Definitions of rivers, stream, brooks, creeks and other terms
We frequently come across terms like river, stream, brook, and creek, each often carrying different connotations. But what truly differentiates a river—a large watercourse—from its smaller counterparts like streams and brooks?
Understanding this distinction involves considering several factors, including size, flow, and geographical significance. Rivers are typically larger and play a crucial role in shaping landscapes, serving as vital water sources for human settlements and ecosystems. In contrast, streams and brooks are generally smaller, with creeks falling somewhere in between. While all these bodies of water feature continuous movement, their scale and impact vary significantly. By examining these characteristics, we can better appreciate the unique role each plays in the environment.
This issue can be examined from two perspectives: hydro-morphology and linguistics.
Interestingly, no global standards body establishes a definitive hierarchy for the terminology related to “watercourse.” There are no precise boundaries that classify these terms based on factors such as flow rate, channel width, or depth.
The certainty lies predominantly in geological terminology. Within the field of geology, the term “stream” is employed to describe any moving body of water, ranging from a minor trickle to a vast river. A stream, defined by its flowing nature within a channel, is propelled downhill due to gravitational forces, irrespective of its magnitude. In this context, a river is essentially considered a large stream. The broader term often used in other contexts is “watercourse.”
Furthermore, streams possess the capability to flow beneath the surface or even within another water body, exemplified by phenomena such as the Gulf Stream.
In practical terms, we typically classify rivers as substantial flows of moving water, whereas streams are considered to be smaller in size. Rivers are generally challenging to traverse, frequently navigable, and often spanned by bridges.
In this context, a stream is typically a smaller body of water, often located in hilly areas and generally easy to traverse. The transition from a stream to a river is subjective and can vary according to personal judgment. Occasionally, the term ‘rivulet’ is used to describe something slightly larger than a stream, yet still on the smaller side of what we might consider a river. Similarly, the word ‘streamlet’ is used to refer to very small streams.
Stream, in the sense of a smaller body of running water, could be divided furthermore. A brook is a small stream or rivulet, commonly swiftly flowing in rugged terrain, of lesser length and volume than a creek.
The classification of various sizes in streams doesn’t have any practical value, unlike the classification of the different sizes of sediment, which is necessary for construction, etc. (See more about sediment). Some people say you can step over a brook, jump over a creek, wade across a stream, and swim across a river.
Then, we hear regional terms and different uses of the already existing brooks and creeks. A run (such as Bull Run in Virginia) is a “small stream”, typical in some parts of the U.S. Streams named kill (from the Middle Dutch word kille) frequently occur in New York (and occasionally in nearby states) and were most likely named by the Dutch. Some of these have had “creek” or “river” added to them later (Catskill Creek, Fishkill River). A burn is familiar in Scotland and parts of New Zealand. These words have common meanings not associated with running water. A slough is a creek in a marsh or tide flat.
There is some confusion with channels and canals.
Channel is a general word for a place where water or other fluids can pass; it is also used metaphorically, as in channel of communication. A canal only means an artificial waterway built initially for boats or ships. For example, we wouldn’t regularly use the word for an irrigation trench.
Different languages cope with this problem with other terms and classifications. In French, we have ” rivière ” and ” la fleuve “. Basically, “le fleuve” flows into the sea or the océan, whereas “rivière” is a tributary of another river. I am not sure what the classification of smaller streams is.
Give me your thoughts. Also, what are terms in other languages?
