Water around us
The water around the world is all different. There are different types of water from town to town in every country.
You get saltwater in the seas and some oceans. Freshwater comes from springs, mountain streams and unpolluted lakes.
The Water collects in so many different ways:
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What is a Stream?
Is natural flowing water. It does not matter how big or small if it flows naturally it is a stream
Rivers are a type of stream and so are creeks and tributaries.
The Source – the source is a spring of freshwater where a stream begins. There are different parts of a stream
Spring– a spring is freshwater that comes from under the ground
The Bed– the bed is the bottom of the stream
Waterfall– because streams run very fast and long parts are worn away to make drops.
These drops make the waterfall and drop to meet the stream again.
What are Tributaries?
A Tributary – is a stream that flows into another stream
A Distributary – is a stream that flows away from another stream, It all depends on which way the water flows
What is a Loch?
Loch – is a word used mostly in Scotland. A Loch is another word for a Lake or a Bay, famous Lochs include
Loch Ness – this is where legend says the great Loch Ness Monster lives.
What are Ponds?
Ponds are small and sometimes man-made.
They are fed by the rainwater and sometimes a small stream
Most ponds only reach about 4 and half metres deep
By being so shallow plants on the bed of the pond can get sunlight which helps them grow
If you have ever seen a pond you will have noticed the green algae on the top
Algae is dead plants and flowers this is food for the fish, animals and insects
Frogs and toads love ponds because their babies (tadpoles) need to live in water and pond water has lots of food.
Some people make their own ponds for fish to live in. This is great for places away from the rivers and the oceans as they can have fish too.
What are Springs?
are an underground source of water which rise to the top to start a stream
Spring water is full of the minerals which it gets from the rocks around it
Spring water is popular to drink because of all of the minerals which are very good for your body.
What are Billabongs?
Billabong is an Australian word for a pool of water next to a stream
Billabongs provide homes for lots of trees whose roots love water (these are called mangrove trees) and lots of Australian animals such as Alligators and Crocodiles.
What are Puddles?
Puddles – happen when it rains you probably see them in the playground all the time
Water gathers together to make shallow puddles of water which are great fun to jump around in so get some wellies on and get splashing. Always remember to go with an adult because puddles could be deeper than you thought.
Puddles can get bigger with more rain or disappear with a bit of sunshine
What is a Waterfall?
Waterfalls – happen when flowing water hits a drop created by rocks and stones The rocks are shaped this way because water has flown over it for years creating its own drop. Waterfalls come in many shapes and sizes
The three highest waterfalls in the world are
Angel Falls – Venezuela South America- 979 metres tall
Tugela Falls – South Africa- 947 metres tall
Ramnefjellsfossen – Norway- 808 metres tall
See the Water Cycle section to see how each one of these works together to keep the water flowing.
