What is Runoff?

Runoff is when water flows over the ground after it rains or melts from snow.

Imagine you're playing with a bucket full of water in your backyard. You pour the water onto the grass, and instead of soaking into the soil right away, some of it trickles down the slope and runs toward the sidewalk, that’s runoff!

When it rains, especially hard rain, the ground can’t absorb all the water fast enough. Just like how you slide down a slippery slide when there's too much water on it, extra water flows over the surface, this is runoff. It might go into puddles, streams, or even rivers.

Sometimes, runoff brings fun things with it, like leaves and dirt, making little rivers in your neighborhood. But if there's too much runoff, it can cause flooding, just like when the water from your bucket spills over the edge!

So next time you see water running down a hill after a rainstorm, you'll know, that’s runoff having its way! 🌧️💦