Surface Water

Surface water is the water located on the Earth’s surface, including lakes, rivers, oceans, and streams. It is an essential component of the Earth’s hydrologic cycle, providing essential ecosystem services such as water for drinking, irrigation, and support of aquatic life. Surface water also plays a role in climate regulation, acting as a sink for atmospheric carbon, and providing buffering to extreme weather events. As a result, surface water is an important asset for societies, both economically and environmentally. It is harnessed in multitude of ways, including providing drinking and irrigation water to communities, powering turbines in hydropower dams, and fueling recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and boating.