Glossary of River Terminology

A brief introduction to some of the terms used on this web site.

Agricultural Area Supported
geographical area of agricultural activity within the river catchment area

Catchment (Drainage) Area
the area draining into a river or tributary

Delta
a deposit of soil, usually triangular, formed at the mouth of some rivers

Earliest Human Settlement
earliest archaeological evidence of human settlement

Human Population Supported.
numbers of humans resident within the catchment area

Industrial Area Supported
geographical area of industrial activity within the river catchment area

Length
distance from source to mouth, following the route of the water

Mouth
the point at which a river enters the sea, lake, or tributary

Rain Forest Area Supported
geographical area of rain forest within the river catchment area

Source
the point from which a river springs

Tributary
a stream or river flowing into a larger one.

Urban Area Supported
geographical area of urban conurbation within the river catchment area

Volume
cubic capacity of amount of water considered to be in the river at any one time or discharging from the mouth

Weight
weight of amount of water considered to be in the river at any one time or discharging from the mouth

Wilderness Area Supported
geographical area of wilderness within the river catchment area