| A River is any body of fresh water flowing by gravity from an upland source to a large lake or to the sea, and fed by such sources as springs and tributary streams. In the case of large rivers, some of the tributary streams themselves may also be rivers. The course of a river is the line followed by the river from it's source to its outlet or mouth. The connected streams that unite into one river form a river system. The series of convergent slopes from which water drains to form a | river and add to it's flow is the basin, or drainage basin, of the river. The ridges or other lines of high ground that separate one river basin from another are called watersheds or divides. In the western U.S. And Canada, the Rocky Mts. form the barrier known as the Great, or Continental Divide; waters from the East slopes of these mountains flow into the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Gulf of Mexico or into the Arctic Ocean, and waters from the West slopes flow into the Pacific Ocean. |
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 Rivers are among the chief agents that cause
the gradual erosion of mountains and other land masses. Rivers are also
of great economic importance to which they flow. They serve as sources of
water for the irrigation of crops and as arteries of commerce and sources
of power. Since ancient times, the potentialities and dangers of rivers
have been recognized; engineering works of various kinds have been undertaken
to control flooding, to obtain water for irrigation and for the production
of power, and to maintain channels deep enough for the passage of water
traffic. |
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