Parts of a River Flashcards
the bottom of a river that the water touches
bed
where a river begins – its source
headwaters
the long, narrow groove in the ground that the river flows down
channel
the edges of the river – like walls that hold the water in
banks
the flat land next to a river that floods after heavy precipitation
floodplain
the triangle-shaped land (little islands) at the mouth of a river
delta
where a river ends – usually flowing into a larger body of water
mouth
a smaller stream that flows into a larger one
tributary
a small area of LAND that drains precipitation into the same small river/lake
watershed
a large area of LAND that drains precipitation into the same major river/lake
drainage basin
when rock is BROKEN into smaller pieces
weathering
small pieces of broken rock
sediment
when sediment is MOVED to a new place by a river
erosion
when sediment is DROPPED as the water slows
deposition
how much water is flowing past a point
discharge
