Elementary Ecosystem Investigation: Alabama's Waterways

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Investigate Alabama's Waterways

 
Distribution of Water on Earth
CK-12 Foundation
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Roughly 70% of Earth's surface is covered with water. 97% of the water on Earth is saltwater, found in oceans and seas. Only 3% is freshwater. Most of that freshwater is found frozen in glaciers, ice caps, or deep underground in aquifers (rock or sediment saturated with water).

Only one-third of that freshwater (or 1% of all water on Earth) is usable by humans to meet our needs. It is found in rivers, lakes, soil, the atmosphere, and within organisms. (see diagram on right) It is replenished by precipitation (rain, sleet, snow).

Alabama is one of the top ranked states for freshwater habitats and resources.  Alabama has more stream miles that are able to be sailed on by boat than any other state and is ranked 7th in the country for its amount of stream miles. 

Freshwater habitats including rivers, streams, lakes, marshes, bogs, and estuaries (where rivers flow into oceans) provide the state with unique habitats.  Alabama's unique geological features and abundant freshwater habitats allow for a high level of biodiversity (the variety of living things in an area) in the state.

 
Click on the topics below to learn more!
       
Watersheds Rivers and Streams Lakes and Ponds Additional Habitats
 
 


 
Watersheds
     
What is a watershed?    
  • Also called a drainage basin.
  • An area of land through which rainwater drains by flowing across, through, or under the soil surface to a common low point (definition from ACES)
  • Every body of water has a watershed.
  • Includes the land, air, water, and living things in a location
  • Can drain into a larger stream, lake, wetland, estuary, or the ocean
  • Different watersheds are separated by higher areas, called ridges.
  • Smaller watersheds separated by lower ridges can be contained within larger, major watersheds.
     
At the highest point, water begins to flow downhill, eventually collecting in streams.  These initial streams will join other streams to create a larger stream. These larger streams will eventually connect with major rivers or lakes.  

Ground water, water found in spaces between soil particles underground, also moves downwards towards the nearest outlet such as a stream or spring.

"We all live and work in a watershed, as all land is part of a watershed. Your everyday actions (work, play, and general living) can impact (positively or negatively) the quality of water that flows from your watershed. As water flows through the system, the impacts are cumulative. This means that everything you do on the land can impact the water that flows to your downstream neighbors. Likewise, everything that landowners above you do impacts the quality and quantity of what flows across your land." (Quote from ACES)
Diagram of a Watershed
Dreamstime
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Watersheds in Alabama:    
Alabama has several smaller watersheds within three broad areas:
  • Tennessee River drainage in the northern part of the state
    • Drains a small portion of Alabama's land area
    • Contains the Tennessee River, Pickwick Lake, Wilson Lake, Wheeler Lake, and Lake Guntersville
  • Mobile River Basin in the central part of the state
    • Drains over half of the state
    • Contains the upper Tombigbee River, Black Warrior River, lower Tombigbee River, Cahaba River, Coosa River, Tallapoosa River, Lake Martin, Weiss Lake, and Smith Lake
  • Coastal Drainages in the southern part of the state.
    • Contains smaller river basins that empty into the Gulf of Mexico
Alabama Watershed Map
Auburn University Water Resources Center
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Alabama Lakes and Rivers Map
GIS Geography
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Learn about your watershed:    
Click here to learn more about specific watersheds in Alabama!

Click here to see how water flows when it lands in a specific location!
 


 
Rivers and Streams
     
How is a river formed?  
Stream Order Diagram
Wikimedia - Langlaufer
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  • A river is a natural flow of running water that follows a well-defined, permanent path, usually within a valley. (definition from Encyclopedia.com)
  • A stream (also called a brook or a creek) is a natural flow of water that follows a more temporary path that is usually not in a valley. (definition from Encyclopedia.com)
  • When precipitation falls, water collects in streams
  • The first streams to form are called headwater streams (or 1st order streams)
  • When two 1st order streams meet, a 2nd order stream is formed
  • When a 2nd order stream meets with another stream, a 3rd order stream is formed
  • Rivers are larger streams of water that flow through a channel towards the sea.
  • Smaller streams that flow into major rivers are called tributaries.
     
Stream Habitats:    
Different parts of streams and rivers have different characteristics and provide different habitats for aquatic wildlife. ​​​​​​
  • Headwaters flow quickly through shallow channels over steeper land. 
  • Farther downstream, the land is less steep, and waters tend to flow more slowly in deeper channels.

Different aquatic organisms are able to survive in different parts of streams called microhabitats (smaller unique habitat within a larger habitat or ecosystem).
  • Riffle: shallow area of stream that flows quickly over rocks
  • Run: area of stream that flows smoothly
  • Pool: deep areas where water moves slowly and deposits fine material
Parts of a Stream
Missouri Department of Conservation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Rudolph Rosen
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  • Some organisms live on or under the stream bottom. 
  • Streams may have a rocky surface underneath, sandy bottoms, or some have areas with fine particles. 
  • Each of these materials provides a different type of habitat suitable for different aquatic organisms.
  • A riparian zone is an area directly next to a stream including the area where water can overflow.  Many organisms live in these areas.
  
Floodplain Diagram
flickr - placeuvm
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Alabama Rivers:    

The variety of geological features of Alabama leads to a variety of rivers and streams that are noticeably different depending on the location in the state. 
  • The rivers and streams in the northern part of the state tend to have clear, fast flowing waters over hard, rocky stream bottoms.  In places where the terrain drops, rapids are formed.
  • As some of these streams connect further south in the state, the channels begin to widen while the land becomes flatter.
Cheaha Creek, Cheaha Creek Gorge, Clay Co. AL
photograph by Alan Cressler
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  • Streams in the southern part of the state are often wider and slower moving with sandy bottoms.
  • These rivers move slowly through wetland or swamp areas surrounded by forests and appear dark in color.
  • The dark color is a result of decomposition of dead plants that release chemicals called tannins which stain the water.





Many of Alabama's rivers and streams are known for their high diversity of freshwater fishes and snails.
Perdido River, Perdido Watershed in the Southeastern Plains Ecoregion
flickr - FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
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  • The Alabama River has one of the richest freshwater mussel beds
  • The Cahaba River has more fish diversity than any river its size in a temperate climate
  • The Choctawhatchee River has no major dams, so the freshwater snail diversity remains high
  • The Coosa River watershed contains 5 of Alabama's ecoregions.  Because it covers so many different types of terrain, the biodiversity in the Coosa River is high.
  • The Sipsey River (sometimes called the Sipsey River Swamp) is a swamp stream that contains one of Alabama's largest wetland regions and is high in mussel diversity.


 
Major Rivers in Alabama
Wikimedia - pfly and John Lambert
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Lakes and Ponds
     
Characteristics of Lakes and Ponds:    
Lakes and ponds are characterized by having standing water (water that is not flowing). 

Ponds:
  • Ponds are small and shallow and keep a constant temperature throughout the pond.
  • Sunlight is able to reach the bottom of the pond, allowing plants to grow throughout the pond. 
  • These plants play an important role as the producers of the aquatic (water) food chain.
Pond Ecosystem
Dreamstime
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Lakes:
  • Lakes are larger and deeper, giving them a range of temperatures depending on depth of the lake. 
  • Shallow areas near the edge of the lake share similar characteristics to ponds.
  • Toward the center of the lake, the water becomes deeper.
    • Sunlight can reach the top portion of this region but not the deeper portions
  • Certain organisms are specifically adapted to live on or under the lake bottom.
Zonation in Lakes and Ponds
Dreamstime
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Alabama Lakes:    
All lakes in Alabama were created through the process of dam construction for purposes like electricity generation, flood control, drinking water, agricultural supplies, and navigation.

Lake Guntersville is the largest lake in Alabama and was constructed to allow transportation through the Tennessee River in the area and to help control floods.
Lake Guntersville - Guntersville, AL
flickr - Juliette Rien
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Additional Habitats
     
Additional Aquatic Habitats:    
In addition to lakes and streams, there are a variety of additional sources of freshwater and freshwater habitats included in an area's watershed. These additional sources of freshwater can be found in Alabama.
  • Aquifer: Underground soil or rock saturated with water that can be pumped to the surface for use by people.
  • Spring: A place where ground water meets and emerges from the land.
  • Bog: Area of soft, water saturated ground.  Substrate/soil is acidic and usually composed of sphagnum moss and peat which gives it a spongy texture.
  • Marsh/Swamp/Wetland: Land that captures, stores, and slows movement of water.  Land is constantly wet.
  • Salt marsh: Coastal grassland that is frequently covered by the tide.
  • Estuary: Where the mouth of a large freshwater river meets the saltwater from the sea.
Meaher State Park - Spanish Fort, AL
Wikimedia - Mistoffeles
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SOURCES USED FOR THIS PAGE:
 
 
Encyclopedia of Alabama
     
 
  
     
 
     
   
     
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