Water – Rivers and Drainage Basins
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Water exists in three forms on the Earth: solid, liquid and gas. It is found under the surface and
in the air, as well as being obvious on the surface as rivers, lakes and oceans.
Water affects all living and non-living things within the Earth’s atmosphere.
Large bodies of water impact on climate in their regions. Water holds heat longer than most
substances. Land close to large bodies of water warms up and cools down more slowly, limiting
the temperature variance on land.
Aside from glaciers, running water has had the most impact in shaping the Earth’s landscape.
The source of a river may be high in the mountains where ice caps are melting. As small streams
form together into one river, the volume and speed of the river grows. In the early stages it
tends to flow very quickly and fairly straight. As it reaches lower elevations, it begins to slow,
causing curves to develop (the river meanders) until it reaches a fairly flat flood plain where the
sediments it has picked up along the way are deposited in a fan-shaped deposit called a delta.
A stream profile is a description of its characteristics: flow rate, steepness of the stream’s bed,
and the erosion rate of the banks and surrounding shoreline.
Headwaters
The flatter the terrain the more
the river meanders.
Lowland – flood plain where sediment
are deposited in a delta

A drainage basin is an area that drains all precipitation received into a particular river or set of
rivers. The boundary of a drainage area is defined by the ridge (or area of higher elevation)
beyond which the eater flows in the opposite direction. A drainage area can also be called a
watershed or a catchment area.
Table 1: Ocean Drainage Areas of Canada
Ocean:
Atlantic Ocean
Hudson Bay
Arctic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Mexico
Drainage Area in km2
1 520 000
3 861 400
3 583 300
1 009 100
21 600
The location and main component rivers of each of these regions is as follows:
1. Atlantic Ocean – area is dominated by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence system / other
significant drainage basins include the Churchill River (Labrador) and the Saint John River (N.B.)
2. Hudson Bay – Huge area that captures about 30% of the total Canadian water runoff
3. Arctic Ocean – is composed of the area flowing directly into the Arctic Ocean or into the
channels of the Arctic Islands / Hudson, James and Ungava Bays are considered part of the Arctic
Ocean but their drainage areas are considered separately / the Mackenzie River dominates this
drainage area
4. Pacific Ocean – drains the west of the Rocky Mountains / the Fraser, Yukon and Columbia Rivers
are the largest ones draining this region / separated from the other areas by the Continental
Divide (mountains) which separates those rivers draining in the Pacific from those draining in
the other oceans
5. Gulf of Mexico – a small portion of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan drains into the
Mississippi which ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico
Table 2: The World’s Greatest Lakes
Name
Countries
with
shoreline
Area
Length
Maximu
m
depth
Water
volume
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
Variously
considered
the world's
largest lake or
a fullfledged sea.
Geologically,
the south
Caspian is a
small
ocean.[7][9]
*Not
includingGara
bogazköl
Aylagy.
Kazakhst
an
Russia
1
Caspian
Sea*
371,000 km2
1,199 km
Turkme
(143,000 sq
(745 mi)
nistan
mi)
Azerbaij
an
Iran
1,025 m
(3,363 ft)
78,200 km3
(18,800 cu
mi)
Continental lakes
Name
2 Superior[n
1]
Countries
with
shoreline
Canada
United
States
Area
Length
Maxim
um
depth
Water
volume
82,414 k
616 km
406 m 12,100 km3(2,9
2
[10]
m (31,82 (383 mi) (1,332 ft)[1
00 cu mi)[10]
0]
0 sq mi)[1
0]
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
[n 1]
Name
3 Victoria
Countries
with
shoreline
Uganda
Kenya
Tanzania
4 Huron[n 1]
Canada
United
States
Area
Length
69,485 k
m2(26,82
8 sq mi)
322 km
(200 mi)
Maxim
um
depth
Water
volume
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
84 m 2,750 km3(660
(276 ft)
cu mi)
The largest
lake in
Africa
59,600 k
332 km
229 m 3,540 km3(850
2
[10]
m (23,00 (206 mi)
(751 ft)[10]
cu mi)[10]
0 sq mi)[1
Contains M
anitoulin
Island, the
world's
largest lake
island[citation
0]
needed]
5 Michigan[n
1]
United
States
58,000 k
494 km
281 m 4,900 km3(1,20
m2(22,00 (307 mi)[10] (922 ft)[10]
0 cu mi)[10]
0 sq mi)[1
0]
6 Tanganyik
a
Burundi
Tanzania
Zambia
Democratic
Republic of the
Congo
32,893 k
m2(12,70
0 sq mi)
676 km 1,470 m 18,900 km3(4,5
(420 mi) (4,820 ft)
00 cu mi)
Largest lake
entirely
within one
country
Second
deepest
lake in the
world. It is
also the
longest lake
in the
world.[citation
needed]
Name
7 Baikal
Countries
with
shoreline
Russia
Area
31,500 k
m2(12,20
0 sq mi)
Length
Maxim
um
depth
Water
volume
636 km 1,637 m 23,600 km3(5,7
(395 mi) (5,371 ft)
00 cu mi)
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
Deepest
lake in the
world.
