Floodplain
Floodplain
A Floodplain (pronounced: /ˈflʌdˌpleɪn/) is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream or river that experiences occasional or periodic flooding. It includes the floodway, which consists of the stream channel and adjacent areas that actively carry flood flows downstream, and the flood fringe, that is inundated by the flood, but does not experience a strong current.
Etymology
The term "Floodplain" is derived from the English words "flood" and "plain". The word "flood" comes from the Old English "flōd", a word common to Germanic languages (compare German "Flut", Dutch "vloed" from the same root as is seen in flow, float; also compare with Latin "flumen", river). The word "plain" comes from the Latin "planus", "flat" or "level".
Related Terms
- Flood: An overflow of water onto normally dry land. The inundation of a normally dry area caused by rising water in an existing waterway, such as a river, stream, or drainage ditch.
- River: A large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another such stream.
- Stream: A small, narrow river.
- Floodway: The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height.
- Flood Fringe: The outer areas of the floodplain, adjacent to the floodway, where waters are generally shallower and slower-moving during a flood event.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Floodplain
- Wikipedia's article - Floodplain
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