Rivers and Drainage Patterns

Drainage Regions of Canada There are 5 main drainage regions of Canada: – Pacific Ocean – Atlantic Ocean – Hudson Bay – Arctic Ocean – Gulf of Mexico Regions are based on physical features which dictate the flow of water (ex. mountain)

Drainage Patterns Dendriticiii) eg. Lethbrige, Alta. i) Uniform flow Rivers join together at acute angles ii) Occurs on bedrock

Trellis iii) ex. Tetsa River, B.C. i) Tributaries join at right angles ii) Located folded mountains

Radial iii) ex. Martinique, Que i)Water flows down from a high point ii)Common around mountain ranges

Deranged iii) ex. Peterborough, ON i)No real pattern ii)Often contains wetlands, bogs, and lakes

River Development Youth Stage – Straight, flowing water – Often in steep regions – V-shaped valley (shape of river) – Often lined with rocks, boulders – High amount of potential energy – Transports large amounts of material

Maturity Stage – Meandering pattern – Water starts to erode weak regions along the streambed – River widens as a result of erosion – Deposits material in slower regions – Creates floodplains where water overflows

Old Age Stage – Deposits more sediment than it transports - U-shaped river bed – Slow moving – Often muddy looking – Often occurs wen river rises above the flood plain – Rich soil along river edge – Ex. Nile

Factors Affecting River Development 1. Gradient – The steeper the slope, the faster the water flows – This increases the speed of erosion 2. Depth – Deeper rivers carry more water and this increases erosion 3. Width – Wider rivers allow more water to pass through the river

River Development Animation Animation Animation

Define the following: – Delta – Rejuvenation – Flood plain – Tributary Answer the following question: – Pg. 203 Q. 16 – What are the benefits of a riparian watershed?

Red River Floodway Constructed in km long 2 nd largest earth moving project (Panama Canal #1)

Flood of the Century – April/ May 1997 Most severe since Water levels reached 21.6 ft (7.5 m) Result of abundant snowfall and extreme temperatures Grand Forks was hit the hardest Flood – March 28 th Resulted from frozen ground Water reached up to 23ft (6.9m) Floodway was closed due to ice jams. They didn’t open the floodway till April 8th

"Should the rights of rural Manitobans be put aside so the City of Winnipeg can survive major floods?"