Question

What is the final stream order of the Snake River (base this off of how many named major streams/rivers intersect with the river and assume each merger makes the next stream order up in size)?

Answer 1

Answer): Stream order is also known as waterbody order. It is a positive whole number used in geomorphology and hydrology to indicate the level of branching in a river system. The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. It is 1,078 miles (1,735 km) long and it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake River rises in western Wyoming, then flows through the Snake River Plain of southern Idaho, the rugged Hells Canyon on the Oregon–Idaho border and the rolling Palouse Hills of Washington, emptying into the Columbia River at the Tri-Cities, Washington.The Salmon River is the second largest tributary. Although the Salmon has a larger drainage than the Clearwater, the Salmon drains much drier country and therefore has a smaller discharger than the Clearwater, about 8,000,000 acre feet (9.9 km³) annually compared to about 11,000,000 acre feet (14 km³) annually for the Clearwater River. The Snake River has over 20 major tributaries, most of which are in the mountainous regions of the basin. The largest by far is the Clearwater River, which drains 9,000 square miles (23,000 km²) in north central Idaho. Many of the rivers that flow into the Snake River Plain from the north sink into the Snake River Aquifer, but still contribute their water to the river. Aside from rivers, the Snake is fed by many significant springs, many of which arise from the aquifer on the west side of the plain.

Heart River	8 1⁄2 mi (14 km)
Lewis River	12 mi (19 km)
Gros Ventre River
Hoback River	55 mi (89 km)
Greys River	65 mi (105 km)
Salt River	70 mi (113 km)
Snake River Plain to Hells Canyon
Henrys Fork (Snake River)	110 mi (177 km)
Portneuf River	96 mi (154 km)
Raft River
Malad River	11 1⁄2 mi (19 km)
Salmon Falls Creek	218 mi (351 km)
Bruneau River
Boise River	75 mi (121 km)
Owyhee River	280 mi (451 km)
Malheur River	165 mi (266 km)
Payette River	62 mi (100 km)
Hells Canyon
Weiser River	90 mi (145 km)
Burnt River	50 mi (80 km)
Salmon River	425 mi (684 km)
Grande Ronde River	212 mi (341 km)
Clearwater River	80 mi (129 km)
Idaho-Washington border to mouth
Tucannon River	70 mi (113 km)
Palouse River	140 mi (225 km)