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Main stem

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in 1945, channels with no tributaries are called "first-order" streams. When two first-order streams meet, they are said to form a second-order stream; when two second-order streams meet, they form a third-order stream, and so on. In the Horton system, the entire mainstem of a drainage basin was
124:, reach 9. Streams with no tributaries, assigned the Strahler number 1, are most common. More than 1.5 million of these small streams, with average drainage basins of only 1 square mile (2.6 km), have been identified in the United States alone. Outside of the United States, the 77:
to the outlet of the river, although there are multiple ways to determine which headwater (or first-order tributary) is the source of the mainstem. Water enters the mainstem from the river's
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system, adopted in 1957, only that part of the mainstem below the tributary of the next highest rank gets the highest number.
250: 17: 190: 160: 1489: 81:, the land area through which the mainstem and its tributaries flow. A drainage basin may also be referred to as a 1020: 100:
Hydrological classification systems assign numbers to tributaries and mainstems within a drainage basin. In the
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mainstem achieves a Strahler number of 10, the highest in the nation. Eight rivers, including the
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reaches a Strahler number of 12, making it the highest-order river in the world.
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Rivers of the United States: Volume II: Chemical and Physical Characteristics
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Strahler diagram. Only a segment of the mainstem gets the highest number.
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assigned the highest number in that basin. However, in the
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Benke, Arthur C. & Cushing, Colbert E., eds. (2005).
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drainage basin with the mainstem highlighted in dark blue
73:". The mainstem extends all the way from one specific 185:. New York: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 15–17. 1502: 272: 258: 208: 144: 223:"How Are the World's Waterways Classified?" 265: 251: 65:) is "the primary downstream segment of a 204: 202: 176: 174: 172: 104:, a modification of a system devised by 91: 36: 27:Final large channel of a riverine system 864:International scale of river difficulty 180: 14: 1503: 199: 169: 246: 24: 220: 25: 1532: 1021:Flooded grasslands and savannas 214: 138: 13: 1: 131: 1187:Universal Soil Loss Equation 1137:Hydrological transport model 1031:Storm Water Management Model 7: 10: 1537: 691:Antecedent drainage stream 209:Benke & Cushing (2005) 116:In the United States, the 32:Main stem (disambiguation) 29: 1455: 1427:River valley civilization 1389: 1328: 1310:Riparian-zone restoration 1210: 1072: 1044: 945: 917: 849: 671: 538: 455: 377: 288: 1490:Countries without rivers 1465:Rivers by discharge rate 1177:Runoff model (reservoir) 1142:Infiltration (hydrology) 1162:River Continuum Concept 927:Agricultural wastewater 148:Rivers of North America 69:, as contrasted to its 1485:River name etymologies 1412:Hydraulic civilization 1270:Floodplain restoration 1046:Point source pollution 821:Sedimentary structures 181:Patrick, Ruth (1995). 