What do rivers empty into

If a stream has a steep slope or gradient , it will have a faster velocity, which means it will be able to carry larger materials in suspension. Sand, silt and clay size particles generally make up the suspended load for a stream Figure During flood stage, the suspended load greatly increases as stream velocity increases.

The last way that rivers and streams move weathered materials is as bed load. This means that although the water in the stream is capable of bumping and pushing these particles along, it is not able to pick them up and carry them continuously.

Bed load is named for the fact that these particles get nudged and rolled along the stream bed as the water flows. Occasionally a larger size particle will get knocked into the main part of the stream flow, but then it settles back down to the stream bed because it is too heavy to remain suspended in the water.

This is called saltation , which we will learn about later in this chapter with transport of particles by wind. Streams with high velocities and steep gradients do a great deal of downcutting into the stream bed, which is primarily accomplished by movement of particles that make up the bed load.

Particles that move along as the bed load of a stream do not move continuously along, but rather in small steps or jumps with periods of remaining stationary in between. As a stream moves water from high elevations, like mountains, towards low elevations, like the ocean, which is at sea level, the work of the stream changes.

At high elevations, streams are just beginning streams that have small channels and steep gradients. This means that the stream will have a high velocity and will do lots of work eroding its stream bed. The higher the elevation, the farther the stream is from where it eventually meets the sea. Base level is the term for where a stream meets sea level or standing water, like a lake or the ocean. Streams will work to downcut their stream beds until they reach base level. As a stream moves out of high mountainous areas into lower areas closer to sea level, the stream is closer to its base level and does more work eroding the edges of its banks than downcutting into its stream bed.

At some point in most streams, there are curves or bends in the stream channel called meanders Figure The stream erodes material along its outer banks and deposits material along the inside curves of a meander as it flows to the ocean Figure This causes these meanders to migrate laterally over time. Once a stream nears the ocean, it is very close to its base level and now deposits more materials than it erodes. As you just learned, one place where a river deposits material is along the inside edges of meanders.

If you ever decide to pan for gold or look for artifacts from an older town or civilization, you will sift through these deposits. Gold is one of the densest elements on Earth.

Streams are lazy and never want to carry more materials than absolutely necessary. It will drop off the heaviest and largest particles first, that is why you might find gold in a stream deposit. Imagine that you had to carry all that you would need for a week as you walked many kilometers. At first you might not mind the weight of what you are carrying at all, but as you get tired, you will look to drop off the heaviest things you are carrying first!

When a river floods or overflows its channel, the area where the stream flows is suddenly much broader and shallower than it was when it was in its channel. The farmers who use the floodplain areas around the Nile River rely on these deposits to supply nutrients to their fields each year as the river floods its banks.

At flood stage, a river will also build natural levees as the largest size particles build a higher area around the edges of the stream channel Figure When a river meets either standing water or nearly flat lying ground, it will deposit its load. If this happens in water, a river may form a delta. From its headwaters in the mountains, along a journey of many kilometers, rivers carry the eroded materials that form their stream load. Suddenly the river slows down tremendously in velocity, and drops the tremendous load of sediments it has been carrying.

Over time the soil that a river deposits can build up and create new land areas! River deltas are land areas that are formed at the mouth or end of a river as the minerals and soil the river carries are deposited.

Deltas are very rich in nutrients. Some of the best farmland on Earth can be found in river deltas. Although river water makes up only about 0. Rivers are like roads. They carry water, organisms and important gases and nutrients to many areas. They also help drain rainwater and provide habitats for many species of plants and animals. As they make their way to the sea, rivers help shape the features of the Earth.

Rivers are travel routes for people and provide the power for hydroelectric plants. Rivers and Streams Rivers and Streams Rivers come in lots of different shapes and sizes, but they all have some things in common. It's All Connected From space, rivers and streams look like veins on the Earth's surface.

Wear and Tear Rivers both carve the land and build it up. End of the Road River deltas are land areas that are formed at the mouth or end of a river as the minerals and soil the river carries are deposited.

This is why even during droughts there is usually some water in streams. In the diagram you can see how the ground below the water table the blue area is saturated with water.

The "unsaturated zone" above the water table the gray area still contains water after all, plants' roots live in this area , but it is not totally saturated with water. You can see this in the two drawings at the bottom of the diagram, which show a close-up of how water is stored in-between underground rock particles.

Like everything else on and in the Earth, water obeys the rules of gravity and tries to get to the center of the Earth did you imagine that every molecule in your body is trying to do this, also? So, the water in rivers flows downhill, with the ultimate goal of flowing into the oceans, which are at sea level. River water may end up in a lake or reservoir, in a pipe aimed at Farmer Joe's corn stalks, in a local swimming pool, or in your drinking glass, but much of it eventually ends up back in the oceans , where it rejoins the water cycle, which is ALWAYS in progress.

Endpoint of the Colorado River, Mexico. Less than 80 years ago, the mighty Colorado River flowed unhindered from northern Colorado through the Grand Canyon, Arizona, and Mexico before pouring into the Gulf of California.

But as this NASA Earth Observatory satellite photo from September shows, irrigation and urban water needs now prevent the river from reaching its final destination.

Rather, the Colorado River just disappears into the desert sands. The Colorado River can be seen in dark blue at the topmost central part of this image. The river comes to an end just south of the multicolored patchwork of farmlands in the northwestern corner of the image and then fans out at the base of the Sierra de Juarez Mountains.

Only about 10 percent of all the water that flows into the Colorado River makes it into Mexico and most of that is used by the Mexican people for farming. One river that doesn't participate anymore in this natural water-cycle process is the mighty Colorado River, flowing from Colorado to the Gulf of California in Mexico. The Colorado River certainly starts out as mighty—mighty enough to have carved out the Grand Canyon—but nowadays it does not even end as a trickle. Whereas it once flowed into a large marshy area at the Gulf of California, today it literally disappears in the farmlands at the base of the Sierra de Juarez Mountains in Mexico.

As the Colorado River flows through the desert Southwest, it gets used and used by millions of thirsty residents and for crop irrigation ; used until there is nothing left. In this satellite view of the "exit point" of the Colorado River, the river itself is the dark blue patch at the top. Activity icon made by Eucalyp from www.

What is streamflow? How do streams get their water? To learn about streamflow and its role in the water cycle, continue reading. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's "natural" water cycle without human interference. Ever wondered about what is the longest river in the world?

Or in the United States? Find out here. Creeks and streams begin their lives as smaller water bodies that run downhill until they merge to form bigger rivers. Rivers are a mighty factor when it comes to shaping the physical landscape — just ask the Grand Canyon.

Find out more here. Skip to main content. Search Search.