When does a stream become a river?

2023/07/13 by Jonathan A. Czuba, George H. Allen · 1 voice · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes #Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies #Soil erosion and sediment transport

paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/rra.4185

openalex publication_date 2023/07/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25

Abstract

Abstract The distinction between a “stream” and “river” is imprecise and vague despite the popular usage of the terms across disciplines for describing flowing waterbodies. Based on an analysis of named flowing waterbodies in the continental United States, we suggest a bank‐to‐bank channel width of 15 m as a working threshold in defining smaller “streams” from larger “rivers.”

Citations

• ‘What do you mean?’ The importance of language in developing interdisciplinary research

Cited by

• Satellite Requirements to Capture Water Propagation in Earth's Rivers

Discussions

• When does a stream become a river? Czuba & Allen suggest a river is at least 15m bank-to-bank. 🧪 https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4185 (OA) They also reported the most common proper names for flowing wa [bsky, 4 points, 0 comments]

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