headwaters

American  

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

plural noun

1. Sometimes headwater the upper tributaries of a river.

---

headwaters British  

/ ˈhɛdˌwɔːtəz /

plural noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of headwaters

1525–35; head + waters, plural of water

Example Sentences

Beaver officer Lauren Jasper said the sites were chosen because they offered strong habitat at the headwaters, good damming potential and an existing local flood risk.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

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 • Oct. 18, 2025

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 • Nov. 25, 2024

"The issue is slowly propagating from small headwaters into bigger rivers over time," he said.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

By the time the expedition reached the headwaters of the River of Doubt, Roosevelt knew who had the best chance of surviving the journey.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple