Gooey Garbage groundwater garbage contaminants leachate landfills clay layers soil waste The history of and landfills goes back to the beginning of time. Prehistoric cliff dwellers used to dump their waste in back rooms of their cliff homes. Think about ancient Greece. What do you think the people did with their waste? Around 500 B.C. the first known regulations against throwing in the streets were issued in Greece. Ancient were often places of continuous burning fires. After that, people began covering their waste with because of the unpleasant odor and the attraction of rodents and flies. In 1916, sanitary landfills were developed by placing soil on top of the waste each day. How do you think landfills contribute to groundwater contamination? (Water dissolves some of the contents and carries into the groundwater.) This mixture of contaminates is called and as the amount of waste increases, the potential for leachate to enter the groundwater increases. In various parts of the world, including the U.S., regulations have been established to protect. Barriers such as plastic or must be installed in new landfills today. Double layers are presently installed in new landfills. Permits are required to open and close landfills. Research is continuing to determine even more efficient ways of preventing pollution to groundwater. KACEE, Gooey Garbage Activity, pdf. 2
Survival! Plants in the Sandhill taproot wire grass aquifer adapted sand dunes terminal hairs recharge North Florida has a unique ecosystem called a sandhill. Sandhills get their name because they are ancient left over from when this part of Florida was a coastline. An important function that happens in the sandhill is aquifer recharge. means that the aquifer is replenished with water by absorption into the ground. Sandhills are a good place for recharge because their soils are so sandy that rainwater moves quickly through them, making a relatively straight path directly into the limestone below. The plants that live in the sandhill have to survive with the little water that remains near the surface of the ground. What are their adaptations? rolls its leaves inward like a straw to keep the water vapor inside the straw. Turkey oaks orient their leaf edges with the path of the sun to minimize water vapor loss. Longleaf pines have a very long to access water as it travels through sandhill soil. The taproot may also penetrate the top of the water table layer. Longleaf pines also give off water vapor from their bud to protect the sapling during the passage of fire. Mockernut hickory trees have a dense covering of fine on their leaf undersides to trap water droplets. 3
Springshed Pollution septic systems point source fertilizers chemicals runoff nutrients pollution waste A springshed is a region or area draining to a particular body of water. In our area, the Ichetucknee Springshed drains to the Head Springs and Ichetucknee River. People affect the quality of the water in a springshed. Contamination of our water is called. A type of water pollution is called and can be traced from pipes or drains that are specific and identifiable. Nonpoint source pollution does not result from a single location, but generally results from land or drainage, after a rain event. Examples of nonpoint source pollution include and pesticides that run off yards and fields into waterbodies. All of us are polluters. What are some ways we can reduce pollution to our water? Dispose of household properly. Paints, oils, and even cleaning solutions that are carelessly discarded can get into our water and be harmful. Take care of our. A malfunctioning septic system can allow disease causing bacteria and chemicals into our water. Pick up your pet which can add into the water. EnviroScape, 12, 17, 26, 27. 4
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Karst Topography rainwater limestone carbon acidic caves dissolve sea karst Millions of years ago, when creatures died, their shells fell to the ocean floor and were pressed over time to form a type of rock called. Limestone forms a type of landform called topography, a type of terrain that contains many springs, sinkholes, and. Much of Florida, especially the northern areas of the state (where we live) contains large areas of karst terrain. As falls, it absorbs some dioxide from the surrounding air, forming a weak carbonic acid. As the rainwater soaks through organic material on the surface of the land, it also picks up organic acids produced by decaying leaves and other organic material. The slightly rainwater sinks into the ground until it reaches layers of rock. In karst topography, the rock is usually limestone. The carbonic acid reacts with limestone to slowly the rock. The dissolution of the limestone often causes sinkholes and caves to form. Cranford, ES 7. 6
Tie-Dyed Springs sediment tannins wells nitrates pressure northern springs Floridan Springs are a window into the aquifer from which they flow. Though spring water is 72 degrees year round, the influence of air temperature makes the water temperature cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Springs are among the most sought-after and scenic of all the state s natural resources. Most of Florida s springs are found in the half of the state and flow from the Aquifer. As rainwater enters and recharges the aquifer, pressure is exerted on the water already in the aquifer. This causes the water to move through cracks and tunnels in the aquifer. Sometimes this water flows out naturally to the land surface at places called. When the openings are large, spring flow may become the source of rivers. The Ichetucknee is an example of a river created by springs. Springs also make substantial contributions to the flow of other rivers. Fanning, Blue and Troy Springs contribute millions of gallons of water each day to the Suwannee River. The Santa Fe River is like floating on top of our aquifer. It is a karstic river bottom with lots of cave and cavern systems. These systems contain conduits (channels) that allow aquifer discharges (springs) and recharges (sinks, sucks, swallets, siphons and estevelles). An estevelle is a karstic system in a river where there is discharge and recharge into the aquifer simultaneously. Large withdrawals of water from near a spring can cause the flow of a spring to stop. Silt or building up in a spring can also cause the loss of flow. Other impacts to the springs include human and animal waste which adds to the water. Decaying leaves and other organic material add to the springs and make the water tea colored (brown). Cranford, EN 11. 7
Edible Aquifer aquifer disposal Floridan ground water purify sponge wells water table In most areas of the world, if you dig deep enough you will find water. It seeps into the ground until it reaches a layer of rock that it can t get through. Water under the ground is called. Ground water that settles into an underground reservoir of sand and gravel, or a layer of limestone filled with holes like a is called an. Wells can be drilled into aquifers to bring water to the surface. The point at which a drill reaches an aquifer is called the. Aquifers with a high water table are near the earth s surface. Many communities obtain their drinking water from aquifers. Utility companies or homeowners drill wells through soil and rock into aquifers to provide us with drinking water. The Aquifer, located under Florida and parts of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, provides us with our drinking water. Even though soil, sand and rocks naturally water, sometimes water contains pollutants that cannot be easily removed from the water cycle through natural filtration. Ground water can be contaminated by improper use or of harmful chemicals, such as lawn care products and household cleaners. These chemicals can percolate down through the soil and rock into an aquifer and eventually into the where they pose a serious threat to human health. KACEE, Edible Aquifer Activity pdf. 8
Works Cited Cranford, Cindy, et al. Water s Journey: The Hidden Rivers of Florida. The Florida Spring s Initiative through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Nestle Waters and Karst Productions, Inc. 2003. Print. EnviroScape. User s Guide: Watershed/Nonpoint Source Pollution. Chantilly, VA: JT&A, Inc., 1991-2007. Print. KACEE: Kansas Association for Conservation & Environmental Education. Water Festivals. 2013. Web. http://www.kacee.org/statewide-water-celebrationdescription. This booklet was funded in part by a mini-grant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through an agreement/contract with the Office of Environmental Education Section of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 9