These images were generated by the terraserver on the USGS National Atlas Website.
This relief map shows the six major river basins comprising the Mississippi River system, which drains the entire mid-section of the United States into the Gulf of Mexico. Unlabeled version.
STILL WAITING FOR SOURCE INFO FROM JOE...NEED TO UPDATE MSDB AFTER WE FIND SOURCE INFO.
Urbanization began in the U.S. along the Eastern Seaboard, where there is a temporate climate and plenty of precipitation throughout the year.
Phot Credit: Library of Congress Panoramic Photograph Collection (No commercial use)
Historic photo comes from the Steamboat Museum.
Grand Canyon photos from the National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park Photo Collection.
Grand Canyon photos from the National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park John Wesley Powell Photo Collection. Here is a direct link to a short movie about Powell.
New homes replace farmland in Dallas County, Iowa, as the suburbs of Clive and Waukee grow on the west side of Des Moines. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, photo by Lynn Betts, 2000
The backyards of these homes are part of an urban watershed. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, photo by Lynn Betts, 2000
Foot bridge over an urban creek.
Photo Credit: Copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, photo by Joe Lamos
Scenes next to an urban stream. Photo Credit: Copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, photo by Joe Lamos
A young girl enjoys a cool, clear Missouri stream. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, photo by Charlie Rahm, 2002.
Grasses and trees function as a conservation buffer in a greenbelt along a small stream in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, photo by Lynn Betts, 2003.
Trinchera Creek, Forbes-Trinchera Ranch, near Fort Garland, CO. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, photo by Gary Kramer, 2001.
A mother duck and her ducklings navigate a waterway in an urban wetland.
Photo Credit: Copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, photo by Joe Lamos
People having fun at the beach of Lake Icaria in the Walters Creek Watershed project in Adams County. Lake Icaria was formed by a watershed dam that was built to control erosion and flooding. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, photo by Gene Alexander, 1999
Lake Sugema in the Van Buren-Indian Creek Watershed project, Iowa. Lake Sugema, built as part of the watershed project, provides a water supply, fishing and revenue from recreation for the local economy. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, photo by Lynn Betts, 1999
Runoff can deposit its load of pollen, twigs, paper, oil, pesticides and other things into storm retention ponds
Photo Credit: Copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, photo by Joe Lamos
Refineries and other industrial facilities are only one source of possible contamination in an urban watershed.
Photo Credit: Copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, photo by Joe Lamos
Fish succumb to contaminants in an urban stream. Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Some rural sources of water contamination: pit toilets and road resurfacing. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resource Consrvation Service & Nebraska Department of Roads
There are numerous urban and suburban sources of water pollution, including some gas stations, lawn chemicals, industrial facilities, insecticide spraying, vehicle grime, landfills, and certain building materials.
Landfills can be sources of water contamination. Photo Credit: NREL
Photographic Information Exchange (No Commercial Use)
"When you're washing your car in the driveway, remember, you're not just washing your car in the driveway. All th soap, scum, and oily grit runs alno ght curb. Then into the storm drain and directly into our lakes and streams." Photo Credit: Puget Sound Online
Water treatment plant. Photo Credit: NOAA Coastal Services Center
Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Digital Library
Suburban landscapes. Photo Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, photos by Lynn Betts.
Gas stations can become sources for contamination of urban runoff and groundwater. Photo Credit: Copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, photo by Joe Lamos
"Obviously, we can't eliminate all the sources of contaminants in a modern society. But we can be more careful about where we locate the sources of contaminants. We also need to make wise choices about using potentially hazardous materials within the watershed."
Pesticides intended for insects in the back yard can end up disrupting downstream auquatic ecosystems.
Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Digital Library
If your car leaks oil, it can be a problem. Oil that drips from our cars onto driveways, parking lots, and roadways is washed directly into storm drains and the closest water body. Used motor oil is the largest single source of water pollution in the U.S. One pint can make a slick larger than a football field, and 180 million gallons of used oil are getting spilled into our waters each year. Photo Credit: Copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, photo by Joe Lamos
"When your pet goes on the lawn, remember it doesn't just go on the lawn. When our pets leave those little surprises, rain washes all that pet waste and bacteria into our storm drains and waterways." Photo Credit: Puget Sound Online
