Olympic's glaciers and rivers depend on heavy winter snowfall. Rivers and Glaciers will be effected by climate change. Interconnection Water stored in the glacial ice is slowly released as the sun melts the top of the ice and as heat from the earth melts the bottom of the glacier. As a result, even during the driest summer months rivers continue to flow with glacial meltwater. Insects, fish, mammals, birds, amphibians and forests all depend on glacial meltwater.
Glaciers move much more slowly than rivers.
Glaciers are found on the tops of mountains. Rivers hold many forms of life. Glaciers create U-shaped valleys. Rivers create V-shaped valleys. Rivers become braided in flat valley bottoms.