29/11/2023

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Water | about braided rivers

Physically similar extensive braided rivers are rare world-wide and occur only in Alaska, Canada and the Himalayas. Canterbury contains 60% of the braided- river habitat in New Zealand, and the Mackenzie Basin contains some of the most pristine of these rivers. Globally, braided rivers are rare. They occur only where a very specific combination of climate and geology allows rivers to form ever-changing and highly dynamic ‘braided’ channels across a wide gravelly riverbed. New Zealand is a braided river hot-spot....