Headwater areas are the upstream areas of a watershed, as opposed to the outflow or discharge of a watershed. The White Nile meets the Blue Nile at Khartoum. Source: Netflix. What is a river? The northern section of the Nile passes through Sudan to Egypt and results in a … Lakes. A river may begin in mountains where there is snow. For example, Lake Victoria is often called the source of the Nile, as the rivers that flow into it have names of their own. For example, the source of the Colorado River is at the Continental Divide separating the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean watersheds of North America. A river is a course of water that flows to another water source such as an ocean, lake or even another river. Lakes, estuaries and streams are all waterways that drain out of a watershed. The river source, also called the headwaters, is the beginning of a river. All rivers start at the highest point in an area. The source of a river or stream is the original point from which the river flows. Tributaries can be classified or ranked either by how close they are to the source of … Rivers always have a source (beginning) on high ground, where the flow of water starts. The Missouri River's source is named by some USGS and other federal and state agency sources, following Lewis and Clark's naming convention, as the confluence of the Madison and Jefferson Rivers, rather than the source of its longest tributary (the Jefferson). An introduction to Rivers. Some headwaters are springs that come from under the ground. If a river is large, there’s a good chance that much of its water comes from tributaries. It may be a lake, a marsh, a spring or a glacier. [citation needed], This most commonly identified definition of a river source specifically uses the most distant point (along watercourses from the river mouth) in the drainage basin from which water runs year-around (perennially), or, alternatively, as the furthest point from which water could possibly flow ephemerally. "[citation needed]. The source and upper course of the Paraguay River are in Brazil, where it demarcates part of the frontier with Paraguay before entering Paraguay itself, which it traverses from north to south. As an example, picture a city street during a thunderstorm. For example: The word "source", when applied to lakes rather than rivers or streams, refers to the lake's inflow.[7][8]. While we all want to visit Jack’s Bar in Virgin River, and don’t really want to live in Mel’s tiny cabin, those actual places don’t really exist. A spring is water that flows out from under the ground. All rivers are parts of a larger system called a watershed, where a river and its branches drain land. The mouth may be in the form of a river delta. Known also as a conflux, it refers either to the point where a tributary joins a larger river, called the main stem, or where two streams meet to become the source of a river of a new name, such as the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania creating the Ohio River. Dakota Indians called the river "Hahawakpa," meaning "River of the Falls" in reference to the falls we now call the Falls of St. Anthony. The source of a river may be a spring, often on a hill, mountain, glacier, or another high place. In the case of the Missouri River, this would have the source be well upstream from Lewis and Clark's confluence, "following the Jefferson River to the Beaverhead River to Red Rock River, then Red Rock Creek to Hell Roaring Creek. The source of a river or stream is the original point from which the river flows. As an example of the second definition above, the USGS at times considers the Missouri River as a tributary of the Mississippi River. In Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, the section of the Nile is called White Nile. Rainfall and melting snow. A river is not exactly a landform but part of other landforms such as mountains, prairies and valleys. Such wastes often received only minimal treatment, or raw wastes were dumped into rivers. But it also follows the first definition above (along with virtually all other geographic authorities and publications) in using the combined Missouri—lower Mississippi length figure in lists of lengths of rivers around the world. How do geographers decide which river is the “main” river and which is the “tributary” when they’re naming rivers? This definition, from geographer Andrew Johnston of the Smithsonian Institution, is also used by the National Geographic Society when pinpointing the source of rivers such as the Amazon or Nile. The farthest stream is called the head-stream or head water. As more water enters the channels they grow forming gullies (larger channels). Mouth › The mouth, or end, of the river is where it empties out into the sea, creating a muddy estuary or a fan-like delta. About one family descended from the powerful Akoko, the matriarchial namesake we all would be lucky to call our ancestor, this book is about family ties, finding the way forward, and honouring those who came before you by living a life that is true to yourself. As rainwater flows over asphalt, it washes away drops of oil that leaked from car engines, particles of … Along its course the Brahmaputra passes Today, we are more aware of the consequences of such actions, and billions of dollars must be invested in pollution-control equipment to protect the waters of the earth. For the musical group, see, "Headwaters" redirects here. They can change shape as they erode the ground at their banks. A tributary is a smaller stream or river that joins a larger or main river. A River Called Time, by Courttia Newland, Canongate, RRP£16.99, 464 pages. The Mississippi River is the third longest river system in the world when including the Missouri River tributary. Source. A definition given by the state of Montana agrees, stating that a river source is never a confluence but is "in a location that is the farthest, along water miles, from where that river ends. The source of the River Thames is a spring. Rivers are natural streams of water. River Severn | River Thames. The river source is often but not always on or quite near the edge of the watershed, or watershed divide. If tributaries carry the same name as the mainstem, they are called forks. For an example, note how the Mississippi River and Missouri River sources are officially defined: The verb "rise" can be used to express the general region of a river's source, and is often qualified with an adverbial expression of place. (2004). The size of a watershed (also called a drainage basin