Anabranching Rivers: Their Cause, Character and Classification

Anabranching rivers consist of multiple channels separated by vegetated semi-permanent alluvial islands excised from existing floodplain or formed by within-channel or deltaic accretion. These rivers occupy a wide range of environments from low to high energy, however, their existence has never been adequately explained. They occur concurrently with other types of channel pattern, although specific requirements include a flood-dominated flow regime and banks that are resistant to erosion, with some systems characterized by mechanisms to block or constrict channels, thereby triggering avulsion. The fundamental advantage of an anabranching river is that, by constructing a semi-permanent system of multiple channels, it can concentrate stream flow and maximize bed-sediment transport (work per unit area of the bed) under conditions where there is little or no opportunity to increase gradient. On the basis of stream energy, sediment size and morphological characteristics, six types of anabranching river are recognized; types 1–3 are lower energy and types 4–6 are higher energy systems. Type 1 are cohesive sediment rivers (commonly termed anastomosing) with low w/d ratio channels that exhibit little or no lateral migration. They are divisible into three subtypes based on vegetative and sedimentary environment. Type 2 are sand-dominated, island-forming rivers, and type 3 are mixed-load laterally active meandering rivers. Type 4 are sand-dominated, ridge-forming rivers characterized by long, parallel, channel-dividing ridges. Type 5 are gravel-dominated, laterally active systems that interface between meandering and braiding in mountainous regions. Type 6 are gravel-dominated, stable systems that occur as non-migrating channels in small, relatively steep basins. Anabranching rivers represent a relatively uncommon but widespread and distinctive group that, because of particular sedimentary, energy-gradient and other hydraulic conditions, operate most effectively as a system of multiple channels separated by vegetated floodplain islands or alluvial ridges.