Test Your River Knowledge

How much do you know about rivers and the water that flows through them? Take this quiz and find out.

1.     How much of the earth’s water is fresh (not salty)?

a.    2.5%
b.    10%
c.    30.5%
d.    52%

Answer: A. Only 2.5 percent of all the water on Earth is fresh—and about two-thirds of that is frozen. That means less than one percent of all the Earth’s water is available to grow our crops, generate electricity, keep our rivers flowing, and supply water to our homes.

2.    Which of the following contains more freshwater?
a.    All the world’s rivers
b.    Clouds and water vapor

Answer: B. Though clouds and water vapor hold just four one-hundredths of one percent of all freshwater, they still have six times more water than all the world’s rivers. Guess that means we better take good care of the precious water in our rivers.

3.    Are freshwater animals disappearing at a faster or slower rate than land and sea animals?
a.    Faster
b.    Slower

Answer: A: Freshwater animals are disappearing at a rate four to six times faster than animals on land or at sea. In the U.S., nearly half the 573 animals on the threatened or endangered list are freshwater species.

Our water is precious. Take the monthly challenge to protect it at LoveYourRiver.org

Source: National Geographic