or catchment) is defined on several scales—referred to as its Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC)—based on the geography that is most relevant to its specific area. A tributary drains from a watershed, which is a geographic area that drains to one main waterway. For example, the source of the River Tees is marshland. Others are marshy areas fed by mountain snow. At first, the channels are small and are called rills. A river or stream that flows into a larger river may also be called a tributary. A river is freshwater flowing across the surface of the land, usually to the sea. Sometimes the source of the most remote tributary may be in an area that is more marsh-like, in which the "uppermost" or most remote section of the marsh would be the true source. Nonpoint-source pollution is the opposite of point-source pollution, with pollutants released in a wide area. Rivers are better defined as large, natural streams flowing through channels draining into even larger water bodies. The term White Nile is used to highlight the area separating Lake No and Khartoum. Seven Springs is in water all year round, unlike the dry ground we saw at … This River Avon, also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon, travels for seventy miles from it's source at Acron Turville near Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire until it merges with the River Severn at it's estuary at Avonmouth near the city of Bristol.. He did so several times in his work Indica: "India, again, possesses many rivers both large and navigable, which, having their sources in the mountains which stretch along the northern frontier, traverse the level country, and not a few of these, after uniting with each other, fall into the river called the Ganges. Headwaters are often small streams with cool waters because of shade and recently melted ice or snow. The standard English names "White Nile" and "Blue Nile", to refer to the river's source, derive from Arabic names formerly applied only to the Sudanese stretches which meet at Khartoum.. The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. But, Virgin River had to be filmed somewhere! The water in a river is usually confined to a channel, made up of a stream bed between banks.In larger rivers there is often also a wider floodplain shaped by flood-waters over-topping the channel.Floodplains may be very wide in relation to the size of the river channel. A stream source. The source of a river may be a lake where lots of water from small streams gathers when it rains or snows. Rivers are constantly changing as they flow over lands and have many different features. All rivers are different, but they are comprised of common parts. They are formed by the movement of water from high ground to lower ground and then usually to the sea. Often located in mountains, the source may be fed by an underground spring, or by runoff from rain, snowmelt, or glacial melt. River source. They can even be parts of many different landforms at the same time. Rivers are usually fed by many tributaries. The source is the farthest point of the river stream from its estuary or its confluence with another river or stream. Former UN official and BBC correspondent Edward Hooper hopes to find the source of AIDS in The River, a stunningly comprehensive yet deeply engaging scientific history of the disease. A lake fed by many rivers is sometimes called the source of the bigger river flowing out of it. Famous Rivers. Large rivers often are the result of a meeting of many tributaries. The main river is the primary channel and course of a river. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=River_source&oldid=6946706, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. [1] Most rivers have numerous tributaries and change names often; it is customary to regard the longest tributary or stem as the source, regardless of what name that watercourse may carry on local maps and in local usage. Watersheds: Processes, Assessment and Management. John Wiley & Sons. For example, the source of the River Tees is marshland. This is where the stream starts. These natural springs are the source of the River Churn, a tributary of the Thames. This is where the stream starts. Usually the bigger river gets to be the “main” river, but sometimes history or other factors come into play. It flows some 1,800 miles (2,900 km) from its source in the Himalayas to its confluence with the Ganges (Ganga) River, after which the mingled waters of the two rivers empty into the Bay of Bengal. The beginning of a river is called its headwaters. Sometimes the source of the most remote tributary may be in an area that is more marsh-like, in which the "uppermost" or most remote section of the marsh would be the true source. Both tributaries are located on the left side of the Great Rift Valley. In the past, municipal and industrial sewage was a major source of pollution for streams and lakes. Glaciers in the Himalayas contain the largest store of water outside of the Greenland and Antarctic ice caps, and feed seven major Asian rivers: the Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Mekong, Thanlwin, Yangtze, and Yellow Rivers. The place where a river begins is called its source. In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. The source is where a river begins, and the river mouth is where it joins the sea. The streams in the gullies eventually become big enough to form a river. Etymology and names. For the insurance company, see, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mississippi River, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Missouri River, "National Geographic News @ nationalgeographic.com", "The True Utmost Reaches of the Missouri", "IBGE - Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística", "Could the River Thames be longer than the River Severn? In the ancient Egyptian language, the Nile is called Ḥ'pī (Hapy) or Iteru, meaning "river".In Coptic, the word ⲫⲓⲁⲣⲟ, pronounced piaro or phiaro (), means "the river" (lit. Some rivers begin in mountains or hills, where rain water or snowmelt collects and forms small channels, . For the region of Ontario, Canada, see, This article is about the heads of rivers. A river is considered a linear geographic feature, with only one mouth and one source. Jump to navigation Jump to search. [3] This contradicts the most common definition,[6] which is, according to a US Army Corps of Engineers official on a USGS site, that "[geographers] generally follow the longest tributary to identify the source of rivers and streams."