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Our transcription: One of the most important factors influencing the geologic impact of a river is the velocity of its water. A swiftly flowing river erodes and transports more sediment than a slow river. Velocity generally increases with the slope of the river, but channel shape also plays a role. If a channel has a nearly perfect semicircular cross section, the frictional resistance is the minimum, so the water loses very little energy flowing over the channel. If it's a wide, flat channel, that's a fairly shallow river, there's a greater surface area along the banks and the bottom, and that tends to slow the stream down, too.
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