Lake Tahoe is one of the clearest and most beautiful lakes in the world. A lake is a large body of water surrounded by land.
The Great Salt Lake is the fourth largest saltwater lake in the world. The water is salty because minerals are carried into the water from the surrounding land and the three rivers that flow into the lake. Water constantly evaporates from the lake, leaving behind these minerals, or salts.
The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States and is commonly referred to as the “Big Muddy” due to its muddy waters. The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River.
The Minnesota River flows 335 miles from its headwaters at Big Stone Lake into the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States. From its headwaters in northern Minnesota, it runs 2,340 miles south, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Ohio River actually begins in western Pennsylvania and flows west to the Mississippi River. It’s the principal eastern tributary for the Mississippi.
There are five Great Lakes found in Canada and the United States. These lakes are where the largest amount of available freshwater on Earth is stored. Ahh! Yessiree! Did you know that the Great Lakes are visible from the moon?
Tributaries are small streams or rivers that flow into larger streams or rivers.
The Gulf of Mexico is found between the United States, Central America and South America. The states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas border the Gulf. Water from as far away as Canada drains into the Gulf.
The mouth of the Mississippi River is in the Gulf of Mexico. Remember, the mouth of a river is where it flows into another body of water, such as an ocean. Open wide!
