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River Definition

A river is a freshwater body on Earth's surface. For example, much of the water that people use comes from rivers.

View Lesson on Water Quality & Distribution
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Water Quality & Distribution

LESSON MATERIALSmove

Fun Facts

  • Rivers are part of Earth's 3% freshwater.
  • Agricultural runoff can contaminate rivers with fertilizers and pollutants.
  • Rivers can end up with polluted runoff from cities after it rains.

Why Do We Need To Know About River

Learning about rivers helps you understand how nature works and why it’s important to keep water clean. Plants and animals need clean water to live, which shows how important rivers are for all kinds of life. Also, since people can pollute water even from far away, we need to take care of our rivers.

Jobs in waste management, protecting the environment, cleaning water, and environmental engineering help keep rivers clean. These jobs work on stopping pollution, making sure water is clean, and fixing damaged nature areas. They help by reducing harmful waste from factories, taking care of dirty water, and cleaning up beaches, which is really important for the health of rivers and our planet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Dr. Jeff mention the presence of dead zones when talking about water quality?
Dead zones are areas where algae blooms grow. These blooms grow because polluted runoff reaches the ocean. Poor water quality can cause these blooms to form.
How did the team describe the three stages of a water filter?
The first stage separates out large particles from getting into water. The second stage has fine pieces of carbon. This helps absorb impurities in the water. The last stage consists of a fine mesh that takes out extremely small particles from the water.
How is water distributed on earth in terms of freshwater and saltwater?
97% of all the water on Earth is saltwater while only 3% is freshwater. This means bodies of water like rivers and lakes are part of the 3% while oceans make up the 97%.
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