what is rain runoff

Runoff is that portion of rainfall, snowmelt, or irrigation that flows on the land surface, sub-surface, or seeps away from the water table into surface streams, rivers, drains, or sewers. Runoff is the excess water that flows over the land surface instead of being absorbed into groundwater

or evaporating.

Full Answer

What are facts about runoff?

Runoff is precipitation that did not get (infiltrated) absorbed into the soil or did not evaporate, and therefore, made its way from the ground surface into places that water collect. Runoff causes erosion and also carry chemicals and substances on the ground surface along to the rivers where the water ends up. It can cause water pollution too.

What are the effects of runoff?

• smother coral reef organisms due to the settling of suspended sediment
• reduce light availability for coral and seagrass photosynthesis due to increased turbidity
• favour the growth of macroalgae at the expense of corals due to high nutrient availability.

What does runoff mean in the water cycle?

Runoff can be described as the part of the water cycle that flows over land as surface water instead of being absorbed into groundwater or evaporating. Runoff is that part of the precipitation, snow melt, or irrigation water that appears in uncontrolled surface streams, rivers, drains, or sewers.

What are examples of runoff?

What are some examples of agricultural runoff?

• Sediment. Soil that is washed away from fields.
• Nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from chemical fertilizers and manure.
• Pathogens. Bacteria, viruses and other harmful organics from sources such as animal waste.
• Pesticides & Herbicides.
• Metals.
• Salts.

What is runoff in water?

What is stormwater runoff?

What is nonpoint runoff?

What is nonpoint pollution?

What are impervious surfaces?

How does soil affect water quality?

What organisms absorb pollutants?

See 4 more

About this website

What is runoff short answer?

Runoff is nothing more than water "running off" the land surface. Just as the water you wash your car with runs off down the driveway as you work, the rain that Mother Nature covers the landscape with runs off downhill, too (due to gravity). Runoff is an important component of the natural water cycle.

What is runoff and why is it bad?

Urban and suburban stormwater runoff erodes streams, kills fish, pollutes swimming beaches, floods homes, and causes many other problems. Stormwater runoff collects an often-toxic mix of pollutants including: Trash. Soil and sediment.

Is runoff good or bad?

A portion of the precipitation seeps into the ground to replenish Earth's groundwater. Most of it flows downhill as runoff. Runoff is extremely important in that not only does it keep rivers and lakes full of water, but it also changes the landscape by the action of erosion.

What is runoff pollution?

Common runoff pollutants include oil, paint, household cleaning supplies, sediment, pesticides, fertilizers, trash, yard waste, and pet waste. The everyday activities we do around our businesses, homes, and yards can impact the quality of the runoff that drains into our waterways.

What causes water runoff?

Impervious surfaces, or surfaces that can't absorb water, increase runoff. Roads, sidewalks, and parking lots are impervious surfaces. Materials as diverse as car-washing soaps, litter, and spilled gas from a gas station all become runoff. Runoff is a major source of water pollution.

What are examples of runoff?

6 Examples of Agricultural RunoffSediment. Soil that is washed away from fields. ... Nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from chemical fertilizers and manure. ... Pathogens. Bacteria, viruses and other harmful organics from sources such as animal waste. ... Pesticides & Herbicides. ... Metals. ... Salts.

How can we prevent rainwater runoff?

Start with doing one of the actions on the following top 10 list:Maintain your car or truck. ... Wash your car at a commercial car wash rather than in the street or in your driveway. ... Drive less. ... Cut down on fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. ... Remove part or all of your lawn.More items...•

How do you fix runoff?

What can you do to reduce the runoff from your property?Disconnect/Redirect Downspouts.Use a rain barrel to capture rain from your roof.Plant a rain garden.Plant trees.Reduce impervious surfaces; install permeable pavement.Plant a green roof.

How can we control runoff?

10 Ways To Manage Runoff WaterAdd plants. Incorporate plantings, especially in areas where runoff collects. ... Protect trees. Like other plant roots, tree roots help absorb and filter runoff. ... Break up slabs. ... Go permeable. ... Catch runoff. ... How to Divert Water Runoff from Driveway. ... Plant a rain garden. ... Cover soil.More items...

How do humans affect runoff?

Heavy use of agricultural machinery can compact the soil and reduce its infiltration capacity, making runoff more likely. Changing greenfield surfaces to impermeable concrete and tarmac as construction takes place can increase the level of runoff in an area.

How is direct runoff generated?

Detailed Solution. a) Direct Runoff → It is that part of runoff which enters the stream immediately after rainfall. It includes surface runoff, prompt interflow and rainfall on the surface of system. In case of snow melt, the resulting flow entering the stream is also a direct runoff.

