The white-water rivers have a highly deceiving name. A first-time visitor could walk up to the river to quench his thirst only to realize that the ‘white-water’ is actually murky and muddy!
What could be the reason?
The water in these rivers flow great distances from their origin and pass through myriads of landscapes like mountains, riverbanks, rocks, and plains Tons of heavy sediment also get carried along with these water currents. Heavy rains and deforestation increase the amount of soil and sediment that get washed away. This is why they have a ‘cafe-au-lait’ (coffee in hot milk) appearance.
These white waters are soft in terms of water hardness and slightly acidic. The softness is because of the low mineral content and acidity because of a pH level just below 7. The best known whitewater rivers are Amazonian.
An aquatic variety that thrives well in this water environment is the river dolphin. River dolphins have poor eyesight. But they can easily navigate and hunt through the muddy waters using their sound navigation and ranging (sonar) skills. These human-friendly creatures are mostly found in large, open river channels and sometimes, deep inside such whitewater rivers.
Picture Credit : Google
