Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 1 of 13

Freshwater Lakes and Rivers

INTRODUCTION

Rivers and streams are the routes through which fresh water travels to the oceans. Rivers can

carry large amounts of water. Earth's largest rivers include the Nile in Africa, the Amazon in

South America, and the Mississippi in North America. Thousands of smaller streams, creeks,

and brooks carry water into these larger rivers. The fresh water comes from a number of

sources, including melting snow, rain, and glacial meltwater.

Fresh water has a low salt concentration—usually less than 1%. Plants and animals in

freshwater regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in

areas of high salt concentration, like the ocean.

Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 2 of 13

Courtesy of Jacques Descloitres, NASA/MODIS Land

Courtesy of NASA
Science Team

This photo taken by space-shuttle

The Great Lakes are the largest natural freshwater
astronauts includes the Mississippi
lakes in North America. They were formed by
River as it meanders near St. Louis,
continental glaciers.
Missouri.

Lakes can range in size from small ponds to huge bodies of water such the Great Lakes in the

United States. Lakes develop in depressions or basins on Earth's surface. They are filled by

water flowing in from streams, from groundwater beneath Earth's surface, and by precipitation

and melting snow and ice. Lake water stays fresh as long as water flows in and out of the

basin, usually through streams.

If there is no outlet, as in the Great Salt Lake in Utah, the water leaves through evaporation.

Minerals that are dissolved in the water remain in the lake, and their concentration increases.

The lake becomes saline or alkaline.

Freshwater rivers and lakes account for approximately 0.009% of Earth's total water and cover

a little over 0.3% of the land surface. Lakes and rivers are closely tied. Some lakes are the

source for rivers, and some rivers end in lakes. Since both rivers and lakes have fresh water
Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 3 of 13

and flow in and out of each other, they share similar characteristics and many plant and
animal species.

ABIOTIC DATA

Rivers and Streams

A river is a natural stream of water that flows in one direction in a channel with defined banks.

A river or stream forms whenever water moves downhill from one place to another. Some

rivers begin high up in the mountains, fed by melting snow or ice. Others collect water from

rain and melting snow and ice and from other streams. Others may have their source in

springs flowing out of the ground.

All rivers flow down a slope. The steeper the slope, the faster the water flows. As the water
reaches flatter areas, it slows down. Water in the Mississippi River moves so slowly that it may

appear still. But it is still flowing downhill to the Gulf of Mexico.

Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 4 of 13

Courtesy of Upper Midwest Environmental

Courtesy of Sue Jagoda Sciences Center,
U.S. Geological Survey

The Mississippi River flows over rolling

terrain composed of soft rock and soil
The Colorado River flows swiftly over
near New Madrid, Missouri. Notice the
hard rock in the Grand Canyon.
oxbow lakes formed from the
meandering of the river in the past.

Rivers flow in channels over different types of ground, or substrate. Water can move into the

river channel from the ground on either side of it. The area underground where the water flows

is the hyporheic zone (hy-po-REE-ik). Depending on how gravelly or rocky the substrate is, a

river's hyporheic zone can extend far away from the open river channel. The area next to a

river channel that is covered with water during a flood is called the floodplain. Some rivers

meander through wide valleys with large floodplains. Others may flow swiftly through narrow

canyons, with little or no floodplain.

Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 5 of 13

Many abiotic factors affect rivers and streams. The temperature of the water depends on
where the river is located. Rivers that have their source high in the mountains are fed by

melting snow and glaciers. This water is very cold. When it flows through warmer climates, the

water is usually warm. But even in a warm place, it is cold if its source is underground.

If the river is shallow and flows over a rough substrate like solid rock, the flow will be rough

and turbulent. A turbulent river constantly adds oxygen to its water. Deep water flowing slowly

over a smooth bottom, such as mud or clay, forms pools. Where deep water flows rapidly over

a flat bottom, smooth runs of water are common. Ponds and smooth runs have less oxygen in
the water than turbulent areas.

Lakes and Ponds

Ponds are small bodies of fresh water shallow enough to support rooted plants. Water

temperature is fairly uniform from top to bottom. It changes with air temperature. There is little

wave action, because the water is shallow. The bottom of a pond is usually covered with mud.
The amount of dissolved oxygen in a pond may vary greatly during a single day. In very cold

locations, an entire pond may freeze solid.

Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 6 of 13

Courtesy of Karen Holland, U.S. Environmental Courtesy of Julie Donnelly-Nolan, U.S. Geological
Protection Agency Survey

Medicine Lake formed in the caldera of

The shore is rocky at Chequamegon Medicine Lake Volcano. This view is toward
Bay in Lake Superior. the west-southwest. Mt. Shasta is on the
horizon.

Lakes are bigger than ponds and are too deep to support rooted plants except near the shore.

Some lakes are deep enough and wide enough for waves to form. Water temperature during

summer months is not uniform from to to bottom. Three distinct layers develop.

• The top layer stays warm at around 18.8–24.5°C (65–75°F). This layer is the epilimnion.

• The temperature of the middle layer drops dramatically, usually to 7.4–18.8°C (45–

65°F). This layer is the metalimnion.

• The bottom layer is the coldest at around 4.0–7.4°C (39–45°F). This layer is called the

hypolimnion.
Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 7 of 13

Light does not penetrate to the bottom of the lake, so photosynthesis is limited to the
epilimnion. Almost all organisms spend the summer months in the epilimnion with its warmer

waters and more abundant food supply.

During the fall, overturning occurs. The epilimnion cools with the cooling air and becomes

more dense than the water below. It sinks and mixes with the hypolimnion. Wind helps mix the

water. The lake circulates, or overturns, completely. The lake overturns again in the spring,

when the surface ice melts and the resulting cold water sinks.

Most lakes are large enough to not freeze solid in winter months. A layer of ice can develop on

the top of lakes during winter. The ice blocks out sunlight and can prevent photosynthesis.

Without photosynthesis, oxygen levels drop, and some plants and animals may die. This is

called winterkill.

BIOTIC DATA

Because rivers and lakes are often interconnected and water flows between them, many

aquatic creatures move between them in search of food. Some creatures prefer to be in either

a river or a lake, but many spend some of their lives in both environments.

During the winter months some animals hibernate in the quiet bottom mud of rivers and

streams. Some fish continue to feed, but less actively.

Rivers and Streams

The characteristics of a river or stream change during the journey from its source to its mouth.

The temperature is usually cooler at the source than it is at the mouth. The water is also
Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 8 of 13

clearer and has higher oxygen levels. Freshwater fish, such as trout, and heterotrophs can be
found nearer the source.

Courtesy of Don Breneman,U.S. Environemntal

Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Protection Agency

Salmon hatch in the clear, cold streams in

Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and New
England. They spend their adult lives in the
ocean and then return to the streams
The great blue heron is a common sight
where they were born to lay their own eggs.
near lakes and rivers and in wetlands.
Salmon are important commercial and
sport fish. In Alaska and Canada, salmon
are a very important part of the diet of
native people and bears.

As the water flows downstream, the rive's width increases and its flow slows down. Species

diversity increases with width. Numerous aquatic green plants and algae, which could not live

in the faster-moving water upstream, can be found. The nutrient content of the water is largely

determined by the land and vegetation surrounding the river. Erosion of the streambed can

add to the inorganic nutrients in the water.

As water reaches a river's mouth, it becomes murky from the sediments it has picked up. The

sediments decrease the amount of light that penetrates the water. With less light, there is less

diversity of flora. The river also has less oxygen. Fish that live near the mouth of a river, such

as catfish and carp, tolerate low levels of oxygen.

Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 9 of 13

Many life-forms live in a river's hyporheic zone. Mayflies and other insects and crustaceans
can move into the hyporheic zone to hide between rocks. They are protected from predators,

yet are in flowing water that brings them nutrients.

Lakes and Ponds

Ponds and lakes may have limited diversity of species when they are isolated from one

another and from rivers and oceans. Lakes and ponds are divided into three different zones,

which are usually determined by depth and distance from the shoreline.

Courtesy of National Park Service, Indiana Courtesy of National Park Service, Indiana
Dunes National Lakeshore, U.S. Environmental Dunes National Lakeshore, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Protection Agency

The common snapping turtle is often

found buried in mud in shallow water of
A variety of gulls can be found along
ponds and other wetlands. It is
lakeshores. This one lives on the shore
omnivorous. In the water it is usually
of Lake Michigan.
passive. On land, it may lunge and
snap.

