surface waters
Rivers and lakes
Surface waters are bodies of water found on the Earth's surface—rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands.
The term distinguishes these from groundwater, which flows beneath the surface through soil and rock.
Environmental regulations often address surface waters specifically: The EPA monitors surface water quality in the watershed.
In legal and scientific contexts, the plural form is standard even when discussing a single body of water.
- lakeEnclosed body of freshwater
- pondSmall still body
- riverLarge flowing watercourse
- streamSteady continuous flow
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
irrigation · phytoplankton · algae bloom · aquatic habitats · fish habitat · pollution · watershed · eutrophication · limnology · spawning ground · brook · wetlands · marine ecosystems · canal · waterway · habitat · oxbow lake · turbidity
surface watersgroundwater
Water in underground rock
well water · artesian water · spring water · confined aquifer · water table
surface, surfaces, surfaced, surfacing, resurface, resurfaced, resurfacing, water, waters