The source or beginning streams of a river system, typically found in mountainous or highland areas where small streams converge to form larger watercourses. These uppermost tributaries feed the main river system.
Compound word combining 'head' (meaning beginning or source) and 'water.' The term emerged in American English during the 18th century as explorers and surveyors mapped river systems and needed to distinguish source areas from downstream portions.
The Continental Divide determines whether headwaters flow to the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean - a raindrop falling on one side of a mountain ridge might end up in the Gulf of Mexico while one falling just feet away could reach the Pacific! Protecting headwater streams is crucial because pollution or disruption in these small sources affects the entire river system downstream.
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