The shallow-water, or littoral, zone is the topmost zone near the shore of a lake or pond. It

absorbs the Sun's heat and tends to be warmer than deeper zones. Usually a diverse

community of organisms lives in the littoral zone. These include several species of algae (like

diatoms), rooted and floating aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans,
fishes, and amphibians. For some insects, such as dragonflies and midges, only the egg and
Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 10 of 13

larval stages are found in this zone. The vegetation and animals living in the littoral zone are
food for other creatures such as turtles, snakes, and ducks.

The open-water, or limnetic, zone is near-surface open water surrounded by the littoral zone.

The limnetic zone is well-lighted like the littoral zone. Both phytoplankton (plants) and

zooplankton (animals) thrive in the limnetic zone. Plankton are small, floating organisms that

play a crucial role in the food chain. A variety of freshwater fish also occupy the limnetic zone.

Courtesy of Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Several kinds of trout live in rivers, lakes, or both. This is a

rainbow trout. It can reach a weight of 24 kilograms (52
pounds) and a length of 1.2 meters (3.75 feet). It thrives on a
diet of small fish and invertebrates.

Courtesy of D. Mason, University of Oregon

The mayfly is a common freshwater, aquatic insect. It is the

only insect to molt after its wings become functional.
Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 11 of 13

Plankton have short life spans. When they die, they sink into the deep water of a lake or pond.
This deep-water zone is the profundal zone. This zone is much colder and denser than the

other two. Little light penetrates all the way into the profundal zone. Heterotrophs are the

organisms that live here. They eat dead organisms and use oxygen for cellular respiration.

ISSUES

The issues that affect freshwater lakes and rivers are similar to those that affect other bodies

of fresh water. Habitats are altered by human development. Development along river and

lakeshores increases erosion and causes more sediments to wash into rivers and lakes. The

extra sediment lowers the amount of light that passes through the water.

Courtesy of Ohio Department of Natural

Courtesy of Karen Holland, U.S. Environmental
Resources, Fairport Fisheries Station, U.S.
Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency

Families enjoy a day at the lake at

A sport-boat marina on Lake Erie.
Warren Dunes, Indiana.

Many lakes and rivers are popular recreation sites. As more people use these areas, valuable

habitat for native plants and animals is lost.

Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 12 of 13

Courtesy of Romy Myszka, U.S. Department of Courtesy of National Park Service, Indiana
Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Dunes National Lakeshore, U.S. Environmental
Service, Environmental Protection Agency Protection Agency

Junked cars along the Illinois River are This pipe dumps pollution right into a
an eyesore and a potential source of river. This type of pollution is identified
pollution. as a point source.

Pollution is introduced by industry and other human activity. Toxic chemicals can poison

organisms and cause illness. Mining can damage groundwater sources next to rivers and

streams. Vegetation that supports lake and river habitats may disappear.

Lake and river levels can be changed. Humans may dredge out areas to make water deep

enough for ships. Dams are built on rivers to form reservoirs. Reservoirs may provide drinking

water for neighboring cities or hydroelectric power. Dams change the water levels above and

below the dam site as well as the volume of water flow. A dam may block the path of fish that

live in different parts of the river at different times during the year.
Ecoregion: Freshwater Lakes and Rivers Page 13 of 13

Courtesy of National Biological Service, U.S.

Courtesy of Sue Jagoda
Environmental Protection Agency

Polluted lake and river water can harm Dams, like Hoover Dam on the Colorado
fish. This bullhead catfish has River, change water levels both above and
developed a tumor in its mouth. below the dam site.

Changes in the food web can occur when exotic (nonnative) species are introduced to a river

or lake. These new species compete for food and space with the native species. Exotic

species often have no enemies in their new environment. They may thrive and take over.

Courtesy of Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic

Courtesy of Karen Holland, U.S. Environmental
Sciences,
Protection Agency
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

These zebra mussels are an exotic

Purple loosestrife growing along the
species introduced into the Great Lakes.
shore of Lake Huron can clog the flow of
They are a threat to the health of native
water in and out of the lake.
species.