Creek vs River

[T-Town Yankee]

I was trying to answer this question for a friend of mine, but the truth is I really don't know.

What is the difference between a creek and a river? or should I say crik :)

I've been on some mighty small "rivers" that seemed like creeks to me, especially during the dry season :)
and been on a few creeks that might have passed for small rivers.
So when does a creek / crik become a river?

[Trismegistus]

Interchangable -- only criteria is that creek are usually smaller than rivers within a geological area. So what may be considered a creek in a temperate region may be a river in desert. Because of the confusion hydrologists tend to simply call them all "streams" and then use "order" to denote size -- actually not size but "hierarchy of tributaries" with first order streams being the smallest and the largest of them all the Amazon a 12th order stream. When two first order streams merge they form a second order stream and on down the line.

Fortunately I like the sound of Cadron Creek better than Cadron River.

[mel z]

I thought "rivers" have to be a certain length and navigable (sp?) for that length (like 50 or 100 miles) and otherwise it's a "creek". We've got to have environmental scientists on this board who know the answer???? So when is it a brook, or a babbling brook?

[paddledog]

Creek have more rocks than water,
Rivers more water than rocks.

Maybe I'm thinking of creeks vs steep creeks.........

[David Holthus]

As I understand, a river is 100 miles or more and a creek is less than 100 miles.

[Roger]

One enviro sci dictionary defines rivers interchangeably with stream, creek, branch, etc.. So, for the technical definition, I'll go with Tris.

DAve H, check yore PM.s

[hdh]

A creek is something you get in your neck ,or shoulder, after a day on the cossatot.
like last sunday.

Harlan

[philllll]

A brook becomes a babbling brook after his 6th shot of Yeggermeister...
and his 4th "I love you, Man!" while mangling your neck.

[Z-yak Davis]

was that the Cossatot Creek or the Cossatot River? now I am really confuzed.