Quantity & Quality of Water

Resources
 Water Resources
 are natural resources of water that are potentially useful. Uses of water
include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. All living things
require water to grow and reproduce.

 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slightly over two thirds
of this is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. The remaining unfrozen freshwater is found mainly as
groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air.

 Fresh water is a renewable resource, yet the world's supply of groundwater is steadily decreasing, with
depletion occurring most prominently in Asia, South America and North America, although it is still
unclear how much natural renewal balances this usage, and whether ecosystems are threatened.[
The framework for allocating water resources to water users (where such a framework exists) is known
as water rights.
 Quality of Water Resources

Water quality can be measured by temperature, dissolved

oxygen, and turbidity (levels of fine suspended sediments and
other variables). Water quality standards are set with
consideration of daily cycles and seasonal precipitation events.
In general, increased temperature, low dissolved oxygen, or high
turbidity can indicate that water quality may be degraded. Both
point and nonpoint source pollution, including toxic
contaminants, bacteria, and nutrients, can degrade water
quality.
WATER QUALITY: GOALS AND ACTIONS

Goal 1: Maintain or restore water quality in

surface and groundwater to support a healthy
ecosystem, support aquatic life, and provide fish
and wildlife habitat.
 Quantity of Water Resources

 In many areas of the state, particularly during the summer, water supplies
are fully allocated to meet existing uses, reducing the ability of watersheds
to provide quality habitat. Water diversions are made for agriculture,
municipal, industrial, domestic, and power generation uses. Other physical
alterations affecting flow and habitat access include natural and artificial
barriers, wetland drainage, or channelization. Timing of diversions and
external factors influence disturbance regimes, sediment and bedload
transport, and groundwater storage. For example, the timing and quantity
of water releases from dams can have negative or positive implications for
water temperature, which can impact important fish and wildlife life history
events, such as the timing of salmonid migration. Global processes,
including climate change, influence temperature and precipitation
patterns and can potentially affect stream runoff and water supplies.
WATER QUANTITY: GOALS AND ACTIONS

Goal 2: Conserve, maintain, or enhance surface

flows and groundwater levels that support
healthy Strategy Species and Strategy Habitats.
Seek opportunities to conserve, maintain, or
enhance streams and lakes, as well as
groundwater and spring-fed ecosystems that
provide coldwater refugia for Strategy Species.