Key Concepts
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The amount of water on Earth is finite: it continually cycles through
Earth’s systems, driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
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California’s moderate climate, with long, dry summers, means that
water is an especially limited resource in our region.
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Watersheds collect and channel water from snowmelt and rainfall into
streams, lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater.
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San Francisco’s watershed also includes a system of dams, reservoirs,
aqueducts, storage facilities, and pipes that bring us clean drinking
water, and then transport wastewater to be treated and released to
the bay or ocean.
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San Francisco’s water system generates hydropower, a renewable form
of electricity that powers public services, like public schools and libraries.
BIG IDEAS
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Grades 3–5
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SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
35