What causes rivers to flood?

-- rosemarie (bernard@oswego.edu), September 24, 2002

Answers

River floods occur when the amount of water contributed to the stream from its tributaries and surrounding areas exceeds the capacity of the channel. Channels have developed their width and depth in response to the most common high flow events. Rarer very high discharges essentially "don't fit" in the channel and water is forced over the banks and out onto the floodplain

-- Sharon Gabel (gabel@oswego.edu), September 30, 2002.

There are several factors that may cause rivers to flow. An example will be when rivers overtop large streches of their banks, flowing over the floodplain, and depositing sediment in a thinning and fining wedge away from the channel.Also despite huge investments in leaves and dams, rivers can not always be controlled.I Hope this helps answer your question.

-- Philippa Brewu (brewu@oswego.edu), September 25, 2002.