Soil composition, vegetation, precipitation, and topography dictate the amount and rate of overland flow. Overland flows converge in topographical depressions where channel initiation begins. Overland flow is a primary factor in channel initiation where saturation overland flow deepens to increase shear stress and begin channel incision. Channel heads are often associated with colluvium, hollows and landslides. A channel head forms as overland flow and/or subsurface flow accumulate to a point where shear stress can overcome erosion resistance of the ground surface. The channel head is the most upslope part of a channel network and is defined by flowing water between defined identifiable banks. This site is referred to as the channel head and it marks an important boundary between hillslope processes and fluvial processes. Channel initiation refers to the site on a mountain slope where water begins to flow between identifiable banks.
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