WGU C890 Task 4 |Latest Update with Complete Solution
A1...The..case..study..selected..for..this..paper..is..The..Colorado..River..Case..Study...This..river..is..over..1,400..
miles..long,..and..consists..of..14..major..dams,..rivers..and..canals...This..system..supports..a..significant..
portion..of..America’s..agricultural..and..urban..areas..and..across..seven..states...Overuse..of..this..river.
.and..climate..change..has..caused..this..river..to..run..dry..before..reaching..the..ocean..several..times..in
..the..last..twenty..years...The..managed..resource..in..this..case..study..is..the..Colorado..River..itself,..wit
h..its..extensive..dams..and..canals..which..are..used..for..water..storage..and..hydroelectric..power..gen
eration.
A2...The..managed..resource,..the..Colorado..River..can..be..identified..as..renewable...The..main..source..of..
the..river’s..water..supply..comes..from..snowmelt..in..the..Rocky..Mountains,..which..occurs..annually...It
..is..also..replenished..from..precipitation..within..the..watershed...The..availability..and..sustainability..c
an..be..affected..by..climate..change..among..other..factors,..which..can..lead..to..droughts..that..can..ne
gatively..affect..the..ecosystems..along..the..river.
A3...There..is..a..comprehensive..approach..to..managing..the..Colorado..River,..which..focuses..on..conservat
ion..measures..and..water..allocation...Conservation..measures..that..are..being..implemented..include..
reducing..water..waste,..protecting..ecosystems..dependent..on..the..river,..and..promoting..efficient..ir
rigation...Water..allocation..sets..a..specific..quota..for..different..uses...These..include..industrial,..urba
n..and..agricultural..to..name..a..few...This..measure..is..to..help..control..the..amount..each..use..require
s..and..manage..distribution.
Impacted..populations..of..ecosystems..near..the..Colorado..River..include..habitat..loss..for..native..spe
cies,..which..resulted..in..declines..to..the..numbers..of..these..species...Human..interactions..have..had..
had..the..largest..impact..due..to..the..construction..of..dams..and..diversions..of..the..natural..flow..patt
erns...These..changes..to..the..ecosystem..have..resulted..in..habitat..loss..and..the..disruption..of..the..ec
osystem..services.
A4...The..Colorado..River..study..correlates..with..dependence..on..solar..energy..to..regulate..water..flow..an
d..availability..by..driving..the..hydrological..cycle...Renewable..energy..technologies..also..harness..sola
r..energy..indirectly..by..use..of..flowing..water..to..generate..kinetic..energy.
Dams..and..diversions..that..have..altered..habitats..have..caused..declines..in..native..aquatic..species,..
which..in..turn..affects..creatures..that..depend..on..the..aquatic..species..for..sustainment...Restoring..so
me..of..the..natural..flow..would..help..to..mitigate..the..impact..of..infrastructure.
The..Colorado..River..ecosystem..relies..on..nutrients..and..other..chemicals..to..cycle..through..the..wat
ershed...Nutrient..runoff..from..farmers..fertilizers..can..disrupt..this..chemical..cycle..to..the..point..of..ca
using..algal..blooms..and..dead..zones..in..the..aquatic..system...It..would..be..beneficial..to..practice..sus
tainable..efforts..to..minimize..pollution,..and..to..utilize..water..conservation..efforts.
B1...Student-
Centered..Learning..Activity:..Exploring..the..Colorado..River..and..Sustainable..Resource..Management
Grade..Level:..8th..grade
Student..Grouping:..Pair..work
Classroom..Arrangement:..Small..groups..of..desks..or..tables..to..encourage..collaboration. . Techn
ology..Requirements/Materials:..Books,..articles..(printed..or..online),..poster..board..materials,..pr
esentation..tools.
A1...The..case..study..selected..for..this..paper..is..The..Colorado..River..Case..Study...This..river..is..over..1,400..
miles..long,..and..consists..of..14..major..dams,..rivers..and..canals...This..system..supports..a..significant..
portion..of..America’s..agricultural..and..urban..areas..and..across..seven..states...Overuse..of..this..river.
.and..climate..change..has..caused..this..river..to..run..dry..before..reaching..the..ocean..several..times..in
..the..last..twenty..years...The..managed..resource..in..this..case..study..is..the..Colorado..River..itself,..wit
h..its..extensive..dams..and..canals..which..are..used..for..water..storage..and..hydroelectric..power..gen
eration.
A2...The..managed..resource,..the..Colorado..River..can..be..identified..as..renewable...The..main..source..of..
the..river’s..water..supply..comes..from..snowmelt..in..the..Rocky..Mountains,..which..occurs..annually...It
..is..also..replenished..from..precipitation..within..the..watershed...The..availability..and..sustainability..c
an..be..affected..by..climate..change..among..other..factors,..which..can..lead..to..droughts..that..can..ne
gatively..affect..the..ecosystems..along..the..river.
A3...There..is..a..comprehensive..approach..to..managing..the..Colorado..River,..which..focuses..on..conservat
ion..measures..and..water..allocation...Conservation..measures..that..are..being..implemented..include..
reducing..water..waste,..protecting..ecosystems..dependent..on..the..river,..and..promoting..efficient..ir
rigation...Water..allocation..sets..a..specific..quota..for..different..uses...These..include..industrial,..urba
n..and..agricultural..to..name..a..few...This..measure..is..to..help..control..the..amount..each..use..require
s..and..manage..distribution.
Impacted..populations..of..ecosystems..near..the..Colorado..River..include..habitat..loss..for..native..spe
cies,..which..resulted..in..declines..to..the..numbers..of..these..species...Human..interactions..have..had..
had..the..largest..impact..due..to..the..construction..of..dams..and..diversions..of..the..natural..flow..patt
erns...These..changes..to..the..ecosystem..have..resulted..in..habitat..loss..and..the..disruption..of..the..ec
osystem..services.
A4...The..Colorado..River..study..correlates..with..dependence..on..solar..energy..to..regulate..water..flow..an
d..availability..by..driving..the..hydrological..cycle...Renewable..energy..technologies..also..harness..sola
r..energy..indirectly..by..use..of..flowing..water..to..generate..kinetic..energy.
Dams..and..diversions..that..have..altered..habitats..have..caused..declines..in..native..aquatic..species,..
which..in..turn..affects..creatures..that..depend..on..the..aquatic..species..for..sustainment...Restoring..so
me..of..the..natural..flow..would..help..to..mitigate..the..impact..of..infrastructure.
The..Colorado..River..ecosystem..relies..on..nutrients..and..other..chemicals..to..cycle..through..the..wat
ershed...Nutrient..runoff..from..farmers..fertilizers..can..disrupt..this..chemical..cycle..to..the..point..of..ca
using..algal..blooms..and..dead..zones..in..the..aquatic..system...It..would..be..beneficial..to..practice..sus
tainable..efforts..to..minimize..pollution,..and..to..utilize..water..conservation..efforts.
B1...Student-
Centered..Learning..Activity:..Exploring..the..Colorado..River..and..Sustainable..Resource..Management
Grade..Level:..8th..grade
Student..Grouping:..Pair..work
Classroom..Arrangement:..Small..groups..of..desks..or..tables..to..encourage..collaboration. . Techn
ology..Requirements/Materials:..Books,..articles..(printed..or..online),..poster..board..materials,..pr
esentation..tools.
