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<br /> <br />urban population centers, created a <br />diverse and popular recreational <br />industry, and maintained a quality <br />lifestyle for its citizens within the <br />constraints of a thirsty, semi-arid <br />climate. Through wise water-man- <br />agement policies, protective <br />regulations, and conservation <br />activities we can assure ground <br />water's availability and suitability <br />for future use. <br /> <br />Ground-'W'ater <br /> <br />Hydrology <br /> <br />For all practical purposes, ground <br />water is all water beneath the <br />surface of the earth (as opposed to <br /> <br />~ ~" <br /> <br />p). <br />Jl" .- <br />V <br /> <br />Schematic representation of the hydrologic <br />cycle in a Front Range setting <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />surface water). Ground water <br />hydrology, or hydrogeology, is an <br />interdisciplinary science that deals <br />with the occurrence, movement <br />and quality of water beneath the <br />Earth's surface. <br />The ultimate source of ground <br />water is precipitation (in the form <br />of rain, snow, or hail) that does not <br />evaporate or immediately flow to <br />rivers, streams, or lakes, but perco- <br />lates into the ground. The concept <br />of the hydrologic cycle is central to <br />understanding the occurrence of <br />ground water. The hydrologic <br />cycle, as the name implies, is an <br />endless dynamic process of the cir- <br />culation of water between the <br /> <br />" <br />, <br /> <br />. ." <br />,.,..i.:g.....i<"..".... <br />h",,<pr)/1<ty',n.. .. <br />+''''''''''>''f.''~', , <br />"'.'\"">"'7','\,,' <br />, i...... ;:H:::+~L~~r~ J <br />",.','.:':./++\.0' <br />"',"+>\fL <br />",'"" .;k.j< <br /> <br />atmosphere, the oceans, and the <br />land. The basic inputs and outputs <br />of the hydrologic cycle are shown <br />schematically in diagram below. <br />These processes include evapora- <br />tion, transpiration, precipitation, <br />overland flow, infiltration, runoff, <br />and ground-water flow. While <br />dependent upon the elevation, <br />ground cover, and type of vegeta- <br />tion, approximately 81 percent of <br />the precipitation that falls in Colo- <br />rado returns to the atmosphere <br />through evapotranspiration (evap- <br />oration from exposed moist sur- <br />faces and transpiration from <br />vegetation). <br /> <br />\ <br /> <br />.. <br />." <br /> <br />1IIIi?"~, <br /> <br />Colorado Geological Survey ROCKTALK Vol. 5, No. .4 <br />