That's an interesting question. One thing I would say a river does that a canal does not is meander in its path, forming oxbow lakes and silting up in some areas. With proper maintenance, canals positions are static, so I think I would only count a canal as a river if it started to erode away and meander. This actually happened to the Grand Canal during times where China was at war and maintenance was not prioritized, with silt deposits making large parts of it unnavigable.
How old does a canal have to be before it becomes a river? :thinking:
That's an interesting question. One thing I would say a river does that a canal does not is meander in its path, forming oxbow lakes and silting up in some areas. With proper maintenance, canals positions are static, so I think I would only count a canal as a river if it started to erode away and meander. This actually happened to the Grand Canal during times where China was at war and maintenance was not prioritized, with silt deposits making large parts of it unnavigable.