terms to learn watershed

Aquifer

underground layer of rock and sand that holds water from which we can pump

Floodplain

flat area alongside a stream or river that is subject to flooding

Watershed

are of land that drains into a specific body of water

erosion

the washing away of soil particles by water,wind, ice, or other geological events

surface water

water collecting on the ground such as any stream, river, lake, wetland, or ocean

groundwater

water that has soaked into the cracks and pores of the earth’s surface through the process of infiltration

Runoff

rain that hits the ground and travels across the surface to a pond, lake or river

wetland

transitional area between land and water, often marshy, lots of reeds, cattails, water grasses

divide

a ridge of land that separates one watershed from another

tributaries

smaller streams and rivers that flow into a main river. Goose Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River