distributaries
Channels leaving rivers
Distributaries are river branches that flow away from the main channel, carrying water toward the sea or a lake rather than feeding into a larger stream.
They form where rivers split as they cross flat terrain, especially in deltas: The Mississippi's distributaries fan across Louisiana.
The opposite of tributaries, which flow into rather than out of a main river.
Division into two branches
- splittingDividing into parts
- forkingDividing into branches
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- ramificationSecondary consequence of action
subdivision · anabranch · braiding · network · dendritic · offshoot · branch · arm
Water-deposited loose sediment
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- wetlandsWater-saturated terrain
- mangroveTidal shrub with exposed roots
- floodplainFlood-prone riverside lowland
siltation · brackish · tidal · marshland · anabranch · sediment · deposition · fan
Channel for flowing liquid
- streambedRiver's carved floor
- rivuletVery small stream
- creekNarrow natural watercourse
- arroyoSeasonal desert watercourse
anabranch · slough · bayou · braid · arm · branch · passage · outlet
bifurcation
Division into two branches
- splittingDividing into parts
- forkingDividing into branches
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
ramification · subdivision · anabranch · braiding · network · dendritic · offshoot · branch · arm · division
alluvium
Water-deposited loose sediment
floodplain · siltation · brackish · tidal · marshland · anabranch · sediment · deposition · fan · lobe
watercourse
Channel for flowing liquid
arroyo · anabranch · slough · bayou · braid · arm · branch · passage · outlet · side-channel
discharge
Release of substance outward
- drainageLiquid removal system
- outflowFluid exiting a system
- streamflowRiver water's measured movement
runoff · watershed · effluent · fluvial · flow · current · gradient · velocity · volume · flooding
silt
Waterborne earth particles
- alluviumWater-deposited loose sediment
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
sand · erosion · turbidity · sorting · bar · levee · overbank · accretion · infilling · shoaling
distributariestributaries
Streams joining larger rivers
affluents · feeders · headwaters · effluents
tribute, distribute, distribution, attribute, contributor, distributed, distributor, retribution, distributing