Surface fresh water can be described according to two distinct categories: lentic (standing water) and lotic (running water). Lentic environments include surface waters, such as lakes, ponds and wetlands. Lotic environments comprise rivers and streams. Freshwater environments also occur as continuously moving groundwater which has percolated through the upper layer of soil to underground storage areas (aquifers). Groundwater can naturally flow above ground as a spring.

This Topic deals with surface and underground aquatic freshwater environments. Wetlands are discussed in T8.3.

This Document Includes:

Surface Water

Ecology of Surface Water
Water Coverage

Lakes

Origin of Lakes
Human-made Lakes
Classification of Lakes
Succession and Zonation

Rivers

Origins of Streams
Classification of Rivers
Floodplains
Estuaries

Surface-Water Quality

Bedrock composition - Conductivity
Bedrock Composition- Productivity
Watershed size
Precipitation
Topography
Vegetation
Salinity
Acidity

Groundwater
Aquifers

Water Table

Groundwater Quality

Saltwater Intrusion

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Additional Keywords:
autotrophic organisms, phytoplankton, periphyton, heterotrophic organisms, Carboniferous lowlands, Triassic lowlands, Bay of Fundy, Glacial Lakes, Oxbow Lakes, Levee Lakes, Solution Lakes, Barrier Lakes, Barachois Lakes, Beaver Ponds, Dammed reservoirs, Excavated lakes, Oligotrophic, Mesotrophic, Eutrophic, dystrophic, clearwater, brownwater, eutrophication, littoral, hydrosere, limnetic, profundal, epilimnion, hypolimnion, metalimnion, thermal stratification, thermocline, intervale species, Musquodoboit River, designated floodway, ferromanganese, manganese nodules, Pseudomonas, acidification, arsenopyrite, pyrites, Meromictic lakes, pH, artesian, perched water table, brine springs, karst topography

Associated Topics:

T2.1-T2.7 Geology
T3.2 Ancient Drainage Patterns
T3.4 Terrestrial Glacial Deposits and Landscape Features
T5.2 Nova ScotiaÕs Climate
T6.4 Estuaries
T8.1 Freshwater Hydrology
T9.1 Soil-forming Factors
T10.5 Seed-bearing Plants
T11.5 Freshwater Wetland Birds and Waterfowl
T11.11 Small Mammals
T11.13 Freshwater Fishes
T11.15 Amphibians and Reptiles
T11.16 Land and Fresh Water Invertebrates
T12.8 Freshwater and Resources
T12.11 Animals and Resources

Associated Habitats:

H2.5 Tidal Marsh
H3 Freshwater
H4 Freshwater Wetlands
H6.1 Hardwood Forest