Rivers: Upper course

Rivers are bodies of water that move across land. All rivers can be split into an upper, middle and lower course.

In this article you can learn:

• Where a river begins
• Features of a river's upper course
• How waterfalls, gorges and other physical features are formed
• Wildlife you might find near or in the upper course

This resource is suitable for Landscapes topics for primary school learners.

Join Isla and Connor as they explore the upper course of the River Tay.

• A river is a moving body of water that flows across land from its source (on high ground).
• Eventually, a river flows into another body of water such as a loch, the sea, an ocean or even another river.
• Rivers are an important part of our water cycle.
• Rivers can be divided into the upper course, middle course and lower course.

• The upper course is the section at the beginning of the river, nearest the source.
• Rivers usually begin in an upland area, like the top of a mountain. Snow melts or rain falls on high ground and begins to flow downhill.
• The upper course of a river is usually steep and narrow.
• The current is fast in the steep upper course so the water has more energy and can wear away rocks and soil. This is called erosion.
• Erosion in the upper course of the river helps to create V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, rapids and gorges.

This slideshow shows some examples of upper course features.

Discover some of the wildlife you might find in and around the upper course of a Scottish river.

• source - Where a river begins. Snow melts or rain falls on high ground, like a mountain, and begins to flow downhill. The source of the River Tay starts near the top of Ben Lui.
• upper course - The first part of a river. The upper course of a river is usually steep and narrow.
• current - The flow of water, in a river or stream, being pulled by gravity as the water moves downhill.
• erosion - When a material, like rock, wears away over time. The powerful water in a river's upper course causes lots of erosion in the landscape.
• waterfall - Water which falls over a steep rocky ledge into a plunge pool. Waterfalls form when water flows from hard rock to soft rock. Soft rock wears away quicker than hard rock in a process called erosion. A ledge of hard rock develops as the soft rock erodes forming a plunge pool. Over time, the hard rock collapse into the plunge pool.
• gorge - A narrow valley with rocky walls. Over thousands of years, erosion causes waterfalls to move upstream forming a gorge.
• v-shaped valley - A valley with very steep sides, which look like the letter 'V'. Like waterfalls and gorges, a v-shaped valley is formed by erosion from a river or steam over a long period of time.
• rapids - Fast-flowing water in a steep, shallow area of a river.

Try this short multiple choice quiz to test your knowledge of the upper course.

Research your local area and find out where the nearest river is to your home. Can you create a map of the river?

A map is a drawing of an area. They are used to help plan routes from one place to another, or to find certain features such as castles or hills

Here is an example of a map of the River Tay.

Here are some things you might want to include on your map:

• A compass. The top of most maps is north and a compass can be used to find which direction north is.
• Where the river starts (the source). Is this up high on a mountain or hill? Could you use a symbol to represent this?
• Where the river ends. This will usually be another body of water like a loch, sea or another river.
• Important places or landmarks along the river's path. Are there any towns or villages that you want to highlight on your map? Could you use a symbol to represent the landmark?
• If you have used symbols, you might want to include a key so people can understand what the symbols mean.

If you need more help with your map, you can learn more here: Geography Skills - Maps.