Topic summary
Left tributary
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Tributary.
Terminology
Right tributary, or right-bank tributary, and left tributary, or left-bank tributary, describe the orientation of a tributary relative to the flow of the main stem stream. These terms are defined from the perspective of looking downstream, that is, facing the direction the water current of the main stem is going. In a navigational context, if one were floating on a raft or other vessel in the main stream, this would be the side the tributary enters from as one floats past; alternately, if one were floating down the tributary, the main stream meets it on the opposite bank of the tributary. This information may be used to avoid turbulent water by moving towards the opposite bank before approaching the confluence.