What is a split in a river called?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

A split in a river where a single flowing stream divides into multiple separate channels that diverge and flow away from each other is formally known as a distributary. Unlike tributaries that flow into a main river channel, distributaries are commonly found in river deltas—such as the Mississippi River Delta or the Nile River Delta—where sediment accumulation forces the main waterway to branch out across low-lying coastal plains before emptying into an ocean, sea, or large lake.

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An arm of a river is most commonly referred to as a distributary when it branches off from the main channel and flows away toward an ocean or lake, or a tributary if it is a smaller stream feeding into the main river.

A secondary flowing body of water that feeds into a larger main river or lake is formally classified in hydrology and geography as a tributary.

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The side or margin of a river is geographically and hydrologically referred to as the bank.

A classic example of a river bank is the sloping margin of earth, rock, and vegetation lining either side of the Mississippi River as it flows toward the Gulf of Mexico, or the elevated earthen levees running along the Thames in London.

The English language features several distinct words that describe natural flowing bodies of freshwater moving toward oceans, lakes, or larger drainage basins, each carrying nuanced geographic descriptions.

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Another word or descriptive phrase for a river bank is a riparian zone, embankment, water margin, shore, watercourse edge, or levée.

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When examining massive hydrological features and river engineering works, the concept of a river bank typically refers to structural levees, embankments, or natural geological formations bordering the largest drainage basins.

A river bank refers to the terrain bordering a natural flowing watercourse, defining the physical boundary where the active channel of a river meets the surrounding dry land.

In Old English, which was spoken in Anglo-Saxon England from the fifth to the twelfth centuries, several distinct vocabulary words were utilized to describe flowing bodies of water and rivers.

A river bank is the physical land boundary flanking a flowing body of water, separating the river channel from the adjacent dry terrain of the surrounding floodplain or valley.

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In physical geography and hydrology, the bank of a river refers to the terrain alongside or sloping down to the edges of a natural stream, channel, or riverbed.