Where do rivers get their water?

Where do rivers get their water?

• A. From the sky (precipitation)
• B. From the ground (groundwater)
• C. From things that melt
• D. From plants

Answer: (A)

Rivers gain most of their water from precipitation—the rain and snow that fall from the sky. Water from rainfall runs off the land into streams, and some soaks in to become groundwater that later feeds rivers through baseflow. Groundwater can contribute, but its ultimate source is precipitation. Plants don’t directly supply water to rivers, though they interact with the water cycle by returning water to the atmosphere. So the primary source is precipitation from above.

Rivers gain most of their water from precipitation—the rain and snow that fall from the sky. Water from rainfall runs off the land into streams, and some soaks in to become groundwater that later feeds rivers through baseflow. Groundwater can contribute, but its ultimate source is precipitation. Plants don’t directly supply water to rivers, though they interact with the water cycle by returning water to the atmosphere. So the primary source is precipitation from above.