Jump to content

Portal:Rivers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
PortalWikiProject RiversTalk page
The Rivers Portal

Introduction

A small boat (pirogue) running on the Mekong River as the sun is setting between Don Det and Don Khon, Laos.
A boat floats on the Mekong, in Laos

A river is a natural freshwater stream that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it runs out of water, or only flow during certain seasons. Rivers are regulated by the water cycle, the processes by which water moves around the Earth. Water first enters rivers through precipitation, whether from rainfall, the runoff of water down a slope, the melting of glaciers or snow, or seepage from aquifers beneath the surface of the Earth.

Rivers flow in channeled watercourses and merge in confluences to form drainage basins, areas where surface water eventually flows to a common outlet. Rivers have a great effect on the landscape around them. They may regularly overflow their banks and flood the surrounding area, spreading nutrients to the surrounding area. Sediment or alluvium carried by rivers shapes the landscape around it, forming deltas and islands where the flow slows down. Rivers rarely run in a straight line, instead, they bend or meander; the locations of a river's banks can change frequently. Rivers get their alluvium from erosion, which carves rock into canyons and valleys.

Rivers have sustained human and animal life for millennia, including the first human civilizations. The organisms that live around or in a river such as fish, aquatic plants, and insects have different roles, including processing organic matter and predation. Rivers have produced abundant resources for humans, including food, transportation, drinking water, and recreation. Humans have engineered rivers to prevent flooding, irrigate crops, perform work with water wheels, and produce hydroelectricity from dams. People associate rivers with life and fertility and have strong religious, political, social, and mythological attachments to them. (Full article...)

Mud Creek looking downstream in Derry Township

Mud Creek is a tributary of Chillisquaque Creek in Columbia County and Montour County in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 8.3 miles (13.4 km) long and flows through Madison Township, Columbia County and Derry Township, Montour County. The main tributaries of the creek are unnamed tributaries. The creek's watershed has an area of 17.70 square miles and is in West Hemlock Township, Montour County as well as the two townships it flows through. The watershed is mostly agricultural and forested and the main developed areas are Washingtonville and Jerseytown.

As of 2011, the daily load of sediment in Mud Creek is 24,165.59 pounds (10,961.33 kg) and the daily load of phosphorus is 16.64 pounds (7.55 kg). Various other compounds and metals are also found in the creek. The main rock formations in the watershed include the Hamilton Group, the Trimmers Rock Formation, and the Onondaga and Old Port Formations. The main soil series are the Watson-Berks-Alvira series, the Chenango-Pope-Holly series, and the Berks-Weikert-Bedington series. The watershed is in the ridge and valley region of the Appalachian Mountains. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Selected Quote

I do not know much about gods; but I think that the river is a strong brown god—sullen, untamed and intractable.
T. S. Eliot, "Four Quartets," in The Dry Salvages

Selected picture

Photograph: Villy Fink Isaksen

The Skjálfandafljót at Route 1 in northern Iceland. In the background is the waterfall of Goðafoss

General images - show new batch

The following are images from various river-related articles on Wikipedia.

Did you know?

Selected Panorama

Topics

Subcategories

Category puzzle
Category puzzle
Select [►] to view subcategories

Quality content

Good articles

Things to do

Tasks clipboard
Tasks clipboard

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

More portals