Rivers, Wetlands, and Groundwater – New Material Monday 3/17/14
River Systems
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a river and all of its tributaries (small streams that flow into it) make a river system
Rivers have many features. They are:
 headwaters – small streams that come together at the start of a river
 tributary – streams and smaller rivers that make up a bigger river
 flood plain – flat area through which a river flows
 oxbow lake – a small lake created when a bend of a river gets cut off
from the main river
 meander – a big curve of a river
 mouth – the end of a river, where it flows into another body of water
 delta – a fan-shaped deposit of land at the end of a river
a watershed is the land area that gives water to a river system
watersheds are separated from each other by land called a divide
an important local river is the Allegheny – the headwaters begin near Coudersport
Wetlands
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wetlands are land covered by shallow water
examples are swamps, marshes, bogs
the Everglades are an example of a wetland
wetlands have many living things, such as many plants and animals
Groundwater
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groundwater is water in the ground
groundwater moves in between cracks and spaces in rocks and soil
layers underground are:
 permeable layers – water can go through these
 impermeable layers – water cannot go through these
 unsaturated zone – rocks and soil above the water table
 saturated zone – area totally filled with water
 water table – top of the saturated zone
a spring is groundwater that flows to the surface
an aquifer is a source of underground water
people can get groundwater by drilling a well
wells need to go deep enough into the water table to get water
artesian wells are wells that work when water rises to the surface because pressure
causes it to go to the surface
wells will go dry if the level of water in an aquifer drops