By: Rice and Makayla

WHERE IS FRESHWATER Freshwater is everywhere. Freshwater is in bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams.

EROSION Erosion takes place in all places but mainly where there is soil and rock. When rocks and soil are removed and transferred to another surface.

THE WATER CYCLE The water cycle takes a big part in the way freshwater moves, it continuously moves water from other water sources to other water sources. There are many steps in the water cycle. The three most known steps in the water cycle are precipitation, condensation, and evaporation.

RIVER SYSTEMS There are smaller streams and rivers that flow into larger oceans, lakes, or ponds, also known as tributaries. The network of streams and rivers is called a river system and it drains an area of its runoff. The river system is then divided into drainage basins, which is land drained by a river system. The drainage basins are then separated from each other by a divide, which is an area of higher ground than the basin separated by it.

STREAM EROSION When a stream forms it follows a path known as a channel. The channel is created from eroded soil and rock from the stream that has formed. Loads then collect the materials carried in a stream’s water, which are large rocks and pebbles.

STREAM and RIVER DEPOSITS Deposition occurs when any material is dropped or settles. The rock and soil that is deposited is called alluvium. Another deposit is a delta which is a fan-shaped deposit. These are formed when the river’s load is deposited and it reaches the large body of water.

DEPOSITION ON LAND When a fast-moving mountain stream flows onto a flat plain, the stream slows down and deposits alluvium where the mountain meets the plain. This action forms alluvial fans, which are fan shaped deposits that form on dry land. When it is high rainfall or rapid snowmelt occurs it increases the speed of the water flowing, which causes the stream to overflow its banks forming a flood plain.

AQUIFERS A rock layer that stores water is an aquifer. To qualify as am aquifer a rock layer must be porous or contain open spaces. A rock’s porosity is the amount of open space it has.

Summary Freshwater is everywhere. Erosion and deposition both use freshwater in there process. The river system and the water cycle both move freshwater in a cycle in order to keep it flowing. Land deposition causes the need for flood plains because it deteriorates the rock. Stream erosion uses channels which uses loads to collect the large materials, such as rocks.

VOCABULARY Erosion- removal and transport of surface material Water cycle- movement of water to other water sources Tributaries- smaller streams or rivers that flow into larger ones Drainage basin- land drained by a river system Divide-an area of higher ground than the basins it separates Channel- path that streams follows Load-materials carried in a streams water Deposition-material which is dropped or settled Alluvium-rock and soil deposited by streams Flood Plain-a stream overflowing banks Aquifer-rock layer that stores water Porosity-amount of open space a rock has