Watercourse

Generic name of a mountain stream, or located in a hilly area, fast-flowing, or violent to very violent, functioning irregularly depending on rainfall (especially during thunderstorms).

It is a semi-aquatic plant whose leaves and flowers are emerged at least partly. The helophytic plant grows on the banks or the bottom of aquatic environments, when the water depth is sufficiently low and when the bottom and weak current allow the fixation of the roots. For example, the common reed is a helophytic species

It is an aquatic plant whose leaves and flowers are submerged. The hydrophytic plant grows attached to the bottom of aquatic environments or floating freely in areas of low current. For example, watercress, water lilies or duckweeds are hydrophytic plants.

A stream resulting from the confluence of two streams.

A tributary is a stream that flows into a larger river in a place called confluence.

Submerged turbine that uses the energy of marine currents, and sometimes fluvial, to produce electricity.

Elongated and more or less flared depression dug by a stream or a glacier.

Law transposing the 2000 Water Framework Directive (WFD), which harmonises European regulations on water management and introduces the obligation to protect and restore the quality of water and aquatic environments in the European Union. Environmental objectives must be set for all aquatic environments (rivers, lakes, coastal waters - coastal and transitional waters - and groundwater) by 2015: achievement of good water status, no deterioration of resources and reduction or elimination of discharges of hazardous substances. The novelty of the concept of "good status" now relies on the proper functioning of aquatic environments taking into account all components of the environment: water, wildlife, flora and habitats.