What are two potential impacts of runoff?

Uncontrolled stormwater runoff has many cumulative impacts on humans and the environment including: Flooding - Damage to public and private property. Eroded Streambanks - Sediment clogs waterways, fills lakes, reservoirs, kills fish and aquatic animals. Widened Stream Channels - Loss of valuable property.

How does runoff harm the environment?

Stormwater runoff can cause a number of environmental problems: Fast-moving stormwater runoff can erode stream banks, damaging hundreds of miles of aquatic habitat. Stormwater runoff can push excess nutrients from fertilizers, pet waste and other sources into rivers and streams.

What problems can happen as a result of run off?

Some other effects from stormwater runoff include: Instead it runs off hard surfaces and, in a heavy rain, can lead to flooding, erosion and property damage. Water pollution. Water becomes polluted as it runs across lawns, driveways and other hard surfaces, when it collects oil, gas, fertilizers, pet waste and more.

How does runoff affect the ocean?

Excessively large blooms can also overwhelm a marine ecosystem by depleting oxygen in the water. Scientists suspect that many harmful blooms are artificially fueled by fertilizer runoff from farms, which dump tons of excess nitrogen into rivers that eventually flow into the sea.

What is runoff quizlet?

Runoff. the occurrence of surplus liquid (as water) exceeding the limit or capacity. Watershed.

Runoff: Meaning, Types and Factors | Rainfall | Geography

ADVERTISEMENTS: In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Meaning of Runoff 2. Types of Runoff 3. Factors Affecting Runoff 4. Runoff Cycle 5. Computation. Meaning of Runoff: Rainfall is the primary source of water for runoff generation over the land surface. In common course of rainfall occurrence over the land surface, a part it […]

What is Runoff? | The Water Cycle & Effects - Study.com

What is runoff? In this lesson, learn the definition of runoff and its role in the water cycle. Read several examples of how runoff can occur.

Runoff Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Runoff definition, something that drains or flows off, as rain that flows off from the land in streams. See more.

Runoff: Surface and Overland Water Runoff Completed - USGS

When rain falls onto the landscape, it doesn't just sit there and wait to be evaporated by the sun or lapped up by the local wildlife—it begins to move (due to gravity). Some of it seeps into the ground to refresh groundwater, but most of it flows down gradient as surface runoff. Runoff is an intricate part of the natural water cycle.

Some definitions of runoff

1. That part of the precipitation, snow melt, or irrigation water that appears in uncontrolled (not regulated by a dam upstream) surface streams, rivers, drains or sewers.

Runoff and water quality

A significant portion of rainfall in forested watersheds is absorbed into soils ( infiltration ), is stored as groundwater, and is slowly discharged to streams through seeps and springs.

Why might stormwater runoff be a problem?

As it flows over the land surface, stormwater picks up potential pollutants that may include sediment, nutrients (from lawn fertilizers), bacteria (from animal and human waste), pesticides (from lawn and garden chemicals), metals (from rooftops and roadways), and petroleum by-products (from leaking vehicles).

What is storm water runoff?

Storm water runoff is rain and melting snow that flows off building rooftops, driveways, lawns, streets, parking lots, construction sites, and industrial storage yards. Developed areas are covered by buildings and pavement, which do not allow water to soak into the ground. Storm sewers are used to collect large amounts of runoff from streets ...

What are the pollutants in storm water?

Here are some of the types of pollutants in storm water runoff. Illicit discharges such as paints, cleaning solution products and used motor oil. Storm water is not clean and it can pollute our streams and lakes. Contaminated storm water is the most significant contributor of pollutants to Wisconsin's urban waters today.

Where are storm sewers located?

Storm sewers are pipes laid underground below streets. Unlike sanitary sewers that collect wastewater from homes and businesses and convey it to a wastewater treatment plant, storm sewers are separate pipes that collect storm water runoff from inlets, catch basins, or drains located along street curbs and in parking areas.

Is storm water clean?

Illicit discharges such as paints, cleaning solution products and used motor oil. Storm water is not clean and it can pollute our streams and lakes. Contaminated storm water is the most significant contributor of pollutants to Wisconsin's urban waters today.

Does storm water go to a wastewater treatment plant?

Most storm water does not go to a wastewater treatment plant for treatment. Only parts of three cities, Milwaukee, Shorewood and Superior have treatment of storm water at the wastewater treatment plant. Usually, storm water runoff flows overland or is discharged by storm sewers into nearby waterways or treatment devices.

Why isn’t runoff treated?

It is not feasible to treat all runoff. Varying intensities, from outdoor water use to intense storm events, make it challenging to build a treatment system that can handle all runoff flows.

