InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Water Science and Society > Student Materials > Module 3: Rivers and Watersheds > Rivers come in many shapes and sizes > Stream Power
InTeGrate's Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Stream Power

While there is currently no generalizable equation or universal law describing what a river channel should look like, a vast array of field data and modeling has culminated in some useful generalities. Stream power, defined as the product of water density (about 1000 kg/m3), gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s2), discharge (m3/s), and channel slope (m/m), is one useful predictor of channel form and dynamics because it quantifies the amount of 'work' that can be done by a stream, such as moving sediment on the bed or in the banks of the river (i.e., erosion or sediment transport). Braided rivers tend to have more stream power than single threaded meandering rivers.

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »