Lakes are temporary storage places for water moving in the water cycle

Lakes are an important component of the natural water cycle

A lake really is just another component of Earth's surface water. A lake is where surface-water runoff and groundwater seepage have accumulated in a low spot, relative to the surrounding countryside.  A lake really is just another component of Earth's surface water. A lake is where surface-water runoff (and maybe some groundwater seepage) have accumulated in a low spot, relative to the surrounding countryside. It's not that the water that forms lakes get trapped, but that the water entering a lake comes in faster than it can escape, either via outflow in a river, seepage into the ground, or by evaporation. And if humans live nearby, then water levels can be affected by water withdrawals for human needs.

Learn more about aquifers and the water table:

• Lakes and reservoirs
• Lakes and the water cycle

Pictures and diagrams about lakes and reservoirs:

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