Less than .01% of Earth’s water is contained in rivers and lakes

Streams begin as runoffWaters flows downhill because of gravityThe steepness of the land and amount of plants

determine how much water goes into a stream

1. Meandering• Happen when the land is fairly flat• Carry lots of sand and silt• Have many curves

2. Braided• Have bars formed by sediment (like sandbars)• The bars can form small islands, causing

channels to form in the stream• This makes the stream look like it is braided

1.

2.

17 river basins, 4 entirely in NCEach river drainage area (or basin) is divided by

geography

Headwaters- the place where a river beginsThe Cape Fear river begins south of Greensboro,

where the Haw and Deep rivers meet.

Load- the sediment carried by a stream, Suspended load can make water appear muddy or dirty.Dissolved load cannot be seen, while the bed load

contains rocks that may not move far (at the bottom)

Deltas & Alluvial Fans- Formed from stream deposition and can create new land. Are formed when the speed of the stream slows, near the mouth of the streamDeltas are in the waterAlluvial fans are on land

Delta- formed by sediment carried by rivers into a body of water

Alluvial Fan- formed by sediment carried onto flat land

Formed when the land around a stream uplifts and the stream continues to cut into the original stream bed

Discharge- volume of water flowing through a stream at any given timeSnow and rainfall can cause increased

dischargeFloodplain- an area along a river created from

sediments deposited when the river overflowed its banksThe new sediment is usually good for farming

Dams- barriers that redirect water flow; water can be stored for drinking, or used for electricity

Channel Alteration:Dredging- digging the channel of a river

deeperLevees- barriers made from soil; can cause

water to run faster downstream and can break or be over topped

Dam

Levee

1. Start with the card that says LITTER

2. Add a MORE or LESS card

3. Then add a impact card

4. Add another MORE or LESS card

5. Then add another impact card

6. You may continue this branch or begin another one

7. Continue until all impact cards have been used

1. What impacts happened on your river? Make sure to look at the causes Which ones are good? Which ones are bad?

2. What can be done to improve your river? List 2-3 things.