Introduction to Rivers for Junior Cert - Important Definitions of Key Terms

Question	Answer
River Basin	Total area of river and its tributaries
Source	Point where river begins
Course	Route taken by the river as it heads to sea
Tributary	Small river or stream that joins up with a larger one
Confluence	Point at which a tributary joins a river
Mouth	Point where the river enters the sea
Estuary	Part of river mouth that is tidal
River Basin	Area of land that is drained by a river and its tributaries
Watershed	High ground that separates one river basin from another
Youthful Stage/Upper Course	River has a steep slope/gradient and valley has narrow floor and steep sides
Mature Stage/Middle Course	River has a gentler Gradient and valley has a wider floor and the sides are more gently sloping
Old Stage/ Lower Course	River has almost flat gradient and valley has a wide, flat floor and gentle sides

Resource summary

	Created by Gaeilge SPC about 10 years ago