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Chapter 6.2
The Work of Streams
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| bed load | sediment that is carried by a stream along the bottom of its channel |
| capacity | the total amount of sediment a stream is able to transport |
| delta | an accumulation of sediment formed where a stream enters a lake or an ocean |
| natural levee | an elevated landform that parallels a stream and acts to confine its waters, except during a floodstage |
| floodplain | the flat, low-lying portion of a stream valley subject to periodic flooding |
| flood | occurs when the discharge of a stream becomes so great that it exceeds the carrying capacity of its channel and overflows its banks |
| drainage basin | the land area that contributes water to a stream |
| divide | an imaginary line that separates the drainage of two streams; often found along a ridge |