What is polluted runoff, and what causes it?

When the water runoff flows over surfaces, it will pick up and carry pollutants it encounters. Many of these pollutants come from waste that we produce or mishandle at our homes. Common runoff pollutants include oil, paint, household cleaning supplies, sediment, pesticides, fertilizers, trash, yard waste, and pet waste.

Why do we need to manage polluted runoff?

Managing runoff helps improve its quality and reduce its volume over time. Unlike sanitary sewer water, runoff flowing into our storm drains doesn’t receive any treatment before entering our waterways, thus delivering any pollutants that it picked up along the way. This negatively impacts the environment and atmosphere at our beaches. In addition, water that doesn’t seep into the ground runs off to lower areas, which can cause local flooding and stream bank erosion.

What happens when rain falls on the ground?

When rain falls onto the ground, it can do one of two things: flow into the ground and become groundwater, or flow on top of the ground and become runoff. As water flows into the ground, the soil acts as a “filter,” catching and holding onto most anything that the rain water brought with it. Trees and other plant-life also capture ...

What is the smell of spring rain?

The lovely smell that follows a spring rain as you sit on your porch and enjoy the sound of drips pattering on the lawn is so loved that it has earned the distinct honor of its own word: “petrichor”. Somewhat less romantic is the source of the smell: a mix of plant oil and bacterial by-product. Despite that, when I was young, living in Conesus, New York, I learned to love rainy days. There is something especially relaxing about being inside while the sky outside is unleashing millions of gallons of water onto the earth.

How does storm water affect the ecosystem?

Somewhat diabolically, some of the organisms that most benefit from this are invasive species that are already hurting the ecosystem. As these species feed on the nutrients brought to them by storm water, they continue to outcompete other species, thus aggravating the negative effects they have on food chains. As phytoplankton and plants bloom and grow from the runoff nutrients, it would be natural to think that they would at least contribute oxygen to the surrounding water, encouraging the existence of other non-photosynthetic species. Somewhat ironically, the opposite is often true. As more of this plant matter grows, more dies and sinks to the bottom of the water body. Bacteria waiting at the bottom then feed on this dead matter while using oxygen and creating more carbon dioxide. This creates what is widely known as a hypoxic, or “dead” zone. This oxygen-free zone pushes species of fish and other mobile species out, creating an area that is almost unusable in any commercial or recreational way.

How does urban infrastructure affect storm water?

When water reaches the pavement, carrying everything it caught along the way, it will either run over it and reach a water body, or enter our sewer infrastructure and eventually be diverted via pipe into our rivers and lakes. In incredibly large storms, this can even overwhelm the sewer infrastructure and send raw sewage into our freshwater bodies. This is known as a combined sewage overflow, and is unfortunately common in many cities like New York. It continues to have a negative effect on the Gowanus Canal, a relatively famous Superfund site. Illegal plumbing connections in your home can be contributing to this problem, too, without you realizing, and could end up costing you $300 a day in fines once discovered. Having plumbing inspected regularly to ensure compliance can prevent this and go a long way to protect the environment. But even apart from combined sewer overflow, human infrastructure can contribute to a 25 percent increase in the volume of stormwater runoff.

How does rain affect the US?

Rain, in all of its forms, causes billions of dollars in damage in the US every year. And every time it rains, all of those millions of gallons of water that tumble onto the ground need to go somewhere—and not all of it soaks into the soil below our feet. All that water that rolls off of your roof, through your yard, ...

Is rain going away?

Rain is never going away, and neither is human infrastructure. But emerging technologies like permeable pavement, rain garden construction in urban centers, and public education can go a long way in protecting the beauty and health of the lakes, rivers, and oceans that so many people and animals call home. By working together to preserve plant life that filters storm water and taking steps in our everyday lives to slow runoff and instead use it for something beautiful like a rain garden, we can begin to tackle the problem of stormwater pollution together. As somebody who lived on a large lake for over 10 years, I know how important that lake is to me; I can only imagine how important it is for the fish who live in it. At times it can seem like these difficult problems are impossible to face, but by everyone taking small steps to help make a difference, we can make huge strides together.

Does storm water discriminate?

Dirt, nutrients, trash; storm water does not discriminate. By some twist of fate, the nutrients that it picks up as it travels actually cause significant damage to the surrounding ecosystem.

How does runoff affect water quality?

Runoff picks up fertilizer, oil, pesticides, dirt, bacteria and other pollutants as it makes its way through storm drains and ditches - untreated - to our streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Polluted runoff is one of the greatest threats to clean water in the U.S. When we take action to soak up the rain, we keep rain closer to where it falls ...

Why do we soak up rain?

