| Term: | channel |
| Definition: |
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks. A channel is also the natural or man-made deeper course through a reef, bar, bay, or any shallow body of water. It is especially used as a Nautical term to mean the dredged and marked lane of safe travel which a cognizant governmental entity guarantees to have a minimum depth across its specified minimum width to all vessels transiting a body of water. The term not only includes the deep-dredged ship-navigable parts of an estuary or river leading to port facilities, but also to lesser channels accessing boat port-facilities such as marinas. When dredged channels traverse bay mud or sandy bottoms, repeated dredging is often necessary because of the unstable subsequent movement of benthic soils. |