Sources of Running Water

Q: What is Running Water?

See the detailed explanation in this article about sources of running water.

Sources of Running Water: Running water (or stream water) comes from three main sources: springs that flow from underground aquifers, lakes that overflow into rivers, and melted ice from glaciers in cold mountain regions. Examples include River Benue (spring-fed), River Nile (Lake Victoria), and River Niger (multiple sources).

Quick Summary

Running water flows continuously in channels like rivers and streams
Main sources: springs, lakes, and melted glaciers
Running water erodes, transports, and deposits materials
Nigeria’s major rivers come mainly from springs and lake sources
Understanding sources helps explain river behavior and flooding patterns

What is Running Water?

Running water is water that flows continuously over the earth’s surface in defined channels. Unlike still water in ponds or lakes, running water moves from higher to lower ground because of gravity. Rivers, streams, brooks, and creeks are all examples of running water.

In Nigeria, we have many important rivers. River Niger flows 4,180 km and is Africa’s third-longest river. River Benue is another major river in our country. These rivers provide water for farming, fishing, transportation, and electricity generation at dams like Kainji and Jebba.

Three Main Sources of Running Water

1. Springs

Springs form when underground water (called groundwater) flows naturally to the surface. This happens when the water table meets the ground surface, or when water is forced up through cracks in rocks.

Think of springs like this: imagine water stored in a container underground. When the container overflows or has a hole, water comes out. That’s how springs work.

Examples of spring-fed rivers:

River Thames in England starts from spring sources in Gloucestershire
River Benue in Nigeria has spring sources in the Adamawa Highlands of Cameroon
Many small streams in Jos Plateau area come from springs

Springs are important because they provide steady water flow even during dry season. In many Nigerian villages, natural springs serve as water sources for drinking and farming.

2. Lakes

Lakes are large bodies of still water. When a lake becomes full, excess water flows out through an outlet. This outlet becomes a river. The lake acts as a storage tank that feeds the river.

Examples of lake-fed rivers:

River Nile flows from Lake Victoria in East Africa
River Benue also receives water from Lake Chad basin
River Niger connects to several smaller lakes in Mali

Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake (68,800 km²). It feeds River Nile, which flows 6,650 km to the Mediterranean Sea. This shows how lakes can support very long rivers.

3. Melted Glacier Water

Glaciers are huge masses of ice found in very cold regions and on high mountains. When temperature rises, the ice melts and forms rivers. These rivers are called glacial rivers.

Examples of glacier-fed rivers:

River Rhone in France starts from Rhone Glacier in Switzerland
River Rhine in Europe begins from Alpine glaciers
Rivers from Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (though glaciers are shrinking)

Nigeria has no glaciers because our country is in the tropical zone where it’s too warm for ice to form. However, understanding glacier sources helps us learn about rivers in other parts of the world.

How Running Water Works

Once water starts flowing from any of these three sources, it gains energy from gravity. This energy lets running water perform three important functions:

Erosion

Running water wears away rocks and soil from the channel bed and banks. Fast-flowing water erodes more than slow water. During heavy rains in Nigeria, you can see rivers become brown with eroded soil.

Transportation

Water carries eroded materials downstream. Heavy materials like stones roll along the bottom. Light materials like clay float in the water. This is why river water looks muddy during floods.

Deposition

When water slows down, it drops the materials it’s carrying. Heavy materials settle first, light ones later. This creates features like river deltas. The Niger Delta formed from materials deposited by River Niger over millions of years.

Comparison of Running Water Sources

Source Type	How It Forms	Flow Pattern	Example
Springs	Groundwater reaches surface	Steady flow year-round	River Thames, River Benue
Lakes	Lake overflow through outlet	Depends on lake water level	River Nile from Lake Victoria
Glaciers	Ice melts in warm seasons	More flow in summer, less in winter	River Rhone, River Rhine

Factors Affecting River Flow

The amount of water in a river depends on several factors:

Rainfall: More rain means more water flowing into rivers. Nigeria’s wet season (April-October) brings higher river levels
Temperature: Hot weather increases evaporation, reducing river water. Cold weather preserves water
Vegetation: Trees reduce water flow by absorbing water through roots. Deforestation can increase river flow
Human activities: Dams control water flow. Kainji Dam on River Niger stores water and releases it when needed

River Regimes in Nigeria

River regime means the pattern of river flow throughout the year. Nigerian rivers follow these patterns:

Simple regime: One high water period, one low water period per year. Most Nigerian rivers follow this pattern because we have one wet season and one dry season.

Complex regime: Multiple high and low periods. River Niger has complex regime because it flows through different climate zones.

Common Exam Mistakes

WAEC examiners report these common errors:

Listing without explanation: Students write “springs, lakes, glaciers” without explaining how each source feeds rivers. Always explain the process
Confusing sources with tributaries: A tributary is a smaller river joining a main river, not a source. Don’t mix these concepts
Ignoring Nigerian examples: Using only foreign examples. Include local examples like River Niger and River Benue
Wrong definitions: Saying “running water comes from rain” directly. Rain contributes to groundwater and lakes first, then becomes running water
Mixing up erosion, transport, and deposition: These are three separate functions. Erosion removes material, transport moves it, deposition drops it

Practice Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of these is NOT a source of running water?
a) Springs
b) Ocean
c) Lakes
d) Melted glaciers
✓ Answer: b) Ocean (oceans receive rivers, they don’t feed them)

2. River Nile originates from:
a) Springs in Egypt
b) Lake Victoria
c) Mediterranean Sea
d) Glaciers in Ethiopia
✓ Answer: b) Lake Victoria

3. The three functions of running water are:
a) Erosion, evaporation, condensation
b) Transportation, filtration, storage
c) Erosion, transportation, deposition
d) Collection, distribution, absorption
✓ Answer: c) Erosion, transportation, deposition

4. Which river source provides the steadiest flow throughout the year?
a) Glacier melt
b) Lake overflow
c) Spring water
d) Rainwater runoff
✓ Answer: c) Spring water (groundwater provides constant supply)

Essay Questions

1. Explain THREE sources of running water with one example each. (9 marks)

Examiner’s tip: Use the word “explain” correctly. Don’t just list. Describe HOW each source produces running water. Give specific river examples.

Sample answer structure:

Springs: Explain groundwater emergence process (3 marks) + Example: River Thames or River Benue
Lakes: Explain overflow mechanism (3 marks) + Example: River Nile from Lake Victoria
Glaciers: Explain ice melting process (3 marks) + Example: River Rhone

2. Describe the three functions performed by running water. (6 marks)

Examiner’s tip: Describe means give details. Explain what happens during each function and give examples from Nigerian rivers.

3. State FOUR factors that affect the amount of water in a river. (4 marks)

Examiner’s tip: “State” means list briefly. No long explanations needed. Just name the factors clearly.

Memory Aids

Remember the three sources with “SLaG”:

Springs (underground water)
Lakes (overflow water)
Glaciers (melted ice)

Remember the three functions with “ETD”:

Erosion (wearing away)
Transportation (carrying materials)
Deposition (dropping materials)

Think of a river like a delivery truck: It picks up goods (erosion), drives them to another location (transportation), and drops them off (deposition).