Why doesn’t the water soak into the ground underneath the river or creek?
A. Some river water does soak into the ground but the amount depends on what type of river or creek bed it is. For example, more water will soak into the ground when the bed is sand, less when the bed is clay or rock. Often in summer, when you find a dry river, if you dig down into the bed you will find water. It is important that water soaks into the ground underneath the river to re-charge the ground water. Sometimes the ground water from below the river can come to the surface and contribute to the water flowing in the stream. This is known as a spring.
