The discharge, or rate of outflow, of a river depends on the width of its channel and on its velocity. River volume is affected by duration and rate of precipitation in the drainage basin of the river. A river system may be enlarged by piracy, or the process by which one river, cutting through the divide that separates its drainage basin from that of another river, diverts the waters of the other into its own channel. 4 Traditionally river systems have been classified according to their stage of development as young, mature, or old. The age classification of rivers is diminishing in popularity now that quantitative studies of river behavior are more common.
Navigable rivers are important in commerce and have influenced the location of cities.
Rivers with sufficient velocity and gradient can be used to produce hydroelectric power. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Click here to shop the Bartleby Bookstore .