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Do you remember how the water cycle works? The sun’s energy causes water to evaporate from the earth’s surface. This process forms water vapor in the atmosphere. As water vapor rises, it cools and becomes a liquid again. This is called condensation. The condensed liquid returns to the earth as precipitation. If you’ve ever watched those huge cumulonimbus clouds gather over Lake Pontchartrain on a summer day, you probably weren’t surprised by the afternoon showers that followed!
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Rain showers like that are common in a large watershed like the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.
WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THAT PRECIPITATION?
Some of it is used by plants and animals in the Basin..... Some soaks into the ground and becomes part of the water table or an aquifer..... Some enters lakes, streams, and rivers as runoff..... Evaporation occurs again and the cycle is complete!
The water cycle, then, recycles Earth’s water supply over and over.
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