Largest
volume
fresh water
lake in the
world[citation
needed]
8 Great
Bear Lake
9 Malawi
Canada
31,080 k
m2(12,00
0 sq mi)
373 km
446 m 2,236 km3(536
(232 mi) (1,463 ft)
cu mi)
30,044 k
2
Mozambiq m (11,60
0 sq mi)
ue
579 km
706 m 8,400 km3(2,00
(360 mi) (2,316 ft)
0 cu mi)
Tanzania
Largest lake
entirely
within
Canada [16]
Malawi
10 Great
Slave Lake
Canada
28,930 k
m2(11,17
0 sq mi)
480 km
614 m 2,090 km3(500
(300 mi) (2,014 ft)
cu mi)
Deepest
lake in
North
America[citatio
n needed]
11 Erie
Canada
United
States
25,719 k
388 km
64 m 489 km3(117 cu
2
[10]
m (9,930 (241 mi)
(210 ft)[10]
mi)[10]
sq mi)[10]
Countries
with
shoreline
Name
12 Winnipeg
Canada
Area
23,553 k
m2(9,094
sq mi)
Length
425 km
(264 mi)
Maxim
um
depth
Water
volume
36 m 283 km3 (68 cu
(118 ft)
mi)
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
Located in
Manitoba,
it is the
largest lake
within a
province.[citat
ion needed]
13 Ontario
Canada
United
States
14 Balkhash*
Kazakhsta
18,428 k
m2(7,115
sq mi)
605 km
(376 mi)
26 m 106 km3 (25 cu
(85 ft)
mi)
Russia
18,130 k
m2(7,000
sq mi)
219 km
(136 mi)
230 m 908 km3(218 cu
(750 ft)
mi)
n
15 Ladoga
19,477 k
311 km
244 m 1,639 km3(393
m2(7,520 (193 mi)[10] (801 ft)[10]
cu mi)[10]
sq mi)[10]
Largest lake
in
Europe[citation
needed]
16 Vostok
Antarctica
15,690 k
m2(6,060
sq mi)
250 km
(160 mi)
900– 5,400 ± 1,600 k
1,000 m m3(1,300 ± 380
(3,000–
cu mi)
3,300 ft)
Largest lake
in
Antarctica;
also
largest subg
lacial lakein
the world.
