river bottoms

Noun

river bottom (plural river bottoms)

1. The lowest part of a river, where the water meets the ground below.
   • A poler's feet never leave the deck. The climbing action simply exerts power to the river bottom, an action that moves the craft in an appropriate direction. The power of pushing off the bottom of the river is transferred to the craft through the soles of the poler's feet. It is a technique applied...2004, Verne C. Huser, “Traveling upstream and down”, in On the River With Lewis and Clark (Environmental History series), volume 19, Texas A&M University Press, →ISBN, pages 117-118

   Synonyms:

   riverbed

2. The alluvial land along the margin of a river.
   • [Old Humpback:] "Every other day, after we have eaten up our rations, we march through a big door and the man gives us a brass check to exchange at the window for more. Every man, woman and child is given two pounds of meat and two more of flour or corn; and when we would not eat their bacon they...1926, Dane Coolidge, “Chapter 26: The Peace Council”, in Under the Sun [a novel], E.P. Dutton, page 252

   Synonyms:

   bottomland, bottom, alluvial plain, floodplain