SURFACE WATER

I. River Systems 1.Rivers begin in the mountains- where runoff from melting snow forms small streams which join other streams. 2. Tributaries- streams and smaller rivers that feed into a main river. 3. A river and all its tributaries together make up a river system.

4. Watersheds- land area that supplies water to a river system. (a.k.a. drainage basins). 5. Divide- One watershed is separated from another by a ridge of land. a. streams on each side of the divide flow in different directions. b. Continental Divide- longest divide in North America and follows the line of Rocky Mtns.

Streams and Rivers affecting Earth

Review 1. What is a tributary? 2. Give an example of a tributary. 3. What is the continental divide? 4. What do watersheds (drainage basins) do?

II. Ponds 1.Bodies of fresh water. 2.Contain still, or standing water. 3.Smaller than lakes 4.Sunlight reaches to the bottom of all parts of the pond.

A. How Ponds Form 1.Water collects in low-lying areas of land. 2.They are supplied by rainfall, melting snow and ice, runoff, rivers or groundwater. B. Exploring a pond 1. Muddy bottom with weeds. 2. Sunlight reaches the bottom so plants grow throughout pond. 3. habitat- place where organism lives and obtains all the things it needs to survive. 4. Have a wide variety of organisms (habitat). 5. Some only appear in the spring from runoff.

III. Lakes A.Characteristics of a Lake 1.Deeper and bigger than ponds 2.Sunlight does not reach the bottom in a deep lake. 3.No plants and relatively few organisms live in lake’s chilly, dark depths. 4.Bottom of lake consists of sand, pebble, or rocks.

B. How Lakes Form 1. natural lakes- Great Lakes formed in depressions created by ice sheets that melted at the end of the Ice Age. 2. Other natural lakes formed by movement of Earth’s crust (Lake Victoria), or as a result of volcanoes erupting and water filling the empty crater (Crater Lake). 3. People create lakes by building dams across a river. 4. reservoir- lake that stores water for human use.

Lakes, Rivers, and Underground Water

Compare/Contrast Draw a thinking map (concept map) comparing/contrasting ponds and lakes.

IV. Wetlands 1.wetland- land covered with water during part or all of the year. It can be big or small. 2.It may dry up during the summer due to evaporation. 3.They help control floods and provide habitats for many species. 4.Form where water is trapped in low areas or where groundwater seeps to the surface.

A. Types of Wetlands Three types of freshwater wetlands 1.marshes- grassy areas covered by shallow water or a stream. a.Have cattails and other tall, grasslike plants.

2. Swamps- flooded forest. a. located in warm, humid climates where trees grow quickly.

Georgia Okefenokee Swamp

3. Bogs a. form in cooler northern areas. b. form in depressions left by melting ice sheets thousands of yrs ago. C. water is acidic, and mosses thrive there.

Bogs- Cranberry Farm

Salt Water Wetlands 1.Wetlands along coasts usually contain both fresh and salt water. B. Coastal wetlands 1. salt marshes- Tall, strong grasses. 2. mangroves- found along southeastern coast of U.S. a. Trees are short and have thick, tangled roots. C. Everglades-have endangered species and are a fragile environment. D. Development has polluted and changed the flow of water in the everglades which has affected the water.

C. Importance of Wetlands 1. provide habitats for living things. 2. They have sheltered waters and have many residents for a short time. 3. help with pollution control and flood control. a. wetlands are a natural filter b. they trap silt and mud c. they absorb extra runoff from heavy rains. (giant sponge)

Write: 3 facts you learned about wetlands 2 facts you learned about ponds/lakes 1 fact you learned about continental divides 1 fact you know about tributaries or watersheds.