What is the term for an area drained by a river and its tributaries?

Get ready for your General Education Test with our structured study tools, featuring flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Access detailed explanations for each question to boost your confidence and ensure a successful exam experience!

Multiple Choice

What is the term for an area drained by a river and its tributaries?

Think about the land area that collects rainfall and runoff and feeds into a river system. That area is called a watershed, or drainage basin. Its boundaries are formed by surrounding high ground (divides), and every drop of water within it eventually makes its way into the river and its tributaries. The other terms refer to specific river features instead of the entire drainage area: a delta forms where a river deposits sediment at its mouth; an estuary is where freshwater meets seawater at the coast; a canyon is a deep valley carved by a river. So the area drained by a river and its tributaries is the watershed, also known as the drainage basin.

Think about the land area that collects rainfall and runoff and feeds into a river system. That area is called a watershed, or drainage basin. Its boundaries are formed by surrounding high ground (divides), and every drop of water within it eventually makes its way into the river and its tributaries. The other terms refer to specific river features instead of the entire drainage area: a delta forms where a river deposits sediment at its mouth; an estuary is where freshwater meets seawater at the coast; a canyon is a deep valley carved by a river. So the area drained by a river and its tributaries is the watershed, also known as the drainage basin.

More practice questions