OceansLakes Rivers Ponds Streams

 The Earth produces resources that meet our needs such as soil, wood, and minerals.  Water is another important resource found in Earth’s oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams. There is much more water on the Earth than there is land!

 Even though the ocean holds a lot of water, we cannot drink it because it is too salty!  When you go to the beach, you are probably swimming in salty ocean water.

AA lake is a large body of still water with land all around it. MMost lakes only last a few thousand years, and then disappear. Sediment slowly fills the lakes, causing them to become more shallow. LLakes can be created naturally or they can be man-made (also called reservoirs).

 A river is a natural course of water flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river.  The ‘mouth’ is the end of a river.  A waterfall is a sudden drop in a river as it flows over a rock cliff.

 A pond is a small body of fresh water shallow enough to support plants with roots.  In really cold places, the entire pond can freeze solid. Plants often grow along the pond edge.  Ponds are home to animals and insects such as bullfrogs, snapping turtles, dragonflies, mosquitoes, ducks and snakes.

 A stream is a small flow of water, much like a small river. They are usually fresh water.  Streams have an important job. They drain the landscape, and move water and minerals towards the Earth’s oceans.  As water drains it generally begins in small creeks, which flow into larger and larger streams, and eventually into powerful flowing rivers.