Springs
Pockets of vegetation which are directly dependent on groundwater are scattered throughout the Territory.
These support specialised faunas and act as havens for wildlife living in the surrounding drier areas.They occur in places where groundwater discharges to the surface or where it is shallow enough to be reached by tree roots.
Springs, swamps and discharges into river beds are the mechanisms responsible for creating these areas. These features are more common in the higher rainfall areas of the north but can be found throughout the Northern Territory.
In the arid southern areas, groundwater discharges to the surface via evaporation through the beds of salt lakes. Another avenue for discharge is evapotranspiration by the trees that tap the watertable beneath the normally dry watercourses.
