Glacier – a large collection of ice or a frozen river that moves slowly down a mountain.Gill – (UK) a narrow stream or rivulet brook narrow mountain stream.Fjord ( fiord) – a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes.Firth – (Scottish) various coastal waters, such as large sea bays, estuaries, inlets, and straits.
Canal – an artificial waterway, usually connected to (and sometimes connecting) existing lakes, rivers, or oceans.Burn – (Scottish) a small stream a brook.Bourn – a brook stream small, seasonal stream.Billabong – an oxbow lake in Australia a pond or still body of water created when a river changes course and some water becomes trapped.Bight – a large and often only slightly receding bay, or a bend in any geographical feature.Bayou – (southern US) a slow-moving stream or a marshy lake.Bay – an area of water bordered by land on three sides, similar to, but smaller than a gulf.Barachois – (Canada) a lagoon separated from the ocean by a sand bar.Artificial lake or artificial pond – see Reservoir (impoundment).Arroyo – (southwest US) (seasonal) a usually-dry bed of a steep-sided stream, gully, or narrow channel that temporarily fills with water after heavy rain.Arm of the sea – also sea arm, used to describe a sea loch.Note that there are some geographical features involving water that are not bodies of water, for example waterfalls, geysers and rapids. Weirs are frequently used to change the height of a riverlevel, prevent floodings, and measure water discharge. Some bodies of water collect and move water, such as rivers and streams, and others primarily hold water, such as lakes and oceans.īodies of water are affected by gravity, which is what creates the tidal effects on Earth. Similarly, most harbors are naturally occurring bays, but some harbors have been created through construction.īodies of water that are navigable are known as waterways. For example, most reservoirs are created by engineering dams, but some natural lakes are used as reservoirs.
Most are naturally occurring geographical features, but some are artificial. A body of water does not have to be still or contained rivers, streams, canals, and other geographical features where water moves from one place to another are also considered bodies of water. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as ponds, wetlands, or more rarely, puddles. A body of water or waterbody (often spelled water body) is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet.