Pfafstetter Coding System
The pfafstetter coding system is a way to label different parts of a river, like its branches and where they meet.
Think of a river as a big tree, with a trunk and branches. The pfafstetter coding system gives each part of the river a number, starting with the trunk as 1.
If the river splits into two equal branches, each branch is given a different number that starts with a 2. If one of those branches splits again into two equal parts, those parts get numbers that start with a 3.
This goes on and on, so every part of the river has a unique number that tells you where it is in the whole river system.
Like labeling different branches on a tree or roads on a map, this coding system helps people talk about different parts of a river and understand how they all connect.
Think of a river as a big tree, with a trunk and branches. The pfafstetter coding system gives each part of the river a number, starting with the trunk as 1.
If the river splits into two equal branches, each branch is given a different number that starts with a 2. If one of those branches splits again into two equal parts, those parts get numbers that start with a 3.
This goes on and on, so every part of the river has a unique number that tells you where it is in the whole river system.
Like labeling different branches on a tree or roads on a map, this coding system helps people talk about different parts of a river and understand how they all connect.