River-Related Terms
- Run -
A section of river that can be boated.
- Put-In - River access where a trip begins.
- Take-Out - River access where a trip ends.
- River Right - The right side of the river when facing downstream.
- River Left - The left side of the river when facing downstream.
- Gradient - The "steepness" of a river, measured in feet of
elevation loss per mile of river.
- River Rating - A measure of the difficulty of a rapid or a
river.
- Flow -
The amount of water passing a point in the river, measured in Cubic Feet
per Second (CFS).
- High Water - River flow above an expected average. Makes the currents faster.
Some rapids get easier, others become more difficult.
- Low Water - Flows below an expected average. More rocks and obstacles may
show, rapids become more technical.
- Eddie - Water flowing upstream behind a rock or other obstacle. Eddies often
provide a safe place to get out of the current.
- Eddie Line, Eddie Fence - Where the water flowing upstream passes the
water flowing downstream.
- Rapid -
Where there's whitewater! Water flowing through a shallower, constricted,
or steeper section forms a rapid.
- Hole, Hydraulic - Where water flowing over a rock or other
obstacle flows down, then back onto itself in an eruption of whitewater.
- Laterals - A wave or hole peeling off an obstacle at an angle.
- Standing Wave, Haystack - A wave in a river formed by obstacles on the
river bottom, where the wave stands still relative to the bank.
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