

■ Features 



Groundwater is the water that 

 seeps through the spaces 

 between soil particles and flows 

 into aquifers. 



Aqtiifers are saturated zones of 

 sand, gravel, or fractured 

 bedrock underlying the valley. 



Porosity is the volume of the 

 spaces or pores between particles 

 in an aquifer. It varies with the 

 type of material present and 

 determines how much water the 

 aquifer can hold. 



Permeability is the rate of water 

 movement through the soil or 

 aquifer. It is much faster in 

 materials with large pores, such 

 as gravels and sand, than in 

 materials with small pores, such 

 as clays. 



Losing Stream 



• stream water table 



The top of the 

 groundwater is 

 called the 

 water tabVe , . - 



m 



During dry periods, groundwater may RECEIVE ivaterfrom th^ stream. 



Gaining Stream 



' baseflow stage water table 



During wet periods, groundwater ADDS water to the stream. 



Gravity is the driving force behind rivers, causing water tofloiv 



downhill, to seep into streams zvhett the water table lies above the 



streambed, and to seep into the ground. 



Healthy Riparian Areas 

 ...Healthy Fish Populations 



In a healthy riparian area, there is an interrelationship 

 between vegetation, pools and riffles, and fish. Working 

 together, these components produce a healthy 

 environment for fish and protect water quality. 