Name
Countries
with
shoreline
17 Onega
Russia
9,891 k
m2(3,819
sq mi)
248 km
(154 mi)
120 m 280 km3 (67 cu
(390 ft)
mi)
18 Titicaca
Peru
8,135 k
m2(3,141
sq mi)
177 km
(110 mi)
281 m 893 km3(214 cu
(922 ft)
mi)
Bolivia
Area
Length
Maxim
um
depth
Water
volume
19 Nicaragua
Nicaragua
8,001 k
m2(3,089
sq mi)
177 km
(110 mi)
26 m 108 km3 (26 cu
(85 ft)
mi)
20 Athabasca
Canada
7,920 k
m2(3,060
sq mi)
335 km
(208 mi)
243 m 204 km3 (49 cu
(797 ft)
mi)
21 Taymyr
Russia
6,990 k
m2(2,700
sq mi)
250 km
(160 mi)
26 m 12.8 km3(3.1 cu
(85 ft)
mi)
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
Largest lake
in Central
America
Largest lake
north of the
Arctic
Circle[citation
needed]
22 Turkana*
Ethiopia
Kenya
6,405 k
m2(2,473
sq mi)
248 km
(154 mi)
109 m 204 km3 (49 cu
(358 ft)
mi)
It is the
world's
largest
permanent
desert lake
and the
world's
largest
Name
Countries
with
shoreline
Area
Length
Maxim
um
depth
Water
volume
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
alkaline
lake.[citation
needed]
23 Reindeer
Lake
Canada
6,330 k
m2(2,440
sq mi)
245 km
337 m
(152 mi) (1,106 ft)
24 Issyk-Kul*
Kyrgyzstan
6,200 k
m2(2,400
sq mi)
182 km
668 m 1,738 km3(417
(113 mi) (2,192 ft)
cu mi)
25 Urmia*
Iran
6,001 k
m2(2,317
sq mi)
130 km
(81 mi)
26 Vänern
Sweden
5,545 k
m2(2,141
sq mi)
140 km
(87 mi)
27 Winnipeg
osis
Canada
5,403 k
m2(2,086
sq mi)
245 km
(152 mi)
5,299 k
2
Democratic m (2,046
sq mi)
Republic of the
Congo
161 km
(100 mi)
28 Albert
Uganda
16 m
(52 ft)
106 m 153 km3 (37 cu
(348 ft)
mi)
18 m
(59 ft)
58 m 280 km3 (67 cu
(190 ft)
mi)
Largest lake
in the
European
Union
Name
29 Mweru
30 Nettilling
Countries
with
shoreline
Area
5,120 k
2
Democratic m (1,980
sq mi)
Republic of the
Congo
Zambia
Canada
5,066 k
m2(1,956
sq mi)
Length
131 km
(81 mi)
113 km
(70 mi)
Maxim
um
depth
Water
volume
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
27 m 38 km3 (9.1 cu
(89 ft)
mi)
132 m
(433 ft)
On Baffin
Island.
Largest lake
on an
island.[citation
needed]
31 Nipigon
Canada
4,843 k
m2(1,870
sq mi)
32 Manitoba
Canada
4,706 k
m2(1,817
sq mi)
33 Great Salt
United
Lake*
States
4,662 k
m2(1,800
sq mi)
34 Qinghai
Lake*
4,489 k
m2(1,733
sq mi)
(2007)
China
116 km
(72 mi)
165 m
(541 ft)
225 km 7 m (23 ft)
(140 mi)
121 km
(75 mi)
10 m
(33 ft)
Name
Countries
with
shoreline
Area
35 Saimaa
Finland
≈
4,400 k
m2(1,700
sq mi)
36 Lake of
the
Woods
Canada
United
States
4,350 k
m2(1,680
sq mi)
37 Khanka
Length
Maxim
um
depth
Water
volume
82 m 36 km3 (8.6 cu
(269 ft)
mi)
110 km
(68 mi)
Thumbnail
(same scale
for all
lakes)
Notes
Numerous
basins;
14,000
islands,
shoreline 1
3,700 km
(8,500 mi)
64 m
(210 ft)
China
4,190 k
10.6 m
Russia
m2(1,62
(35 ft)
0 sq mi)
Table 3: The World’s Largest Drainage Basins
Name
Amazon
Congo
Murray
Plata-Parana-Grande
Mississippi-Missouri
Nile
Yenisei
Lena
Niger
Amur
Yangtze
Mackenzie
Ganges-Brahmaputra
Location
South America
Africa
Australia
South America
North America
Africa
Asia
Asia
Africa
Asia
Asia
North America
Asia
Drainage Basin Area (000 km2)
6915
3680
3520
3100
2980
2870
2580
2490
2090
1855
1855
1790
1730
Volga
Zambezi
St. Lawrence
Europe
Africa
North America
1380
1330
1030
Sources:
Diagram: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/management/joysmanual/streams.html
Table 1: Canada. Natural Resource Canada. The Atlas of Canada. Facts About Canada: Fresh Water. Ottawa. 1999.
Table 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lakes_by_area
Table 3: Adapted from: World Water Resources and Their Uses. Joint SHI/UNESCO Product. Prepared by Igor A. Shiklomanov, (place)
1999
Science in Action Notes: Fresh and Saltwater Systems (2.0) – Edquest Science Resources (www.edquest.ca)
The Atlas of Canada – Drainage Systems (atlas.gc.ca)