Water Glossary

Agriculture- farming, producing crops, raising animals.

Aqueduct- a canal or pipe that carries water.

Aquifer- rocks sand or gravel that holds water in the spaces between the particles.

Atmosphere- the masses of air surrounding the Earth.

Condensation- water vapor turning from a gas into a liquid.

Dam- a structure built to hold back water, usually on a river

Elevation- height above sea level.

Groundwater- water found under the surface of the ground in spaces between the dirt particles or cracks in rocks.

Hydrologic Cycle- the cycle of water moving from clouds to rain or snow into bodies of water and the ground, used by plants and animals, and evaporation into clouds again.

Hydropower- the making of electricity by water falling through the dam, turning turbines which generates power in the form of electricity.

Overdraft- pumping more water out of an aquifer then it is replaced by recharge (water soaking into the ground).

Precipitation- rain, snow, hail

Recharge- water soaking into the ground to be stored in the spaces in the aquifer in the form of groundwater.

Reservoir- a lake formed behind a dam where water is stored.

Resource- an available material that can be used, like water.

Saturated- when all the spaces in the aquifer are filled with groundwater.

Subsidence- when the ground level sinks because the spaces between the dirt particles in an aquifer collapse.

Watershed- a region of land where water runs off the land and drains into a series of streams and eventually, a river.