Distinguish Between a Tributary and a Distributary
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 9th, 2023
The difference between a Tributary and a Distributary is that a Tributary flows towards the main river, while a Distributary flows away from the parent water body. While tributaries are streams or rivers that flow towards a river, lake, or creek, their opposite rivers flow away from a river or stream. The place where the tributaries join the original water body is called Sangam. Distributaries refer to the division of a river or a stream. They are found in river deltas.
Table of content
Difference between Tributary and Distributary
A tributary is a river/stream that joins a larger parent river/stream/lake. While a distributary is a stream that flows opposite from the mainstream. The major differences between a tributary and a distributary are elaborated in the table given below.
| Tributary | Distributary |
| Flows towards the parent water body (river, stream, or lake). | Flows away from the parent water body (river or stream). |
| Drains the surrounding water basin of its groundwater and surface water. | Forms a delta or an estuary. |
| Does not flow directly toward a sea, ocean, or lake. | It May or may not flow directly towards a larger water body, like a sea, ocean, or lake. |
| Example: The tributary of river Ganga is river Yamuna. | Example: The distributary of the river Ganga is Hooghly. |
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