river tributaries
Streams joining rivers
River tributaries are streams or smaller rivers that flow into a larger river rather than directly into a sea or lake.
The tributary adds its water to the main river, which is called the mainstem.
Major rivers like the Mississippi have extensive tributary systems draining vast watersheds: The Missouri and Ohio are the Mississippi's largest tributaries.
- confluenceMeeting point of streams
- joining upFormally becoming part of
- basinConcave water receptacle
- headwatersRiver's starting point
- water sourceOrigin of flow
catchment area · drainage system · flow · watershed · delta · feeder · discharge · bank · stream · junction · aquatic habitat · brook · meander · creek · distributary · branching · oxbow lake · flood plain
- Delaware RiverDelaware Bay, Trenton, Philadelphia, Camden, Wilmington
water flow direction/hierarchy
river tributariesdistributaries
Channels flowing from rivers
main channel · main stem · river deltas · river mouth · effluents