Winter riverbed

The winter riverbed is the area a river takes up in winter. There is more precipitation in winter than in summer, which causes the river to expand outside its narrower summer riverbed. The water will remain in the winter riverbed until it flows back to the river naturally, soaks into the ground or evaporates. If we restore the winter riverbed in certain places, we give the river more room to flood safely. The natural relief or local levees protect the hinterland.