Water: The Most Fundamental ResourceLauren FleshnerCGC-1D 08Mr. PaulApril 11, 2014 Water: the most fundamental resourceCan Canada manage the amount of water it has responsibly? Water in Canada is taken for granted, as the country is the second largest user of water in the world. (Clark, 2006, p. 477) But Canada is fortunate to have access to large quantities of water. Our social, personal and economic lives depend greatly on water. (Clark, 2006, p. 478) Canada has many water resources. These water resources consist of lakes, wetlands, rivers, drainage bases and groundwater. (Clark, 2006, p. 478) Canada's lakes and wetlands occupy approximately 20% of Canada's land area. (Clark, 2006, p. 478) Canada has very easy access to this water, mainly because as the glaciers melted, most of the water turned into our lakes. 99% of water still remains from ice ages. (Clark, 2006, p. 478) “Wetlands are areas of land saturated with water. » (Clark, 2006, p.479) Wetlands cover approximately 14% of the country. (Clark, 2006, p. 479) Wetlands provide many habitats for wildlife. (Clark, 2006, p. 479) Watersheds are another source for Canada. Drainage basins transfer all water to its destinations. (Pacific Ocean, Hudson Bay, Arctic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico) (Clark, 2006, p.479) In order to keep track, “flow rates” are taken into account. Flow is the “amount of water that flows through a watershed.” (Clark, 2006, p.479) Depending on the season, the quantity of water can vary. (Clark, 2006, p. 479) Groundwater is another major source of water available to Canada. “Groundwater is water found underground. Canada has approximately 20% of the world's groundwater. (Clark, 2006, p.478) Groundwater has many... middle of paper ......s to the problem. If Canada continues to preserve its wetlands, it will benefit the country in the long run, as wetlands and groundwater are a huge source of fresh water in Canada. If Canada continues to pollute its lakes, the consequences will be much more serious in the future than today. Canada will need to spend more money to discover and create technology that can remove chemicals from lakes. If Canada were to pay more for water, it would be very beneficial in the long term. Potentially, the extra money would go back to the city and people would be more careful with their water. Canada is very fortunate to have such an abundance of water, but having such easy access to cheap, clean water comes with a responsibility that Canadians must shoulder to avoid future problems with the resource. more basic..