Discover

An 'anabranch' is a section of a river or stream that diverts from the main watercourse channel (or mainstem) and rejoins the mainstem downstream.
In the simplest case, an island or rock in the river creates a main course and an anabranch course; a more significant anabranch would diverge for a distance of several kilometres before rejoining.
River deltas branch into large numbers of courses, though these are not normally regarded as anabranches, as the net result is usually multiple discharge points rather than a rejoined unified flow.

Contents

Word usage and related terms

Examples

See also

Word usage and related terms

The term ''anabranch'', in its hydrological meaning, is rarely used outside of Australia.
Elsewhere, terms ''distributary'', or more colloquially ''arm'' or ''channel'' may be used for subsidiary streams that branch from the main stream; however, unlike the more specific ''anabranch'', these terms (especially ''distributary'' and ''arm'') do not necessarily imply that the branch will rejoin the main course later downstream. For example, in the Fraser River delta, North Arm Fraser River, Middle Arm Fraser River, and South Arm Fraser River each fall into Georgia Strait separately. On the other hand, Annacis Island splits (South Arm) Fraser River into the (main) Annievile Channel and the (smaller) Annacis Channel, which rejoin below the island.

Examples

★ On the Darling River in New South Wales, the river divides south of Menindee for a hundred kilometres before rejoining. The anabranch contains flowing water only in wetter years.

See also

★ Braided channel