What is a river basin?

A river basin is an area drained by a river and all of its tributaries. A river basin is made up of many different watersheds.A watershed is a small version of a river basin. Every stream and tributary has its own watershed, which drains to a larger stream or wetland. These streams, ponds, wetlands, and lakes are part of a river basin. The Mississippi River basin in the U.S., for instance, is made up of six major watersheds: Missouri, Upper Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Lower Mississippi, and Arkansas-Red-White Rivers.

Further Reading:

• What are the Parts of a River Called?
• The Major Indian River Systems

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