Tahoe

"I don't know why, but sitting by the water is always calming and mind clearing. The water in Tahoe is so fresh and clean . It's relaxing."

This was submitted by Kayce S.

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Heron

The heron exist on all continents except Antarctica and  are present in most marine habitats except the coldest extremes of the Arctic. There are 64 types of herons. Although they are "waterbirds" that feed on the margins of lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds and seas, some do live in extremely high mountains and driest deserts. Interestingly, they are mostly a non swimming bird.

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Havasupai Falls

Havasupai is roughly translated as “The people of the blue-green waters,” which refers to the beautiful turquoise color of Havasu Creek located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The color of the water is the result of having been stored underground – in limestone caverns or aquifers – for as much as 30,000 years. While underground, the water leaches out minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, from the limestone. These minerals saturate the water and reflect sunlight, making the water a turquoise color.

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Columbia River 

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It flows northwest and then south into the US state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state of Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The river is 1,243 miles long, and its largest tributary is the Snake River. Its drainage basin is roughly the size of France and extends into seven US states and a Canadian province.

This image was submitted by Lisa B.

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Saltwater Drinkers

Did you know that the seagull can drink salty sea waters? The seagull has a special gland that extracts the salt and pushes it out like tears through its nostrils. The water comes out 5 times saltier than going out since the bird absorbs the clean H20. This fun filtering system is common among many marine birds such as penguins, loons and puffins.

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Polar Bears without Ice

Polar Bears with out ice? While this guy happens to be chilling in the National Zoo sans ice, it's natural  icy habitat is warming up and quickly melting. Climate change is fast effecting the arctic Polar ice caps and having profound effects on the inhabitants of the regions.
If you would like to know more about the Polar Bear and climate change, click on the link to Polar Bears International

According to NASA "Over the past century, sea level has slowly been rising. This is in part due to the addition of water to the oceans through either the melting of or the "calving" off of icebergs from the world's land ice. Many individual mountain glaciers and ice caps are known to have been retreating, contributing to the rising sea levels. It is uncertain, however, whether the world's two major ice sheets-Greenland and Antarctica-have been growing or diminishing. This is of particular importance because of the huge size of these ice sheets, with their great potential for changing sea level. Together, Greenland and Antarctica contain about 75% of the world's fresh water, enough to raise sea level by over 75 meters, if all the ice were returned to the oceans."

This image was submitted by Grace E from Alexandria, Virginia.

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Catfish Cabin

Rumors of a monster catfish living in the Mississippi River have been told for generation by locals up and down the mighty waterway. Since the advent of photoshop, it has made it easier to claim sightings and catching the massive fish. In Asia, the catfish has been recorded up to 650lbs.

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Truckee River

The Truckee River flows through California and Nevada. The Truckee flows northeasterly and is 121 miles  long. It is is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great Basin. Its waters are an important source of irrigation along its valley and adjacent valleys.

" We spent the day in shorts and sweatshirts by the river and the snow."

This was submitted by Jamie S. from California. 

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Umpqua River Lighthouse

The Umpqua River  is on the Pacific coast of Oregon and is approximately 111 miles. The first Umpqua River Light was built in 1855 and lit in 1857. Built along the river channel, the original light was vulnerable to seasonal flooding. This led to yearly erosion of the sand embankment of the light. In October 1863, the building's foundations had become too unstable and the structure soon collapsed. Construction started on the new light in 1892, and it was first lit in 1894.

This image was submitted by Quinn S.

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Unsuitable for Swimming

"I'm a total water person. I put my hands or feet in water where ever I find it. It make me feel at peace.There was sooo much bird poop everywhere that it was the first time ever that I didn't need a sign telling me to not touch the water."

This was submitted by Suzy M. from Fresno, CA.

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Munson Creek 

Munson Creek, outside of Tillamook County, in Oregon has the largest waterfall on the Oregon coastline. The trails in the state park were built as part of a youth program in the early 60's and has been  favorite of locals and tourists ever since.

This was submitted by John S.

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 Water meets Art meets Fish

The term “koi” is derived from a Japanese word “nishikigoi”, which literally means brocaded carp. These include the ornamental varieties of common carp, which are used for decorative purposes in outside water gardens and koi ponds. However, “koi” is more of an English word and includes both brightly colored as well as dull, gray fish varieties. Koi, in Japanese, means love, affection or friendship. Hence, ‘koi’ are used as a symbol of love and good luck.
 
Koi are actually a mutated form of carp. Carp developed patches of colors such as white, red, and blue in their natural habitats in the Black, Caspian, and Aral seas in Asia, and China is the true beginning of Koi fish. According to Chinese history Confucius’s son was given a mutated carp by king Shoko of Ro and from then on the fish became the subject of much Chinese artwork. When the Chinese invaded Japan, these carp were breed as a food source due to their resilient nature, this was the beginning of the Japanese Koi fish.

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King of the Sea

The Fuente de Neptuno in the Plaza de Canovas del Castillo depicts the god of the sea- Neptune in a conch-shell chariot pulled by the seahorses and surrounded by dolphins and seals. It was part of of the Salon del Prado project,  commissioned by Charles III. it is now a public park in Madrid.

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Golden Gate Bridge

"I participated in a 3 day walk for breast cancer. And while the walk was about the gathering of thousands of individuals joining together to fight cancer, I couldn't help but be aware of the water all around me. Water has always been a source of healing. A source of peace and calm. So when I crossed the Golden Gate, it was a very symbolic crossing for me of health and strength echoed in the amazing orange bridge spanning the water. We can get there. " 

This was submitted by Dorothy O.

