What is reservoir?

A reservoir is like a giant water container that stores water for later use.

Imagine you have a big, empty bathtub. Every day, water flows in from the tap, this is like rain or rivers bringing water to the reservoir. When you're done playing, you let the water out through the drain, this is like people using water from the reservoir to drink, wash, or water plants. The bathtub holds the water until it's needed again.

Reservoirs are usually built by damming a river. A dam acts like a wall that stops the river and lets you fill up the reservoir behind it. When there’s a lot of rain, more water flows in, filling the reservoir up high, just like when you run the tap all the way. When people need water, gates in the dam open, letting water flow out slowly.

Sometimes, reservoirs can even be used to create power! If the water is let out quickly, it can turn a turbine and make electricity, kind of like how your toy car turns when you push it down a slide.