Part One: From the Mountain Spring...

Learning Outcomes

• The journey of a river from source to mouth is one of great contrasts.
• The beginning of a river is called its source.
• The young river soon cuts its own channel.
• Erosion is the wearing away of the land.
• Reservoirs are man-made lakes for storing water, using the river as a natural resource for water supply.
• A river basin is the area drained by a river and its tributaries.
• A confluence town is a town that has developed where two or more rivers meet.
• Bridging points are a focus for the development of settlements.
• Eroded material is carried along in the river’s flow — this is called transportation.
• Deposition occurs when the river drops its load of silt, sand and stones.
• The river supports a wide variety of land use.
• Rivers influence communication and transport links.