edHelper.com
Water
 Earth's Plumbing System

Earth's Plumbing System
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   high interest, readability grades 4 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.71

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    watershed, discharge, zone, surface, schedule, wells, supplied, groundwater, allow, boiling, level, however, natural, rely, often, recent

Print Earth's Plumbing System
     Print Earth's Plumbing System  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)

Quickly Print
     Quickly print reading comprehension

Proofreading Activity
     Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on Earth's Plumbing System
     Leave your feedback on Earth's Plumbing System  (use this link if you found an error in the story)

Earth's Plumbing System
By Patti Hutchison 		  
1     Surface water, groundwater, springs, lakes, and rivers: They all work together to give us a kind of natural plumbing system. We rely on this system for the water we use every day. But how does it all work?
 
2     You know that a watershed is an area that is drained by a stream system. But did you know that groundwater is also part of the watershed?
 
3     Some of the water that falls to Earth's surface seeps into the ground. This is called recharge. The area where the soil is permeable is called the recharge area. The groundwater soaks slowly into the earth until it comes to a layer it can't get through. Then it flows sideways into an aquifer.
 
4     People can drill wells into the aquifer to help get the water to the surface. Or, it may reach the surface on its own. Groundwater is connected to surface water. The connection is usually through springs and wetlands. As the water flows under the ground, it may reach a discharge zone. This is an area where the water table is above the ground level.
 
5     A spring is a kind of discharge zone. A spring might flow right out of the ground. Or it may flow into a lake or wetland. Have you ever been swimming in a lake or pond and suddenly come to a cold spot? Chances are that is where a spring feeds into it. The groundwater is much colder than the surface water in the lake or pond.

Paragraphs 6 to 12:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable
Copyright © 2009 edHelper