CLASSIFICATION OF RIVERS

(a) ON THE BASIS OF TOPOGRAPHY OF THE RIVER BASIN

(i) Rivers in Hills (Upper Reaches)
(ii) Rivers in Alluvial Plains / Flood Plains (Lower Reaches)
Rivers in Hills: The river generally takes o ro! the !ountains and low through the
hill regions "eore reaching the plains# These upper reaches o the rivers !ay "e
ter!ed as Rivers in Hills# Further they are su"$divided into%
&# 'ncised or Rocky River stage
(# )oulder River stage
Roc! S"a#e or Incise$ River S"a#e % 'n this type* the low channel is generally
or!ed "y the process o degradation# The sedi!ent transported in this reach is oten
dierent ro! the river "ed !aterial* since !ost o it co!es ro! the catch!ents due to
soil erosion# The river reaches are highly steep with swit low and or!ing rapids along
their courses# The "eds and "anks o such rivers are less suscepti"le to erosion#
Bo&l$er River S"a#e + The river "ed in this reaches consists o a !i,ture o "oulders
(rocks with &- inch dia)* gravels and alluvial sand deposits created "y it sel# .uring a
lood the "oulders and gravels are transported downstrea!* "ut as the lood su"sides
the !aterials get deposited in !asses# The water then una"le to shit these heaps* go
round the! and the channel oten wanders in new directions* oten attacking the "anks
and conse/uently widening the "ed#
Rivers in All&vial Floo$ Plains: The chie characteristics o these river reaches is the
0ig$0ag way in which they low* which is called as !eandering# They !eander reely
ro! one "ank to another and carry sedi!ent which is si!ilar to the "ed !aterial# The
!aterials get eroded constantly ro! the concave "ank (outer edge) o the "end and
gets deposited either on the conve, side (inner edge) o the successive "ends or
"etween two successive "ends#
&# Aggrading
(# .egrading
1# 2ta"le
3# .eltic
A##ra$in# or Accre"in# T!'e % i the river is collecting sedi!ent and is "uilding up its
"ed* it is called aggrading or an accreting type river# 't is an silting river which increases
its "ed slope#The silting !ay "e due to heavy sedi!ent load* construction o an
o"struction across the river such as da! or weir* sudden intrusion o sedi!ent ro! a
tri"utary% etc#
(e#ra$in# T!'e % ' the river "ed is constantly getting scoured to reduce and dissipate
availa"le e,cess land scope* then the river is known as a degrading river#
S"a)le T!'e % A river which does not change its align!ent* slope and its regi!e
signiicantly is called as sta"le river# The "ehavior o a particular reach depends !ainly
upon the variations o silt si0e as well as the /uantity and low discharge with ti!e#
(el"ic Rivers + A river "eore it 4oins the sea* gets
divided into "ranches* thus or!ing a 5 shaped delta#
As the river approaches the sea* its velocity is reduced*
and conse/uently the channel gets silted and water
level rises resulting in spills and eventual or!ations o
new channels# These "ranches !ultiply in their nu!"er as the river approaches the
sea#
Ti$al Rivers + The tail reaches o the rivers ad4oining the oceans are aected "y the
tides in the ocean# The ocean water enters the river during the lood tide and goes out
into the ocean during e"" tide (The period "etween high tide and low tide during which
water lows away ro! the shore* also called falling tide). These rivers undergo*
periodical rise and all in its water level