Basic River Anatomy

Basic Hydrology with Trevor and Nathan

5 min ·  Theory Course

In this lesson, Trevor and Nathan will be breaking down the 4 core elements to any river run. These parts make up the most basic elements of understanding how rivers create rapids. This lesson is broad by design because we want to start by discussing generally how rapids form to give you a solid foundation to build upon. We will also be looking at the following elements in detail:

• Flow - How much water is in the river measured in Cubic Feet per Second (CFS) or Cubic Meters per Second (Cumecs)

• Gradient - How far the river drops in a given length of river Feet per Mile or Meters per KM

• Constrictions - The river being forced into a smaller area.

• Obstructions - Stuff in the river

In subsequent lessons we will be breaking down specific features, but this lesson will give you the core understanding necessary to begin reading water effectively. Two other topics we have covered here are the spectrum of features and river logs. Understanding that features in a river are a spectrum is an important building block in our subsequent lesson on basic reading water. Many features you may encounter on the river seem similar or are just on the cusp of becoming another type of feature. As such a specific part of a rapid can change form many times based on the flow. As such it is important for beginner boaters to understand the flows and keep track of their progress and trips. In the future we will be providing a downloadable river log template that will help you get started logging your trips.

Feeling a little lost? Ask the team a question…