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<br />Water:
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<br />What Is It?
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<br />What Is water? It Is the only natural resource with automatic rehabilitation. After falling
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<br />It will evaporate to form clouds again lInerso 'continuethe'cyc':le forever. . .n m. .. .
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<br />On planet earth, life (both plant and
<br />animal) cannot exist without this simple
<br />compound of hydrogen and oxygen - H20.
<br />Because it is a stable compound, the amount of
<br />water is not being increased or decreased
<br />except for extremely small amounts, usually in
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<br />GROUND WA TER
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<br />Page 4
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<br />laboratory situations. However, it may and does
<br />change form readily. Water is the only abundant
<br />substance easily available in all three of the
<br />physical forms: as a solid (ice, sleet, snow), as a
<br />liquid (water), and as a gas (steam).
<br />Of the total earth's water supply, 97% is
<br />salt water and 75% of the remainder is stored as
<br />ice caps in the polar regions. Only 0.05% is fresh
<br />water in streams and lakes. Seventy-three
<br />percent of the stream flow in the United States
<br />is claimed by states east of a line drawn from
<br />north to south through the Kansas-Missouri
<br />border; 12.7% is claimed by the Pacific
<br />Northwest. This leaves 14.2% (about 154 billion
<br />gallons per day) to be shared by 14 western
<br />states which include over half of the nation's
<br />land area. And Colorado sits at the apex of this
<br />dry western region.
<br />The activities of man are greatly affected
<br />by nature's uneven distribution of water.
<br />Throughout history attempts have been made to
<br />manage the water supply: its amount, location,
<br />distribution and quality. Managing water involves
<br />regulation, by custom and agreement as well as
<br />by law. Water management calls for a high
<br />technology and careful planning. However, not
<br />all efforts in this direction have been successful
<br />or equitable.
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