Various River Terms for Whitewater Rafting

Rivers usually originate from a freshwater source that flows downwards from a higher elevation like atop a mountain towards one or more rivers, which then leads into a lake, a sea, or an ocean. In Colorado, we have four major rivers: Colorado, Rio Grande, Arkansas, and South Platte. Many small streams and rivers feed into these major rivers, giving us some of the best options in the US for whitewater rafting in Colorado. Some of our exciting whitewater rafting trips at Wilderness Aware Rafting take place on the incredible Arkansas and Colorado River.

As you’re navigating downriver during one of our trips, you may wonder how to refer to specific areas along the river. Well, you’re in luck! This is a handy guide to river terms so start studying so you can look like quite the river stud (or studdess) next time you jump into a raft.

Whitewater Rafting River Terms

• Confluence – the point where two rivers meet
• Dam – a man-made barrier built to hold back water in a reservoir or divert the flow of water
• Downstream – the direction that the river is flowing
• Drainage Basin – the area of land where surface water from rain, snow, and ice is drained by river at a lower elevation
• Eddy – spot where the water headed downstream stops or reverses, usually resulting in a spot to get stuck
• Estuary – where the tide of an ocean meets the current of the river and mixes, usually at the mouth of a river
• Flood Plain – the flat land close to the river banks, which is very fertile and often used for agriculture
• Flooding – when the rivers are overflowing with water and spreads over the bank and surrounding land
• Rapids – the wavy areas of a river where the current is moving fast and breaks against rocks near the surface
• Riverbed – the ground at the bottom of the river, which is usually sand and stones
• The Mouth – the end of the river where it meets a large body of water like a lake or ocean
• Waterfall – the sudden drop off of a river over a cliff
• Watershed – the land that drains water into a river or other body of water

At Wilderness Aware Rafting, we absolutely love being on the rivers and having a better understanding of their nature and how they work with, well, the rest of nature. Sharing the knowledge and experience with you is an amazing benefit of our jobs. If you are interested in a Colorado Rafting Trip, multi-day rafting trip, or want to try Salt River whitewater rafting in Arizona, please be sure to contact us and find out what trip offerings we have available.