Body of water - Citizendia

Lulworth Cove in Dorset, England (Great Britain)

A fjord (Lysefjorden) in Norway

River Gambia flowing through Niokolokoba National Park

Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia

A tide pool in Santa Cruz California with sea anemones and sea stars

A body of water is any significant accumulation of water, usually covering the Earth or another planet. Lulworth Cove is a Cove near the village of West Lulworth, on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset, south England Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Lysefjord (or Lysefjorden, the suffix "-en" is a form of the definite article in the Norwegian language) is a Fjord located in Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Gambia River is a major River in Africa, running 1130 km (700 miles from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward to the Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney Australia Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Sea anemones are a group of water dwelling predatory animals of the order Actiniaria; they are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial Flower Starfish (also called sea stars) are any Echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 The term body of water most often refers to large accumulations of water, such as oceans, seas, and lakes, but it may also include smaller pools of water such as ponds, puddles or wetlands. An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the A pond is a body of water smaller than a Lake, both being examples of Terrain features Although the term pond is universally used to describe waterbodies that A puddle is a small accumulation of Liquid, usually Water, on a surface A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog Rivers, streams, canals, and other geographical features where water moves from one place to another are not always considered bodies of water, but are included here as geographical formations featuring water. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways

Some bodies of water can be man-made (artificial), such as reservoirs or harbors, but most are naturally occurring geographical features. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored Bodies of water that are navigable are known as waterways. A body of water such as a River, Canal or Lake, is navigable if it is deep wide and slow enough for a vessel to pass and there are no obstructions like A waterway is any navigable Body of water. These include Rivers Lakes Seas Oceans and Canals In order for a waterway Some bodies of water collect and move water, such as rivers and streams, and others primarily hold water, such as lakes and oceans.

The term body of water can also refer to a reservoir of water held by a plant, technically known as a phytotelma. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Phytotelma (plural phytotelmata) is a term for water bodies held by plants

Types of bodies of water

Arm of the sea - also sea arm, used to describe a sea loch. An arm of the sea (or Sea Arm) may refer to a Sea loch or Arms of the Sea, a 2006 album by Celtic musician Heather A loch (usually Lough as a name element outside Scotland) is a body of Water which is either a Lake or
Arroyo (creek) - a usually dry creek bed or gulch that temporarily fills with water after a heavy rain, or seasonally. An arroyo (literally brook in Spanish) also called a wash or draw, is a usually dry creek bed or Gulch that temporarily
Barachois - a lagoon separated from the ocean by a sand bar
Basin - a region of land where water from rain or snowmelt drains downhill into another body of water, such as a river, lake, or dam. A barachois is a term used in Atlantic Canada to describe a coastal Lagoon separated from the Ocean by a Sand bar. A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to In Hydrology, snowmelt is Surface runoff produced from melting Snow.
Bay - an area of water bordered by land on three sides. Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment
Bayou - a small, slow-moving stream or creek. A bayou (pronounced oʊ or uː is a small slow-moving Stream or creek or a lake or pool ( bayou lake) that lies in an abandoned channel of a stream
Beck - a small stream. A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks
Bight - a large and often only slightly receding bay, or a bend in any geographical feature. In Geography, bight has two meanings A bight can be simply a bend or curve in any geographical feature&mdashusually a bend or curve in the line between land
Brook - a small stream. A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks
Burn - a small stream. In Scotland, Northern England and some parts of Ireland, burn is a name for watercourses from large Streams to small Rivers The
Canal - a man-made waterway, usually connected to (and sometimes connecting) existing lakes, rivers, or oceans. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways
Channel - the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks. Physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a River, slough or ocean Strait consisting of a bed and banks See also stream bed and strait. A stream bed is the channel bottom of a Stream or River or creek the physical confine of the normal water flow
Cove - a coastal landform. A cove is a circular or Oval Coastal Inlet with a narrow entrance Earth scientists generally use the term to describe a circular or round inlet with a narrow entrance, though colloquially the term is sometimes used to describe any sheltered bay.
Creek - a small stream. A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks
Creek (tidal) - an inlet of the sea, narrower than a cove. A tidal creek is the portion of a Stream that is affected by ebb and flow of ocean Tides in the case that the subject stream discharges to an ocean sea or strait
Dam - a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or slows down the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. A dam is a barrier that divides waters. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water while other structures such as Floodgates, Levees The word "dam" can also refer to the reservoir rather than the structure.
Draw - a usually dry creek bed or gulch that temporarily fills with water after a heavy rain, or seasonally. An arroyo (literally brook in Spanish) also called a wash or draw, is a usually dry creek bed or Gulch that temporarily
Estuary - a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea
Firth - the Scots word used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open Firth is the Lowland Scots word used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland. It is usually a large sea bay, estuary, inlet, or strait.
Fjord (fiord) - a submergent landform which has occurred due to a relative rise in sea level. A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity.
Gulf - a part of a lake or ocean that extends so that it is surrounded by land on three sides, similar to, but larger than a bay. Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment
Harbor - a man-made or naturally occurring body of water where ships are stored or may shelter from the ocean's weather and currents. A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size
Inlet - a body of water, usually seawater, which has characteristics of one or more of the following: bay, cove, estuary, firth fjord, geo, sea loch, or sound. An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water often leading to an enclosed body of water such as a sound, bay, Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3
Kill - used in areas of Dutch influence in New York, New Jersey and other areas of the former New Netherland colony of Dutch America to describe a strait, river, or arm of the sea. As a Body of water, a kill is a creek. The word comes from the Middle Dutch kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States.
Lagoon - a body of comparatively shallow salt or brackish water separated from the deeper sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral reef, or similar feature. A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or Brackish water separated from the deeper Sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water
Lake - a body of water or other liquid, but usually freshwater, of considerable size contained on a body of land. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the
Loch - a body of water such as a lake, sea inlet, firth, fjord, estuary or bay. A loch (usually Lough as a name element outside Scotland) is a body of Water which is either a Lake or
Mangrove swamp - Saline costal habitat of mangrove trees and shrubs. Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics.
Marsh - a wetland featuring grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, and other herbaceous plants (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow water. In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject See also Salt marsh. A salt marsh is a type of Marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or Brackish water (e
Millpond - a reservoir built to provide flowing water to a watermill
Moat - a deep, broad trench, filled with water, surrounding a structure, installation, or town. A mill pond is any body of water associated with a water-powered mill. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use This article is about a type of structure For other locational uses see Milldam. A moat is deep broad Trench, usually filled with Water, that surrounds a structure installation or town normally to provide it with a preliminary line of
Ocean - a major body of saline water that, in totality, covers about 71% of the Earth's surface. An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere.
Phytotelma - a small, discrete body of water held by some plants. Phytotelma (plural phytotelmata) is a term for water bodies held by plants
Pool - a small body of water such as a swimming pool, reflecting pool, pond, or puddle. A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or This page is about reflecting pools in general for the pools in Washington D
Pond - typically a man-made body of water smaller than a lake. A pond is a body of water smaller than a Lake, both being examples of Terrain features Although the term pond is universally used to describe waterbodies that
Puddle - a small accumulation of liquid, usually water, uncontained on a surface, usually the ground. A puddle is a small accumulation of Liquid, usually Water, on a surface
Rapid- a fast moving part of a river

