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River Development

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River stages

  • Young
  • Mature
  • Old

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Each stage has different and unique characteristics

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Young rivers

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Young rivers

White water rafting is popular on young rivers

Mrs. Rysavy

Ms. Totzke

Mr. Clifton

Mr. Kraker

Mrs. Naumann

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Young river characteristics

  • Typically found in mountains
  • Cuts downward
  • V-shaped valleys
  • Narrow path/channel
  • Fast moving water
  • Rapids and waterfalls
  • Fairly straight path

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Mature rivers

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Mature rivers - Meander

  • Meander
    • Bend/curve in the river

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  • What is happening on the inside of the meander?
  • What is happening on the outside?

meander

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Mature/Old rivers - Oxbows and Scars

  • Meanders are “cut-off” as rivers age
  • This produces:
    • Oxbow lakes
      • U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander is “cut-off” to create a lake
    • Meander scars
      • Portion of river where meander was “cut-off” and water empties from abandoned channel

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Formation of a meander scar

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River terms

Floodplain is produced along the sides of the river; area that

floods

during

periods of heavy rain

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Mature rivers

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Mature river characteristics

  • Water speed decreases
  • River cuts sideways
  • U-shaped river bed
  • Channel begins to widen
  • Meanders or curves
  • Inside of a meander = Slower and deposition; Outside of a meander = Faster and erosion
  • Develops a floodplain

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Old rivers

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Old rivers have many…

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Meanders are being “cut-off”

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Oxbow Lake

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Meander

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Meander nearing cutoff

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Old river characteristics

  • Many meanders and cutoffs
  • Oxbow lakes
  • Meander scars
  • Sideways cutting
  • U-shaped riverbed
  • Wider floodplain
  • Slowest flowing water

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River comparisons

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The labeled areas represent the following:

  • Head of the river (in youthful stage)
  • Meander in the river on a floodplain (in mature stage)
  • Mouth of the river where a delta will form
  • Body of water into which the river is flowing

As rivers deposit sediments into a body of water, they produce a DELTA

Mississippi River delta in the Gulf of Mexico

As rivers deposit sediments at the base of mountains, they produce an ALLUVIAL FAN

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Watershed or

Drainage Basin

Land area whose runoff flows into a particular stream