Adventure #2:
Types of Streams

Bank – The side of the river.

Bed – The bottom of a river. This can be sand, mud, rocks, or a combination.

Current – How fast water is flowing. Water always flows downhill, so steeper streams have faster currents.

Downstream – The direction that the water flows. 

Floodplain – The flat area next to a stream. This area floods when the water level is high.

Mouth – The end of a river where it flows into another river or a lake.

Source – The start of a river such as a spring. There are often multiple sources.

Stream – A small river.

Upstream – The opposite direction that the water flows. This is uphill.

Watershed – The surrounding hills that transport rainfall and snow melt into rivers and streams.