. ▁A ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁man - made ▁bodies ▁of ▁water ▁are ▁class ified ▁as ▁p onds , ▁including ▁water ▁gard ens ▁designed ▁for ▁a est h etic ▁orn ament ation , ▁fish ▁p onds ▁designed ▁for ▁commercial ▁fish ▁bre eding , ▁and ▁solar ▁p onds ▁designed ▁to ▁store ▁thermal ▁energy . ▁P onds ▁and ▁la kes ▁are ▁distinguished ▁from ▁streams ▁via ▁current ▁speed . ▁While ▁curr ents ▁in ▁streams ▁are ▁easily ▁observed , ▁p onds ▁and ▁la kes ▁possess ▁therm ally ▁driven ▁micro - curr ents ▁and ▁moder ate ▁wind ▁driven ▁curr ents . ▁These ▁features ▁distinguish ▁a ▁p ond ▁from ▁many ▁other ▁aqu atic ▁terrain ▁features , ▁such ▁as ▁stream ▁po ols ▁and ▁t ide ▁po ols . ▁ ▁R ivers ▁ ▁A ▁river ▁is ▁a ▁natural ▁water course , ▁usually ▁fresh water , ▁flow ing ▁towards ▁an ▁ocean , ▁a ▁lake , ▁a ▁sea ▁or ▁another ▁river . ▁In ▁a ▁few ▁cases , ▁a ▁river ▁simply ▁flows ▁into ▁the ▁ground ▁or ▁d ries ▁up ▁completely ▁before ▁reaching ▁another ▁body ▁of ▁water . ▁Small ▁rivers ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁called ▁by ▁several ▁other ▁names , ▁including ▁stream , ▁cre ek , ▁bro ok , ▁riv u let , ▁and ▁r ill ; ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁general ▁rule ▁that ▁defines ▁what ▁can ▁be ▁called ▁a ▁river . ▁Many ▁names ▁for ▁small ▁rivers ▁are ▁specific ▁to ▁ge ographic ▁location ; ▁one ▁example ▁is ▁Burn ▁in ▁Scotland ▁and ▁North - east ▁England . ▁Sometimes ▁a ▁river ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁larger ▁than ▁a ▁cre ek