Reservoir - an artificial lake, used to store water for various uses. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use

River - a natural waterway usually formed by water derived from either precipitation or glacial meltwater, and flows from higher ground to lower ground. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there
Run - a small stream or part thereof, especially a smoothly flowing part of a stream.
Salt marsh - a type of marsh that is a transitional zone between land and an area, such as a slough, bay, or estuary, with salty or brackish water. A salt marsh is a type of Marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or Brackish water (e In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject
Sea - a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, or a large, usually saline, lake that lacks a natural outlet such as the Caspian Sea and the Dead Sea. This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between In common usage, often synonymous to ocean.
Sea loch - a sea inlet loch. A loch (usually Lough as a name element outside Scotland) is a body of Water which is either a Lake or
Sea lough - a fjord, estuary, bay or sea inlet. A lough is a body of Water and is either A Lake. A Sea lough which may be a Fjord, Estuary, Bay
Slough (wetland) - the word slough has several meanings related to wetland or aquatic features. The word slough (in British English ˈslaʊ to rhyme with "cow" in American and Canadian English pronounced /ˈsluː/ "slew" has
Source (river or stream) - the original point from which the river or stream flows. A river's source is sometimes a spring. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface
Sound - a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, wider than a fjord, or it may identify a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land. In Geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean Inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, wider than a Fjord
Spring - a point where groundwater flows out of the ground, and is thus where the aquifer surface meets the ground surface
Strait - a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water, and thus lies between two land masses. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay A strait is a narrow navigable Channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water
Stream - a body of water with a detectable current, confined within a bed and banks. A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks
Subglacial lake - a lake that is permanently covered by ice and whose water remains liquid by the pressure of the ice sheet and geothermal heating. A subglacial lake is a Lake under a Glacier, typically an Ice cap or Ice sheet. They often occur under glaciers or ice caps. Lake Vostok in Antarctica is an example. Lake Vostok (восток "east" is the largest of more than 140 subglacial Lakes found under the surface of Earth's southern-most
Swamp - a wetland that features permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water, generally with a substantial number of hummocks, or dry-land protrusions. A swamp is a Wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water
Tide pool - a rocky pool adjacent to an ocean and filled with seawater. Tide pools (also tidal pools, rock pools or rock and roll pools) are rocky pools by Oceans that are filled with Seawater.
Vernal pool - a shallow, natural depression in level ground, with no permanent above-ground outlet, that holds water seasonally. Vernal pools, also called ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water
Wash - a usually dry creek bed or gulch that temporarily fills with water after a heavy rain, or seasonally. An arroyo (literally brook in Spanish) also called a wash or draw, is a usually dry creek bed or Gulch that temporarily
Wetland - an environment "at the interface between truly terrestrial ecosystems and truly aquatic systems making them different from each yet highly dependent on both" (Mitsch & Gosselink, 1986). A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog