Definitions for "Ephemeral"
Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; diurnal; as, an ephemeral flower.
Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only.
Anything lasting but a day, or a brief time; an ephemeral plant, insect, etc.
watercourse which flows after heavy rain, and dries up during fine weather.
Stream - a stream that flows only during or immediately after periods of precipitation. See also intermittent and perennial streams.  Evaporation - phase change of liquid water to water vapor.  Evapotranspiration - the combined process of evaporation and transpiration.  ield Capacity - the amount of water held in soil after gravitational water is drained.
Only filled after unpredictable rain and runoff. Surface water dries within days of filling.
A rangeland that does not consistently produce enough forage to sustain a livestock operation but may briefly produce unusual volumes of forage that may be utilized by livestock.
Keywords:  inconstant, fixed, changing
Changing. Inconstant. Not fixed.
Keywords:  waterbodies, dry, water, constant, year
Changing, often used in reference of moving water bodies that dry out for part of the year.
water bodies that are not permanent
changing, not constant; often used in reference to waterbodies that hold water for part of the year and are dry at other times.
Keywords:  mussel, beds, naturally, occurring
Being present only briefly, as in naturally occurring mussel beds.
Keywords:  winter, die, seasonal, back, organisms
seasonal organisms that usually die back in winter.
Keywords:  continuing, less, day
Continuing only for a day or less.