97: 46: 1097:Discharge (hydrology) 1059:Industrial wastewater 540:Sedimentary processes 95: 40: 1202:Volumetric flow rate 786:Riffle-pool sequence 30:For other uses, see 18:Mainstem (hydrology) 1376:Whitewater kayaking 1371:Whitewater canoeing 1172:Runoff curve number 1016:Flood pulse concept 1402:Aquatic toxicology 1315:Stream restoration 1280:Infiltration basin 1132:Hydrological model 648:Sediment transport 471:Estavelle/Inversac 349:Subterranean river 98: 47: 1511:Fluvial landforms 1498: 1497: 1475:Whitewater rivers 1381:Whitewater slalom 1212:River engineering 1112:Groundwater model 1073:River measurement 1001:Flood forecasting 816:Sedimentary basin 673:Fluvial landforms 578:Bed material load 354:River bifurcation 118:Mississippi River 61:(also known as a 43:Mississippi River 16:(Redirected from 1528: 1460:Rivers by length 1295:River morphology 1197:Wetted perimeter 1102:Drainage density 613:Headward erosion 442:Perennial stream 314:Blackwater river 267: 260: 253: 244: 243: 237: 236: 234: 233: 221:Briney, Amanda. 218: 212: 206: 197: 196: 178: 167: 166: 142: 106:Robert E. Horton 21: 1536: 1535: 1531: 1530: 1529: 1527: 1526: 1525: 1501: 1500: 1499: 1494: 1470:Drainage basins 1451: 1385: 1324: 1300:Retention basin 1260:Erosion control 1255:Detention basin 1206: 1122:Hjulström curve 1074: 1068: 1040: 984:Non-water flood 941: 913: 859:Helicoidal flow 845: 746:Fluvial terrace 741:Floating island 667: 542: 534: 525:Rhythmic spring 459: 451: 432:Stream gradient 373: 359:River ecosystem 324:Channel pattern 292: 284: 271: 241: 240: 231: 229: 219: 215: 207: 200: 193: 179: 170: 163: 143: 139: 134: 102:Strahler number 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1534: 1524: 1523: 1518: 1513: 1496: 1495: 1493: 1492: 1487: 1482: 1477: 1472: 1467: 1462: 1456: 1453: 1452: 1450: 1449: 1444: 1439: 1434: 1429: 1424: 1419: 1414: 1409: 1404: 1399: 1393: 1391: 1387: 1386: 1384: 1383: 1378: 1373: 1368: 1363: 1361:Stone skipping 1358: 1353: 1348: 1343: 1338: 1332: 1330: 1326: 1325: 1323: 1322: 1317: 1312: 1307: 1302: 1297: 1292: 1287: 1282: 1277: 1272: 1267: 1262: 1257: 1252: 1247: 1245:Drop structure 1242: 1237: 1232: 1227: 1225:Balancing lake 1222: 1216: 1214: 1208: 1207: 1205: 1204: 1199: 1194: 1189: 1184: 1179: 1174: 1169: 1164: 1159: 1154: 1152:Playfair's law 1149: 1144: 1139: 1134: 1129: 1124: 1119: 1114: 1109: 1107:Exner equation 1104: 1099: 1094: 1092:Bradshaw model 1089: 1084: 1078: 1076: 1070: 1069: 1067: 1066: 1061: 1056: 1050: 1048: 1042: 1041: 1039: 1038: 1033: 1028: 1023: 1018: 1013: 1008: 1003: 998: 993: 988: 987: 986: 981: 979:Urban flooding 971: 966: 964:Crevasse splay 961: 959:100-year flood 955: 953: 943: 942: 940: 939: 934: 929: 923: 921: 919:Surface runoff 915: 914: 912: 911: 906: 901: 899:Stream capture 896: 891: 886: 881: 876: 871: 866: 861: 855: 853: 847: 846: 844: 843: 838: 833: 828: 823: 818: 813: 811:Rock-cut basin 808: 803: 798: 793: 788: 783: 778: 773: 768: 763: 758: 753: 748: 743: 738: 733: 728: 723: 718: 713: 708: 703: 698: 693: 688: 683: 677: 675: 669: 668: 666: 665: 660: 655: 653:Suspended load 650: 645: 643:Secondary flow 640: 635: 633:Retrogradation 630: 625: 620: 615: 610: 605: 600: 598:Dissolved load 595: 590: 585: 580: 575: 570: 565: 560: 555: 549: 547: 536: 535: 533: 532: 530:Spring horizon 527: 522: 517: 515:Mineral spring 512: 511: 510: 500: 499: 498: 496:list in the US 493: 483: 478: 473: 467: 465: 453: 452: 450: 449: 444: 439: 434: 429: 424: 422:Stream channel 419: 414: 409: 404: 399: 394: 389: 383: 381: 375: 374: 372: 371: 366: 361: 356: 351: 346: 344:Drainage basin 341: 336: 331: 326: 321: 316: 311: 306: 304:Alluvial river 300: 298: 286: 285: 270: 269: 262: 255: 247: 239: 238: 213: 198: 191: 168: 161: 136: 135: 133: 130: 122:Columbia River 79:drainage basin 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1533: 1522: 1521:Water streams 1519: 1517: 1514: 1512: 1509: 1508: 1506: 1491: 1488: 