Diverting a river
Codex Leicester
Sheet 5B, folio 32r |
Leonardo keenly observed the dynamics and transport of water and suspended particles by rivers originating in the mountains and continuing through the plains to the sea, where sediments are deposited on the sea floor. He correctly formulated the idea that a fast-moving river, or one that is steeply sloped, can transport larger particles than a slow-moving river, or one that has a shallow descent. The patterns that water creates in the
area around obstacles received his careful attention as well.
Leonardo also discussed the conditions that can cause a river to meander: with great insight, he concluded that river courses are more stable in the mountains than in the plains, where deposited sediment continually impedes the flow.
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