ABSTRACT
Lakes are distinguished from watercourses, meaning rivers and streams by the fact that they are not flowing. The existence of some current is not ordinarily enough to classify a body as a watercourse instead of a lake.‡ Lakes may be very shallow, such that marsh grass is seen on top.§ A lake is generally defined as “a large body of water surrounded by land.”¶ Small mountain lakes are often called tarns. Lakes can be either freshwater or saline. The largest lakes in the United States are the Great Lakes, Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.** The largest saline lake is the Great Salt Lake.††
Like a lake, ponds are distinguished from watercourses by the fact that they are not flowing. Ponds are generally distinguished from lakes by their size and can be defined as a “fairly small body of still water formed naturally or by hollowing or embanking.”‡‡
A pool is a “small body of still water.”§§ It is generally considered smaller than a pond and may be suitable for such activities as swimming or watering cattle.
