Channel
The course of a river
Confluence
Where two rivers meet
Drainage Basin
Area of land that it drained by a river and its tributaries.
Flood
A flood is an overflow of water in a river. Water floods flat land next to a river and is mainly caused by heavy rainfall.
Floodplain
Flat land which is found at either side of a river, near to the mouth.
Mouth
Where a river enters the sea
Source
Where a river starts
Watershed
The boundaries of the drainage basin, usually be marked by areas of high land.
Flooding Process
- Heavy rain falls.
- Rain soaks into ground.
- Soil becomes full of water, so it starts to flow over the surface.
- Water quickly reaches river.
- River level rises.
- River floods.
Soft engineering
Means trying to reduce flooding without damaging or “interfering” with the river.
Hard engineering
Involves building large structures to try and control the river.
V – shaped Valley
The shape of a valley in its upper course
Urbanisation
The removal of natural vegetation and soil which is replaced by impermeable surfaces such as concrete and tarmac.
