headwaters

American  

[hed-waw-terz, -wot-erz] / ˈhɛdˌwɔ tərz, -ˌwɒt ərz /

plural noun

1. Sometimes headwater the upper tributaries of a river.

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headwaters British  

/ ˈhɛdˌwɔːtəz /

plural noun

1. the tributary streams of a river in the area in which it rises; headstreams

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Etymology

Origin of headwaters

1525–35; head + waters, plural of water

Example Sentences

Thomas River Watterson, a member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, looks out over South Lake, in the headwaters of Bishop Creek in the Sierra Nevada.

From Los Angeles Times

As bodies of water, rivers already have headwaters, mouths and arms.

From Los Angeles Times

It is often referred to as the headwaters of California because its lakes and aquifers help provide clean drinking water to the rest of the state.

From Los Angeles Times

It as often referred to as the headwaters of California because its lakes and aquifers help provide clean drinking water to the rest of the state.

From Los Angeles Times

The water that flows into the North Fork Reservoir, which serves Asheville and the towns of Black Mountain and Swannanoa, always ran clear and clean from its headwaters high in Pisgah National Forest.

From Salon