1486: 1483: 1481: 1478: 1476: 1473: 1471: 1468: 1466: 1463: 1461: 1458: 1457: 1454: 1448: 1445: 1443: 1442:Surface water 1440: 1438: 1437:Sacred waters 1435: 1433: 1430: 1428: 1425: 1423: 1422:Riparian zone 1420: 1418: 1415: 1413: 1410: 1408: 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1009: 1007: 1004: 1002: 999: 997: 996:Flood control 994: 992: 991:Flood barrier 989: 985: 982: 980: 977: 976: 975: 972: 970: 967: 965: 962: 960: 957: 956: 954: 952: 948: 944: 938: 935: 933: 930: 928: 925: 924: 922: 920: 916: 910: 907: 905: 902: 900: 897: 895: 892: 890: 887: 885: 882: 880: 877: 875: 872: 870: 867: 865: 862: 860: 857: 856: 854: 852: 848: 842: 839: 837: 834: 832: 829: 827: 824: 822: 819: 817: 814: 812: 809: 807: 804: 802: 799: 797: 794: 792: 789: 787: 784: 782: 779: 777: 774: 772: 769: 767: 764: 762: 759: 757: 754: 752: 749: 747: 744: 742: 739: 737: 734: 732: 729: 727: 724: 722: 719: 717: 714: 712: 709: 707: 704: 702: 699: 697: 694: 692: 689: 687: 684: 682: 679: 678: 676: 674: 670: 664: 661: 659: 656: 654: 651: 649: 646: 644: 641: 639: 636: 634: 631: 629: 626: 624: 623:Palaeochannel 621: 619: 616: 614: 611: 609: 606: 604: 601: 599: 596: 594: 591: 589: 586: 584: 583:Granular flow 581: 579: 576: 574: 571: 569: 566: 564: 561: 559: 556: 554: 551: 550: 548: 546: 541: 537: 531: 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771:Meander scar 686:Alluvial fan 628:Progradation 503:Karst spring 447:Winterbourne 402:Chalk stream 364:River source 339:Distributary 230:. Retrieved 226: 216: 211:, p. 4. 182: 147: 140: 126:Amazon River 115: 99: 86: 82: 62: 58: 54: 48: 1341:Fly fishing 1265:Fish ladder 1250:Daylighting 969:Flash flood 932:First flush 879:Plunge pool 603:Downcutting 588:Debris flow 563:Aggradation 437:Stream pool 71:tributaries 1505:Categories 1447:Wild river 1127:Hydrograph 1117:Hack's law 1082:Baer's law 1026:Inundation 1011:Floodplain 951:stormwater 909:Whitewater 781:Oxbow lake 618:Knickpoint 593:Deposition 486:Hot spring 427:Streamflow 417:Stream bed 334:Confluence 232:2018-12-24 132:References 1417:Limnology 1366:Triathlon 1336:Canyoning 1305:Revetment 1235:Check dam 1147:Main stem 904:Waterfall 791:Point bar 776:Mouth bar 716:Billabong 663:Water gap 658:Wash load 638:Saltation 558:Anabranch 481:Holy well 369:Tributary 227:ThoughtCo 87:catchment 83:watershed 75:headwater 55:main stem 51:hydrology 1220:Aqueduct 1087:Baseflow 1054:Effluent 731:Cut bank 696:Avulsion 573:Bed load 553:Abrasion 111:Strahler 59:mainstem 1397:Aquifer 1390:Related 1346:Rafting 874:Meander 869:Log jam 831:Thalweg 736:Estuary 608:Erosion 545:erosion 457:Springs 412:Current 379:Streams 319:Channel 282:springs 278:streams 1516:Rivers 1192:WAFLEX 1064:Sewage 947:Floods 889:Riffle 884:Rapids 826:Strath 796:Ravine 721:Canyon 476:Geyser 407:Coulee 392:Bourne 387:Arroyo 290:Rivers 274:Rivers 189:  159:  1290:Levee 1275:Flume 1230:Canal 974:Flood 894:Shoal 761:Gully 756:Gulch 726:Chine 711:Bayou 568:Armor 520:Ponor 295:lists 67:river 63:trunk 1320:Weir 1285:Leat 949:and 841:Wadi 801:Rill 766:Glen 751:Gill 701:Bank 543:and 508:list 491:list 462:list 397:Burn 280:and 187:ISBN 157:ISBN 153:1137 53:, a 41:The 1240:Dam 706:Bar 681:Ait 85:or 57:or 49:In 1507:: 276:, 225:. 201:^ 171:^ 155:. 89:. 464:) 460:( 297:) 293:( 266:e 259:t 252:v 235:. 195:. 165:. 34:. 20:)

Index

Mainstem (hydrology)
Main stem (disambiguation)

Mississippi River
hydrology
river
tributaries
headwater
drainage basin

Strahler number
Robert E. Horton
Strahler
Mississippi River
Columbia River
Amazon River
Rivers of North America
1137
ISBN
0-12-088253-1



ISBN
0-471-10752-2


Benke & Cushing (2005)
"How Are the World's Waterways Classified?"
v

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