San Diego River Case Study

1] Choose one of the main water systems you have learned about that is also in your country (do you have a lake, river, coast, or coral reefs in your country?).

I choose to discuss rivers and lakes. I live in San Diego and the San Diego River is a few hundred feet from my house. A large lake that is about 200 miles from my town is Lake Mead. Water levels for both the San Diego river and Lake Mead have been dropping for the last decade.

2] Research that item in our Textbook, and look online to study the environmental issues associated with it in your nation. Then list what you consider to be the two (2) main environmental problems associated with it. Please do not forget to list the references you used.

According to chapter 13 of our textbook,

“rivers are an important water resource for irrigation and many cities around the world.” (Dorsner, 2015) Lakes are an excellent source of fresh water for human consumption. Lakes usually receive water from surface runoff and groundwater discharge. Lakes incline to be short-lived on a geological time-scale since they are continuously filling in with sediment supplied by rivers.

The two main environmental problems associated with the San Diego river are:
• Pollution continues to significantly affect the review.

Cities in Southern California are trying to stop urban pollution from making its way into streams and rivers. Cracking of sewer pipes and pet feces are both sources of contamination that make their way into the San Diego River. Water samples taken for testing and monitoring contained levels of fecal material that were not safe to humans. (Water Quality in 2016: San Diego County Watersheds) San Diego’s water quality index scale was listed as fair (a score of 72) indicating that the water quality is significantly impacted by pollution even though the watershed score improved a little for the first time since

2013.
• The shortage of rain led to a long-term drought, thus have significantly reduced the water levels in the San Diego River as well as Lake Mead. You now can see pockets of the San Diego River and many sections of the river have dried up.

3] In what ways do these issues affect you and your family directly?
These issues affect me personally as well as my family by reminding ourselves to conserve water. We’ve had several water restrictions within the last decade where the San Diego County emphasizes on limited use of water sprinklers in the backyards and restrictions on washing cars on the front of the house garages.

4] In your own words, please describe one way you think those problems could perhaps be reduced or alleviated?

I think by persuading the local community to vote for more desalination plants in our county. Desalination plants are common in the Middle East where I grew up and they provide access to water. Desalination is also a way to increase the amount of fresh water on our planet by removing dissolved salt from seawater. However, desalination is expensive and more than likely will increase the cost of water if more desalination plants are built.

5] Please outline in your own words, one other new thing you learned this week in the course. How does it apply to your life?

This week I truly learned the meaning of water crisis. I used to think of water crisis from a local level only and not in reference to a worldwide situation where people in many areas do not have sufficient water or clean water. The 2025 forecast for global water stress is worse due to population growth.

I also learned of four different sustainable solution to the water supply crises which include; conservation, reservoirs, aqueducts and rainwater harvesting. (Dorsner,

2015)

References:

1. Doršner, K. (2015). Chapter 13: Water Availability and Use. Essentials of environmental science. Retrieved from http://www.ck12.org/user%3Azg9yc25lckbnbwfpbc5jb20./book/Essentials-of-Environmental-Science

2. Water Quality in 2016: San Diego County Watersheds. San Diego Coastkeeper. Retrieved from http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/watershed-report-2016