Parts of a River for Children

Source

• A river starts with its source. The source can be surface water, caused by rain or melting snow and ice, or an underground spring; this source is also known as the "headwaters." As this water builds up, it forms a puddle, then a trickle, then a very small river known as a "stream"; this can be as small as an inch across. Other names used for this small part of the river are "creek," "brook" and "rivulet." Streams from various sources join together to form a larger river.

Tributary

• "Tributary" is the name given to a small river that flows into a bigger one. There may be many tributaries contributing to a larger river; the Mississippi has about 250 tributaries. The point where a tributary joins the larger river is called a "confluence" or "fork." The opposite of a tributary is a "distributary," which is a stream that runs out of the main river instead of into it.

Meander

• Rivers usually flow in a curving path, and these curves are called "meanders." The meanders are caused as the flowing water cuts or erodes through softer soil over a long period of time. The water flows faster on the outer edge of the meander as the erosion continues, and slower on the inside edge where the eroded material is deposited. The river changes shape over time as meanders are being created. Sometimes a "U"-shaped meander is abandoned by the river as it takes a different route. This area becomes separated from the main river and is known as an "oxbow lake."

Mouth

• The river's mouth is where it ends and joins a lake or the ocean; this is often the river's widest point. The river drops a lot of the sediment it has been carrying at this point. The mouth of the Mississippi is the Gulf of Mexico. When a river flows into the sea, the freshwater meets saltwater, and this area is known as the "estuary." The mixture of saltwater and freshwater is called "brackish water."