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	A multi agency project funded by US EPA's STAR Program

Stream Order

A general way of describing the size of a stream or river. We are using the Strahler stream ordering system (Strahler 1964). The smallest permanent streams are called "first order". Two first order streams join to form a larger, second order stream; two second order streams join to form a third order, and so on. Smaller streams entering a higher-ordered stream do not change its order number.

References:
Strahler, A.N. 1964. Quantitative geomorphology of drainage basins and channel networks; section 4-2, in Handbook of Applied Hydrology, ed. Ven te Chow, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Allan, J.D. 1995. Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters. Chapman & Hall, New York.