Habitat - Rivers and Streams are flowing fresh waters that begin as outlets of lakes, glaciers, or arise from natural springs. The headwaters, or sources of Rivers and Streams, are small, shallow, swift and cold, and carry highly nutrient waters downstream. Farther downstream the volume of water increases, it becomes deeper, the channel becomes wider, and the flow slower. In lowland areas the flow is slow. No two are exactly alike the habitats within Rivers and Streams is ever-changing.
Rivers and Streams team with life, especially insects and fishes, which provides food for many birds. Some birds, like the American Dipper, feed and sing from perches in the middle of clear, fast-moving streams while many others can be heard from their brushy nest sites along the banks.