Ground Water, Surface Water, Springs, Water Cycle

Ground Water, Surface Water, Springs, and the Water Cycle

Water collecting on the surface of the ground in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams is called surface water. Surface water is replenished through precipitation.

Ground water is located below the ground surface in aquifers. An aquifer is a layer of permeable material (e.g. sand, gravel or fractured bedrock) that is capable of providing usable quantities of water. Water may be withdrawn from aquifers by way of water wells which are drilled or dug into the water bearing formation. Ground water is replenished by seepage of surface water into the aquifer.

A spring is a point where groundwater flows out of the ground. A spring may be ephemeral (intermittent) or perennial (continuous). A spring is nature's way of providing fresh water which has been filtered naturally through the sand and other types of permeable material.