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Hawthorne Bridge

"The Hawthorne Bridge is one of a dozen plus bridges in the city of Portland. It is the gateway to the heart of the city, a landmark and a welcoming site. It is a favorite for bikes, cars, buses and pedestrians alike. It always the city to move freely both on land and water."

This was submitted by Maggie C from Portland, Oregon.

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Castilla 

Castilla-La Mancha is a south-western European region that was part of the Kingdom of Castile. Rainfall in this region is not abundant but the soil is incredibly fertile. The La Mancha region produces 14% of the total olive oil produced by Spain.

This image was submitted by Eloise Q. from California on vacation in Spain.

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Pool Party

 "Birthday parties must include cake, ice cream and water activities. It seems appropriate since you spend 9 months floating  in water "

This was submitted by Bryce E. from Aptos, CA.

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Alhambra

The Alhambra "The Red One" the complete Arabic form of which was Qalat Al-Hamra, is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain.Water makes up a large part of the decorative elements of this magnificent monument turning the palace into a literal oasis.The Acequia Real is the main water channel which carries the water supply to the Alhambra palace. This 6 km stretch of water channel is set just above the Darro River. In the times of the Nazrid dynasty this water would have be clean and drinkable. This network of channels would have run along to the Generalife Gardens and then through the heart of the Alhambra palaces.

These images were submitted by Marie M. from CA.

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Lovers Point

"We made the day into a family adventure exploring the rocky shoreline and tidepools  along Monterey. So many cool treasures."

This was submitted by the Skocko family.

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Three Rivers 

There are over 21,000 petroglyphs at the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site at Three Rivers, New Mexico, located midway between Tularosa and Carrizozo in Otero County. The ruins are not far from the SouthFork Ruidoso Rio, Middlefork Ruidoso Rio and NorthFork  Ruidoso Rio.

This was submitted by John Z from New Mexico.

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Lake Merced

"This once beautiful lake in SF with boating, fishing, recreation, and a restaurant

is facing a new danger of pollution from run off in the gutters and streets of San Francisco.

This is home to many nesting cormorants. Cormorants nest in colonies around the shore, on trees, islets or cliffs. They are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some have colonised inland waters such as Lake Merced. They are excellent divers, and under water they propel themselves with their feet with help from their wings; some cormorant species have been found to dive as deep as 150 feet!"

 

                     This was submitted by Kennette E. from San Francisco, CA.

 

                                                         My Your Our Water

 

Port of Oakland 

"The Port of Oakland (established in 1927) loads and discharges 99% of the goods for Northern California,the nation's fourth largest metropolitan area  .From here they go on rail directly at the marine terminals.It is a world class hub. In 2015 it received the megaship Benjamin Franklin, the biggest cargo ship ever to come into the United States.
Currently, 73,000 jobs depend on the port.  Oakland's cargo volume makes it the fifth busiest container port in the United States  Located on the mainland shore of San Francisco Bay, one of the great natural harbors of the world, Oakland was among the first ports globally to specialize in the intermodal container operations which have revolutionized international trade and stimulate the global economy.

California's three major container ports carry approximately 50 percent on the nation's total container cargo volume."

                             This was submitted by Susan M. from Oakland, CA

                                                            My Your Our Water

 

Munson Creek 

"Munson Creek outside Tillamook County in Oregon has the tallest waterfall on the Oregon Coast line.

The trails in this state park were built as part of a youth program in th early sixties, and has been a favorite of the people of Oregon every since, claiming it to be one of the "must sees" for visitors to the Oregon railways."

 

 

                                                 This was submitted by John S.

 

                                                           My Your Our Water

Pinto Lake

The Pinto Lake area was part of a 15,400 acre land grant from Spain to Jose Amesti who, in 1844 deeded the land to his wife, Prudencia de Vallejo. The lake was named for Rafael Pinto, son of Serafin Pinto, the Chief Civil Officer, or Alcalde, of Branciforte, who married Maria Amesti.
The north portion of Pinto Lake passed into the hands of Charles Ford in 1861 who sold it to George S.P. Cleveland the next year. Cleveland constructed the buildings and developed this 164 acre parcel as a ranch. In 1974, the County of Santa Cruz purchased the north portion of Pinto Lake “to protect the lake while providing recreation.”

This was submitted by Tracy E. from Watsonville, CA.

 

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Water Smart Plants

A general definition of succulents is that they are drought resistant plants in which the leaves, stem or roots have become more than usually fleshy by the development of water-storing tissue. Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems. 

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currents

"Water currents in the sidewalk mud. Everything can be stunning."

This was submitted by Suzy  M. from Watsonville, CA.

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Stingrays

Stingrays are a group of rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. The flattened bodies of stingrays allow them to effectively conceal themselves in their environments. Stingrays do this by agitating the sand and hiding beneath it. Because their eyes are on top of their bodies and their mouths on the undersides, stingrays cannot see their prey; instead, they use smell and electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) similar to those of sharks. Stingrays feed primarily on molluscs, crustaceans, and occasionally on small fish. Some stingrays' mouths contain two powerful, shell-crushing plates, while other species only have sucking mouthparts.

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Old Faithful

"Who needs to wash security golf carts when there's a broken water main on campus?"

This image was submitted from Fresno State

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Car Wash 

"It reminds me of giant muppet dog shaking water on my car... makes me giggle when I go through the car wash."

This was submitted by Jan S from Carmel.

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Pier Fishing

Some people succumb to peer pressure and some pier fishing. One of the biggest benefits of pier fishing is the fisherman having the ability to reach certain depths of a body of water that couldn’t be reached via shore. Fish find piers useful for finding food or avoiding predators, except for humans with bait and hook.

This was submitted by Dan E.

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