Oh, how diverse our Grand River will be!
Waves, riffles, runs, galore —
glides, and pools, and even more!
There is a difference, as you soon will know,
impressing your friends as downriver you go.
Knowledge of the river is so much fun,
a wave is not a riffle, a riffle is not a run,
a run is not a glide, and a glide is not a pool,
they are all different, and different is cool.
A wave is formed when water jumps from fast to slow,
the spot this jump occurs will be fun for those in the flow.
A riffle is formed when water flows over gently sloping areas of riverbed,
through coarse cobble and boulders and then on ahead.
A run is formed downstream of waves and riffles,
as the water becomes deeper and relatively swifter.
A seam is created between a run and the slower water that is adjacent,
it may hold fish so don’t be complacent.
A glide forms upstream of a riffle,
when water speeds up and depth starts to shrivel.
A pool is a deep area of water that is slow-moving,
that forms after riffle and waves and can be quite soothing.
Oh, what a diverse Grand River you will see,
when at last our plan comes to be!