Rivers : Drainage system and patterns , Catchment areas and Watershed

The flow of water through well-defined channels is known as ‘drainage’.The network of such
channels is called a ‘drainage system’. The drainage pattern of an area is the outcome of the
geological time period, nature and structure of rocks, topography, slope, amount of water flowing
and the periodicity of the flow.

Antecedent Drainage or Inconsequent drainage: word Antecedent is "a thing that existed
before".earth starts upheaval (making mountains, gradually) but the rivers were not diverted but
they vigorously cut through the mountains continuing their direction of flow.They cut their courses
through the mountain making gorges in mountains.In examples : Ganga, Satluj, Indus etc. which
passes through the great Himalayas.

Superimposed or Epigenetic or Superinduced Drainage: Originally the land (can be hard rock or
soft rock or both) was there without river flowing on it. But as the years passed the land got
covered by some depositions years later, river start following on that cover but years later due to
erosion that temporary cover removed due to erosion…. but the rivers got a swag so they retained
their original course unaffected by the newly exposed structure (the river don’t give a damn to the
structure ).

So, if we go by the meaning of the word superimposed "lay one thing over another". examples are
the Damodar, Subernarekha, Chambal etc.

( Pic (superimposed)

Important Drainage Patterns

(ii) When the rivers originate from a hill and flow in all directions, the drainage pattern is Known as
‘radial’. The rivers originating from the Amarkantak range present a good example of it.

(iii) When the primary tributaries of rivers flow parallel to each other and secondary tributaries join
them at right angles, the pattern is known as ‘trellis’.

(iv) When the rivers discharge their waters from all directions in a lake or depression, the pattern
is know as ‘centripetal’.

Indian drainage system may be divided on various bases.

On the basis of discharge of water (orientations to the sea), it may be grouped into:

(i) the Arabian Sea drainage; and

(ii) the Bay of Bengal drainage.

They are separated from each other through the Delhi ridge, the Aravalis and the Sahyadris (water
divide). river basin

77 per cent of the drainage area consisting of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi, the
Krishna, etc. is oriented towards the Bay of Bengal

23 percent comprising the Indus, the Narmada, the Tapi, the Mahi and the Periyar systems
discharge their waters in the Arabian Sea.

On the basis of the size of the watershed,

the drainage basins of India are grouped into three categories:

(i) Major river basins with more than 20,000 sq. km of catchment area. It includes 14 drainage
basins such as the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Krishna, the Tapi, the Narmada, the Mahi, the
Pennar, the Sabarmati, the Barak, etc.

(ii) Medium river basins with catchment area between 2,000-20,000 sq. km incorporating 44 river
basins such as the Kalindi, the Periyar, the Meghna, etc.
(iii) Minor river basins with catchment area of less than 2,000 sq. km include fairly good number of
rivers flowing in the area of low rainfall.

North Indian rivers are originating from Himalayas peninsular rivers are originating from Western
ghats

The Narmada and Tapi are two large rivers which are exceptions originating form central
highlands.

the Indian drainage may also be classified into the Himalayan drainage and the Peninsular
drainage.

A catchment area is a hydrological unit. Each drop of precipitation that falls into a catchment area
eventually ends up in the same river going to the sea if it doesn’t evaporate. However, it can take
a very long time. Catchment areas are separated from each other by watersheds. A watershed is
natural division line along the highest points in an area. Catchments are divided into sub
catchments, also along the lines of elevation.

Watershed A watershed is an area of land that feeds all the water running under it and draining off
of it into a body of water. It combines with other watersheds to form a network of rivers and
streams that progressively drain into larger water areas. It is an area covered by a system of surface
and subsurface water flowing into a common terminus, indicates a geohydrological unit comprising
of all land and water within the confine of a drainage devide. It refers ridge to valley approach to
demarcate a watershed.

Topography determines where and how water flows. Ridge tops surrounding a body of water
determine the boundary of a watershed. Imagine turning an open umbrella upside down in the rain.
Rain that hits anywhere within the umbrella's surface area would go to the bottom at the center of
the umbrella. Any rain that didn't hit the umbrella would fall to the ground. The umbrella is like a
watershed; it collects everything that falls into it.
Waterways within the watershed all feed into that main body of water, which could be a river, lake,
or stream. The beginnings of a water source are called headwaters. The spot where headwaters
progressively join other water sources is called the confluence, and the endpoint of the waterways
that open into the main body of water is called the mouth.

To return to the umbrella example, imagine now that there are three groups of umbrellas. One
group of large umbrellas (the basin) sits on the ground, while another group of smaller umbrellas
(watersheds) floats above them, with a hole in the bottom of each. Yet another group of even
smaller umbrellas (catchments) floats above those, also with a hole in the bottom of each. If the rain
was caught in the top level of umbrellas, it would drain into the larger umbrellas below, which would
drain into the largest umbrellas below them.

The boundary line separating one drainage basin from the other is known as the watershed.

The catchments of large rivers are called river basins while those of small rivulets and rills are
often referred to as watersheds.