Under most situations, groundwater and surface water are hydraulically connected. A lake, stream, or wetland either receives water or provides water to the underlying aquifer in the form of bed or bank seepage. In some cases, a lake or wetland can both simultaneously receive water from and provides water to the aquifer below. Bed or bank Seepage is the natural diffuse discharge of groundwater into a river or lake along its banks. If concentrated in a particular area, a seepage may more accurately be called a spring. The distinction between springs and seepages is arbitrary. Vast amounts of groundwater discharges continuously to rivers, lakes, and wetlands, the majority of which occurs unseen in beds or as bank seepage. A “spring-fed” river or lake may not have a visible “spring.” There are many different geologic and hydrologic circumstances that can result in springs. Wetlands, springs, and seepages may occur where the water table intersects the land surface.