When we soak up the rain we help reduce the amount of water that flows from our properties into the street and the stormwater system. Protect our water resources - When we soak up the rain we help get water into the ground. This helps to keep our streams and rivers flowing and replenish the groundwater we rely on for drinking water and other uses.

How does a green roof help the community?

This can help lower community costs for managing this water. Green roofs can lower building energy costs ; permeable pavements can lower construction costs for residential and commercial development by reducing the need for some conventional drainage features.

How can we prevent water pollution?

Prevent water pollution - Soaking up the rain helps keep rain water on-site and reduce the polluted runoff flowing into our streets and local waterways. Reduce flooding - When heavy rain falls, the runoff that flows into the street can back up and cause street flooding.

What is the cause of stormwater runoff?

June 11, 2020. Stormwater runoff is water from rain and melted snow that flows across the land. As stormwater runs through land, parking lots, roads, and driveways, it picks up contaminants such as dirt and bacteria. Eventually, the stormwater can flow into nearby bodies of water. This causes clean water to become dirty and polluted.

What causes water runoff in urban areas?

Instead, stormwater in more urban areas that lack proper stormwater management systems often causes water runoff. Water runs across parking lots, driveways, roads, and other types of pavement and into nearby bodies of water. This is less of a concern in more rural communities as the water has more opportunities to enter into ...

How does stormwater affect the water supply?

Stormwater runoff may also affect your water supply as it can contaminate your local public water source or well. In addition, stormwater runoff can affect homeowners by compromising the soil quality of their lawns. This can make it more difficult to keep the ideal curb appeal or plant and grow flowers and crops.

Why does a lack of stormwater runoff cause flooding?

The lack of a proper stormwater runoff system often leads to flooding. This is because the stormwater from different areas often flows in the same direction, making it more likely that all that stormwater will infiltrate a single body of water. If the stormwater runoff picks up contaminants along its journey, which it most often does, then the flooding can cause pollution issues. The more polluted the stormwater that contaminates a single area of land or body of water the higher the potential negative impact on the environment.

How does stormwater pollution affect the environment?

Pollution of local bodies of water is just one way in which stormwater runoff can pollute our environment. Stormwater runoff also contributes to erosion, flooding, sewage overflows, and poor air quality. Learning about the environmental effects of stormwater runoff is a first step in taking action to prevent it.

How does stormwater affect wildlife?

As mentioned, stormwater runoff can affect water quality for humans and wildlife alike, which can make the risk of illness much higher and even affect the population trends of wildlife. In fact, many types of freshwater fish are headed towards the path of extinction due to the decline in water quality.

Why is the sewer system overwhelmed?

Since water is not able to absorb into the ground properly in more urban communities that do not have a stormwater management system, it can lead to an excess of water entering the sewer system drain fields. This can cause the sewer system to become overwhelmed.

What is runoff in water?

runoff. Runoff occurs when there is more water than land can absorb. The excess liquid flows across the surface of the land and into nearby creeks, streams, or ponds. Runoff can come from both natural processes and human activity.

What is stormwater runoff?

Stormwater runoff is the runoff drained into creeks, bays, and other water sources after a storm. Stormwater runoff includes all debris, chemicals, and other pollutants picked up by the rain or snow. to soak up. the strategy of applying profit-making practices to the operation of farms and ranches.

What is nonpoint runoff?

Runoff from nonpoint sources includes lawn fertilizer, car exhaust, and even spilled gasoline from a car. Farms are a huge nonpoint source of runoff, as rainwater and irrigation drain fertilizers and pesticides into bodies of water.

What is nonpoint pollution?

These regulations vary by region, state, and nation. Nonpoint source pollution is any source where runoff does not go directly into a waterway. Nonpoint sources of runoff can be large urban, suburban, or rural area s. In these areas, rainwater and irrigation wash chemicals into local streams.

What are impervious surfaces?

Impervious surface s, or surfaces that can't absorb water, increase runoff. Roads, sidewalks, and parking lots are impervious surfaces. Materials as diverse as car-washing soaps, litter, and spilled gas from a gas station all become runoff. Runoff is a major source of water pollution.

How does soil affect water quality?

Soil acts as a natural sponge, filter ing and absorbing many harmful chemicals. Communities can plant native vegetation. Shrubs and other plants prevent erosion and runoff from going into waterways. Toxic runoff can pollute surface waters, like rivers and lakes, as well as seep into underground groundwater supplies.

What organisms absorb pollutants?

Tiny microbe s, such as plankton or algae, absorb pollutant s in the runoff. Fish or shellfish consume the microbes or absorb the pollutants directly. Animals such as birds consume the fish, increasing the level of pollutants in their own bodies.