Rivers and water are fascinating. We depend on each every day, but most of us don't know very much about water. The United States has 3,500,000 miles of rivers and streams. The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States (about 2,540 miles long). The Nile is the longest river in the world (4,132 miles). The Amazon River carries the most water. Water covers nearly three-fourths of the earth's surface. However . . . Less than 1% of water on the earth is available for use by us. Most of the earth's surface water is salty (93%). Much of what remains is in aquifers deep below the earth's surface (2.5%). Some is permanently frozen in the polar ice caps (2%). Over 90% of the world's supply of fresh water is located in Antarctica! If all the world's water were fit into a gallon jug, the fresh water available for us to use would equal only about one tablespoon. If all the water in the Great Lakes was spread evenly across the continental U.S., the ground would be covered with almost 10 feet of water. Besides drinking, we depend on water for all our food. Eighty percent of the fresh water we use in the U.S. is for irrigating crops and generating thermoelectric-power. It takes about 6 gallons of water to grow a single serving of lettuce. More than 2,600 gallons is required to produce a single serving of steak. It takes almost 49 gallons of water to produce just one eight-ounce glass of milk. That includes water consumed by the cow and to grow the food she eats, plus water used to process the milk. About 6,800 gallons of water is required to grow a day's food for a family of four. 1.2 Billion — Number of people worldwide who do not have access to clean water. 6.8 Billion — Gallons of water Americans flush down their toilets every day. If you'd like to see other interesting water facts, please go to www.rivers.gov/waterfacts.html.
Okay, what should we do next? Go On To Games Look At States Again Look At Other Sites Go Back To The Home Page Visit The Grown-Up Web Site