1. Let’s begin with precipitation. Rain falls from the sky onto the ground. This water seeps through the soil and rock layers until it reaches
2. An aquifer. Once the ground water reaches an aquifer, it remains there until water pressure forces it through small openings to the earth’s surface.
3. The point where this water escapes is a spring. The runoff leaves the spring and travels down slope.
4. Eventually, this runoff meets up with other runoff from springs and precipitation. The volume of water present creates a creek.
5. Creeks flow into larger waterways, known as streams.
6. Streams meet up to form even larger units, known as rivers.
7. Rivers flow to the ocean.
8. Once water reaches the ocean, water evaporates back into the atmosphere, and the cycle repeats itself.

Note: Of course, all along this cycle, water can and does evaporate, and thus has the ability to skip a number of steps.