Synonyms of headwaters

headwaters

noun

plural of headwater

as in tributary

the beginning part of a stream

the first exploration of the Missouri River from its mouth to its headwaters was made by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800s

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tributary
• source
• headstream
• head
• spring
• fountain
• fountainhead
• wellspring
• hot spring
• geyser
• branch
• feeder
• headspring

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of headwaters

The proposal for developing a mine there, in a breathtakingly scenic area near the headwaters of the Bitterroot River, has attracted fierce opposition from environmental groups, outdoor enthusiasts, and local officials. — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026

Congress rolled back protections for the Boundary Waters, opening the door to mining in its headwaters. — Mary Beth Laughton, Time, 14 Oct. 2026

According to the post, Kentucky State Police Aviation saw smoke in the area, and wardens and search and rescue personnel were able to access the location, near the headwaters of Cave Run Lake, using a boat. — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026

Others, like salmon, return upstream via Metro-North or the Long Island Rail Road to the suburban headwaters in which they were born, in order to spawn. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026

Clear Creek County Commissioner George Marlin makes a compelling case that alone, his small county of about 9,000 residents could never fund the mitigation needed to protect the headwaters of Clear Creek. — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026

The agreement was made at a time when the region had a smaller population and benefited from wetter years, with much more snow to feed the river’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Following an exceedingly warm year that has left the Colorado River’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains largely snowless, Lake Mead is nearing a record-low level. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Its headwaters are in Indian River County, its mouth in the Atlantic near Jacksonville, which is the furthest place Sanders Fish House delivers its wild catch. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2026