Braided river facts for kids

The Waimakariri River in the South Island of New Zealand is a braided river

A marvellous photo of a flat plain bearing a braided river in Poland: The Narew at Strękowa Góra

The White River in Washington State

A braided river is a network of small channels separated by islands that are often not fixed. In other words, the river channels wander across a flat area.

Braided rivers are found in places where the river carries a lot of sediment, and when it slows down and spreads out. The river delta of the Amazon River is a good example on a huge scale, and the Waimakariri River is a good example on a smaller scale.

Large systems

Large braided river systems are found around the world:

• Alaska
• Canada
• New Zealand's South Island
• the Himalayas

All these regions contain young mountains that have quick erosion.

Europe has two notably braided rivers: the Narew, in Poland and Belarus, and the Tagliamento in northeastern Italy.

Related pages

• Meander

Images for kids

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  The Rakaia River in the South Island of New Zealand is braided over most of its course

• 

  Brahmaputra River seen from the Space Shuttle

• 

  Tagliamento River seen from the Pisano bridge

• 

  Waimakariri River with the Southern Alps in the background, Canterbury, New Zealand

• 

  Rakaia River, South Island, New Zealand

• 

  Tanana River, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

• 

  Toklat River, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, United States

• 

  Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, United States

See also

In Spanish: Río trenzado para niños