Watersheds Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Watersheds - Research Paper Example Mississippi river has watershed called Mississippi watershed which flows in the United States of America. The river emerges from the western part of Minnesota and flows southwards at 4,070 km/hr towards the delta of the Mississippi river. It has a number of tributaries that drains to approximately 31 states within the United States of America between the Appalachian Mountains and the rocky extending to the southern Canada region .The River Mississippi-according to the order of rivers-is positioned as the fourth longest and tenth largest river in the world (Carluer and De Marsily 87). Watersheds have since played a key role (Naiman 78) in various scientific studies on the impacts of anthropogenic and natural phenomenon on the quantity and quality of water. The effects of silviculture and agriculture have always been outlined basing on watersheds. Data to evaluate the effectiveness of various ecological regions on the basis of Watersheds have been used by researches in places such as C oweta .A number of people mind less to the safety and source of their drinking water implying little concern is put on domestic water channeled to their homes on the basis of treatment. In addition, prior awareness should be availed to people on treatment process the water they consume undergoes. Since water is life, clean water is paramount to every individual and issues concerning the degree to which water meant for consumption is cleaned should never be looked at with little respect. This view serves to limit the extent to which non-clean or un-treated water affects the livelihood/health of the parties concerned though many people have taken cleanliness of water/non-cleanliness of water at the expense of their health concerns for granted. This essay in particular will give an analysis of Mississippi watershed within Mississippi River with a goal of enlightening the society on the scientific process of water treatment and water resource forms within their reach. Carluer and De Mar sily (95) refer to a watershed as that specific area of land that drains into river, stream, lake or other types of water bodies. Watersheds can either be large or small. For instance a small stream located in neighborhood may consist of a watershed. The Mississippi watershed of the Mississippi river covers approximately 31 states which represent about two thirds of the North America (Naiman 78). Figure 1: Mississippi watershed in Mississippi river (Schertzer, 124) In this case take an example of a small stream located at the top of the mountains. The watershed of this specified stream will be constituted by few underground springs and precipitation runoffs resulting from the lands that are up above the stream. As a result the stream continually flows down the hill and drains far and wide to bigger water bodies which include larger rivers, lakes and streams before finally discharging into the oceans and seas which significantly posses watersheds that are larger. It is important Howe ver, to point out that all watersheds be it large or small have complex processes arising from the presence of chemical compounds that in a way or the other may impact on the quality of water being drawn and used by the human fraternity for various reasons and usages. Sivapalan (2266) argues that the human population does not only use water for their domestic needs i.e. cleaning, cooking and drinking but also for cleaning and draining their waste systems. To attain proper sanctity of water and good levels of hygiene, treatment plants, dams and pipes have to be put in place to safeguard the water before and after it is directed to the homes of people in the society and also to factor