Pond

A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. It may arise naturally in floodplains as part of a river system, or be a somewhat isolated depression. It may contain shallow water with aquatic plants and animals.Factors that affect the type of life found in a pond include depth and duration of water level, nutrients, shade, presence or absence of inlets and outlets, effects of grazing animals, and salinity.Ponds are frequently man-made, or expanded beyond their original depth and bounds. Among their many uses, ponds provide water for agriculture and livestock, aid in habitat restoration, serve as fish hatcheries, are components of landscape architecture, may store thermal energy as solar ponds, and treat wastewater as treatment ponds.

Ponds may be freshwater, saltwater, or brackish.