Water Resources
The Moscow city's location gives it access to Palouse River in Idaho as well as Paradise Creek whose upstream basins are the main water resources in the area. The Palouse River is from formation of the lava basins on both sides of the Moscow mountain that describes its high gradient at its youthful stage and thus flowing fast as it loses its height down the mountain. Just like most of the streams in active tectonic areas, the Palouse River has a straight channel considering the existence of alluvial fans as well. Regarding the fact that this stream has its source from the mountain, there is a formation of a pattern of several minor rivers because of the steep slopes hence defining a parallel drainage system. The belt rock sediment deposits which are a primary source of the foundation of this mountain thus the river accounts for ruggedness on its course; nevertheless, it is an intermittent stream with constant flow throughout the seasons.
Ground water in Pullman-Moscow area has a lot of significant effect on the nature of the creek including patterns considering the whole municipality mainly depends on this as a sole supply of clean water. The primary water resource is on one aquifer that favors the Palouse river in regards to groundwater discharge as compared to the Paradise Creeks. The Wanapum Formation aquifers compose of sand, silt, and clay that give a sound basis for the discharge thus reliability of ground water. The fact that the whole municipality relies on groundwater for household and industrial use is interesting, although the resource is depleting with time meaning inadequacy in near future.
According to Gilvear, the Moscow city solely relies on groundwater not only for domestic use that entails drinking water through purification in municipal water companies but also for industrial and agriculture use; this attributes to the depletion of the resource. The critical current issue in the area is about the decline of ground water supply regarding quality and quantity. Joint efforts by the municipalities as well as universities in the area have come up with water resources committee to develop grounder water management plan and seek to find alternative water resources in Moscow, northern Idaho.
Glaciers, Shorelines, and Climate Change
The Moscow Mountain, Idaho area neither has features relating to glaciation or shoreline; this is because of the belt rocks and other sediment deposits in the area that entirely attribute the formation of the mountain and the basins beside. The structure of the Moscow Mountain, for instance, is interesting because as much as it is an action of volcanic activity, the lava did not erupt to settle and form the mountain. Lava rose from the fissures in belt rocks which were on the concrete foundation of sand, silt, and clay. Glaciation process that forms the shoreline is a whole different geologic process of formation, therefore, no vicinity of such in this area.
Average Annual Precipitation (inches) 23.81
Highest Average Maximum Temperature (F) & Month 83.0 in July
Lowest Average Minimum Temperature (F) & Month 222.6 in January
Climate change over the seasons in Moscow Mountain, Idaho geographical area has mainly had an effect on terrestrial ecosystems because of the runoff erosion that occurs. Erosion drives the sediments through the paths down the mountain into the basin that creates a different terrain and gradient for the stream. The ecosystems suffer more in this case thus the direct effect on the economy of the municipalities with economic activities involving water.
Bibliography
Gilvear, D., Malcolm T. Greenwood, Martin C. Thoms, and Paul J. Wood. 2016. River science: research and management for the 21st century.
Haggerty, Thomas. 2008. Drainage patterns of the Grand River basin. [Waterloo, Ont.]: Wilfrid Laurier University.
Schumm, Stanley A., Jean F. Dumont, and John Millard Holbrook. 2002. Active tectonics and alluvial rivers. Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge University Press.
