe about Arizona’s rainfall? Arizona gets very little rain. (Slide 30) 9. Surface water is water such as rivers and lakes. It is water that is at the Earth’s surface and easily accessed by humans. (Slide 32) 10. Tucson’s three main sources of water are: groundwater , Colorado River water, and recycled water . (Slide 33) El Tour de Agua PILOT Student Study Guide Page 1 11. Groundwater is located in the spaces between rocks and soil underground. Underground places that contain groundwater are called aquifers . Groundwater built up in our aquifers over millions of years, mostly from surface runoff of rainfall percolating down to the aquifer. Of course, each year, some of our rainwater also infiltrates through the soil and recharges the aquifer. (Slide 34) 12. Tucson gets very little precipitation each year. Our climate is very dry and we have a very high evaporation rate. (Slide 35) 13. The movement of water from place to place is called nature’s water cycle . (Slide 36) 14. As Tucsonan’s pumped up more and more groundwater, the level of water in the aquifer began to lower . With our limited rainfall, there is very little recharge . (Slide 40) 15. A riparian habitat is one that occurs beside wet areas such as rivers, lakes, and ponds. (Slide 41) 16. If you were a city planner for Tucson, Arizona, a place with little to no natural surface water, with a diminishing groundwater supply, and an ever-­‐growing population, what would you do? Where would you get more water? (Slide 42) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. The Colorado River has its headwaters in Wyoming and Colorado and is the largest river in Arizona. (Slide 44) 18. The Central Arizona Project Canal (or CAP) is 336 miles long. (Slide 45) El Tour de Agua PILOT Student Study Guide Page 2 19. Colorado River water must be pumped nearly 2,000 feet uphill during its route to Tucson. (Slide 46) 20. The CAP is the single largest user of electricity in the state. (Slide 46) 21. In addition to Arizona, 6 other states and Mexico also use Colorado River water. (Slide 51) 22. Tucson’s most sustainable water source is recycled water. (Slide 53) 23. Recycled water is water that we have previously used in our houses and businesses . (Slide 54) 24. Recycled water is also called reclaimed water . (Slide 54) 25. Recycled water is used to water landscapes at schools, parks , and golf courses all around Tucson. (Slide 54) 26. Water that we can drink is called potable water. (Slide 55) 27. The urban water cycle includes humans in the water cycle. (Slide 59) 28. We can practice water conservation and use water efficiently . (Slide 62) 29. People harvest rainwater by channeling rain from their roofs to their landscapes. (Slide 63) 30. Gray water is water that is channeled from washing machines or sinks and reused to water plants. (Slide 63) El Tour de Agua PILOT Student Study Guide Page 3 Final review: Where does Tucson get its water? Groundwater________________________________________________________________________________________ Colorado River Water______________________________________________________________________________ Recycled Water_____________________________________________________________________________________ How can water be recycled? After we use water, it goes down the drain and is piped to a water treatment facility (Agua Nueva). Some of that water is then piped to another water treatment facility for additional filtration and treatment. This recycled water is then delivered to schools, golf courses and parks throughout Tucson to water landscaping. How can we conserve water? (list at least three things) Answers will vary, but can include: turn off the faucet when brushing teeth, washing hands, washing dishes; take shorter showers; rainwater harvesting; use of gray water; wash full loads in the washing machine or dishwasher; desert landscaping, etc. El Tour de Agua PILOT Student Study Guide Page 4