What makes a river a river?!

[agrumpycow]

It's a question my sister asked me the other day and I didn't know the answer
When does a stream become a river? The best I could think of was a river flows into the sea and a stream flows into a river but I'm not convinced on that, anyone know?

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by agrumpycow

It's a question my sister asked me the other day and I didn't know the answer
When does a stream become a river? The best I could think of was a river flows into the sea and a stream flows into a river but I'm not convinced on that, anyone know?

I live next to the River Glazert that flows into the River Kelvin that flows into the River Clyde that flows into the sea - got there eventually.
I don't know the answer but always thought a stream was a smaller version of a river. We don't really have streams in Scotland, we call them Burns.

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi

I think it's a case of a stream is a small river and a river is a large stream. I don't think there is a true difference between the two. A native on the banks of the Amazon might consider the Thames a stream , if you see what I mean.
I guess it's just how you define them in your own mind.

neil

[lol geoff]

Perhaps if it's big enough to warrant a name it's a river. I've not heard of a stream, beck, burn. etc with a proper name, however no matter how wide the river you can still be mid stream on it.

[agrumpycow]

Thanks for the replies. I guess it's just a historical thing. It just made me think, that's all!

[coasty]

From that well known internet encyclopedia,,,,

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Usually larger streams are called rivers while smaller streams are called creeks, brooks, rivulets, rills, and many other terms, but there is no general rule that defines what can be called a river. Sometimes a river is said to be larger than a creek,[1] but this is not always the case.

Interesting thread none the less,,,,,I think that the terms beck, brook, and also race are more geographical in their use,,,

[Paul mabbott]

I'd guess that to cross a river you need a boat or a bridge - to cross all the others you can go afoot or on horseback! As others have said, I don't suppose there is a firm definition - perhaps you should put the question into the geography forum?

As to the smaller ones, a lot of these do have names: I remember the Harper Brook and Ise Brook in Northants and, in Sheffield, the Porter Brook is almost a big as the River Sheaf.

Some of the terms refer to very small streams (dykes, dyches, ditches, sicks, gills, &c) - presumably these are ones that you can jump over without getting your feet wet? In its early stages, our Porter Brook is the Porter Clough ....

PS: on further consideration, perhaps "stream" applies to any body of running water but there are then grades up to "river"? I think, in England, at least, the next step down from a river is a brook and, smaller than that, all the local terms (sicks, burns, &c)?

[djackso]

Mmm -found two definitions:

1. River - a natural freshwater surface stream of considerable volume and a permanent or seasonal flow.
Stream - any body of moving water that moves under gravity to progressively lower levels, in a relatively narrow but clearly defined channel on the surface of the ground.

2. A stream is a naturally-forming waterway that is too thin to be classed as a river. It may not even be permanently filled with water.


Spot the contradictions

Good question though

[demicav]

Good question, something I never really thought of before. I guess for me a river is anything bigger than a large stream.

[Pete Collins]

Interesting question. I suspect it's a fairly arbitrary distinction beween streams and rivers. Here in the Chilterns we have very few rivers, and they are so small that in other parts of the country I'm sure they'd be called streams.