Stream Cycle

Youthful Stream

Youthful Stream: A steep gradient, and a fairly straight channel. For the most part it flows in a V-shaped valley in highlands of mountainous areas with very little shifting of its channel. It reaches quite high speeds, and it works at lowering its channel through downcutting so that it can reach the base level. It has a very little floodplain, and rapids and waterfalls may be on its course.

Mature Stream

Mature Stream: A stream in its middle stage has a medium gradient and speed because it has eroded the bed downward and gotten closer to the base level. Though it is still eroding downwards it mainly erodes laterally.

Old Age Stream

Old Age Stream: A stream that has nearly reached the base level. Its gradient and speed are very slow, and because of this it has lost the power to erode downwards. It deposits as much as it erodes, and has a wide well developed floodplain defined by oxbow lakes.

Flood Plain: Flat land adjacent to a stream or river created by the stream flooding over and leaving deposits of rock and soil. This land often experiences flooding.

Oxbow Lakes: A U-shaped body of water that has been formed when a wide meander of a stream or river is cut off to create a lake.