A braided river is one of a number of channel types and has a channel that consists of a network of small channels separated by small and often temporary islands called braid bars.

Braided streams occur in rivers with high slope and/or large sediment load.

Braided channels are also typical of environments that dramatically decrease channel depth, and consequently channel velocity, such as river deltas, alluvial fans and peneplains.

Braided rivers, as distinct from meandering rivers, occur when a threshold level of sediment load or slope is reached.

So the main controlling factor on river development is the amount of sediment that the river carries; once a given system crosses a threshold value for sediment load, it will convert from a meandering system to a braided system

The critical factor that determines whether a stream will meander or braid is bank erodibility. A stream with cohesive banks that are resistant to erosion will form narrow, deep, meandering channels, whereas a stream with highly erodible banks will form wide, shallow channels, sustaining helical flow and resulting in the formation of braided channels.