stream waters a natural levee is a ridge or platform built on the floodplain adjacent to and trending along the course of the stream and represents the highest area or point on a floodplain natural levees are caused by successive flooding episodes and can inhibit subsequent flooding click here to see floodplain with levees click here to see a photo of a floodplain click here to see a photo of levees D. Channelization is the structural alteration made to a stream's channel in order to speed the flow of water and thus prevent it from flooding--channelization usually involves cutting off meanders to straighten a stream--the shorter straight channel will have a steeper gradient than before and its increased velocity will transport more water perhaps enough to prevent flooding in an area click here to see channelization of a stream and synthetic meander cutoffs water pollution will be treated at the end of the section on groundwater click here for more on streams click here to return to home page You are visitor: as of 8/18/97 page 216 click to return page 219 click to return page 217 click to return page 227 click to return dendritic drainage pattern click to return page 240 click to return page 239 click to return page 239 click to return page 226 click to return page 237 click to return page 238 click to return meander scars click to return entrenched meander click to return page 231 click to return page 232 click to return page 228 click to return floodplain click to return levees click to return channelized stream click to return
(a ridge or platform; built; L:on the floodplain adjacent to) (floodplain; click; to return levees) (click; to return; ) (the structural alteration; made; to a stream's channel; in order) (click; to return; )
a ridge or platform floodplain click the structural alteration click
built click to return made to return
L:on the floodplain adjacent to
to return levees
to a stream's channel in order