Floodplain

<p>A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a <a href="/facts/River/GxdjEX21">river</a>. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience <a href="/facts/Flood/FDQjJeXW">flooding</a> during periods of high <a href="/facts/Discharge_(hydrology)/aFeFEHpC">discharge</a>. The soils usually consist of clays, <a href="/facts/Silt/HAxJkhDP">silts</a>, sands, and gravels deposited during floods.
</p><p>Because of regular flooding, floodplains frequently have high <a href="/facts/Soil_fertility/E7ofTY0f">soil fertility</a> since nutrients are deposited with the flood waters. This can encourage <a href="/facts/Farming/TGztqzJs">farming</a>; some important agricultural regions, such as the <a href="/facts/Nile/vGoXVUFH">Nile</a> and <a href="/facts/Mississippi_Basin/RduarPzj">Mississippi</a> <a href="/facts/Drainage_basin/lzsx0XJS">river basins</a>, heavily exploit floodplains.  Agricultural and urban regions have developed near or on floodplains to take advantage of the rich soil and freshwater. However, the <a href="/facts/Flood_risk/FDQjJeXW">risk of inundation</a> has led to increasing efforts to <a href="/facts/Flood_control/rf0476SJ">control flooding</a>.
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Floodplain open-in-new

Floodplain