A braided river is characterized by multiple, interconnected channels that weave around bars and islands of sediment. These rivers typically form in areas with a high sediment load and variable water flow, such as glacial meltwater streams. Braided rivers are important in the study of fluvial processes, sediment transport, and landscape evolution.
Source Leopold, L. B., & Wolman, M. G. (1957). “River Channel Patterns: Braided, Meandering, and Straight.” U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 282-B.