At the headwater of the Zora River, the Zoras themselves stand guard over the springs and melt water flows that fill Hyrule's mightiest waterways with clear, cool liquid. For the moment, with beautiful waterfalls and plentiful fish to catch, the Zoras themselves remain content and independent at the top of their river, seeing little reason to bother themselves in the affairs of Hylians or anyone else.

Fueled by bubbling cold water springs and glacial melt, the Zora river flows quickly down along a valley that it carved for itself over many centuries of erosion. Though a path does wind up the river valley it is a treacherous one to take, often slender and always damp. Only the Zoras themselves can swim easily up these demanding currents, to anyone else the task would be hard if not impossible.

At the far end of Hyrule's great rivers and taking up almost their entire outflow, Lake Hylia is the largest single body of water in Hyrule. The lakeside is controlled nominally by the Hylians, yet under the lake itself lies an ancient temple that the Zoran tribe guards vigorously from any and all intruders. It takes permission of the Zoran monarch to even enter if the cause is considered great enough.