Fresh water

Water with low concentrations of dissolved salts, found in rivers, lakes, glaciers, groundwater, and other inland sources. It sustains terrestrial ecosystems and supplies most human drinking water.

Salinity: The concentration of dissolved salts in water or soil. Freshwater is distinguished from saline water by its comparatively low salt concentration.
Aquifer: A permeable body of rock or sediment that stores and transmits groundwater. Aquifers store freshwater and release it to wells and springs.
Drinking water: Water that is safe and suitable for human consumption. Freshwater is the main source of drinking water, though it often needs treatment.
Eutrophication: Excess nutrient enrichment that drives increased plant or algal growth in water. Nutrient runoff can degrade freshwater quality and reduce oxygen for aquatic life.
Hydrologic cycle: The continuous movement of water among the atmosphere, land, oceans, and living things. Evaporation and precipitation replenish freshwater stores and connect them across regions.
Infiltration (hydrology): The movement of water from the ground surface into soil or porous rock. Infiltration replenishes groundwater after rain or snowmelt.
Irrigation: The artificial application of water to land or crops. Agriculture uses freshwater to sustain crops where rainfall is insufficient.
Groundwater depletion: A sustained decline in groundwater storage caused when withdrawals exceed replenishment. Overpumping can exhaust freshwater reserves faster than aquifers refill.
Surface water: Water that collects on Earth's surface in rivers, lakes, wetlands, and reservoirs. It is the visible freshwater store in rivers and lakes.
Snowmelt: The runoff produced when accumulated snow melts. Seasonal snowmelt feeds streams and reservoirs in many freshwater regions.

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