{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.tributary","code":"thing-q159675","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q159675/","name":"tributary","alternateNames":["initial tributary","left initial tributary","right initial tributary","main upper course","Tributaries of the Allegheny River"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.2","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.PLC"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A stream or river that flows into a main stem river or lake rather than directly into the sea, without requiring the receiving river to exceed it in length or discharge, distinguished as a left or right tributary by the side from which it joins when facing downstream, and including headwater tributaries that contribute to the main upper course; tributaries build drainage networks and basins, are ordered by stream order systems, and matter for hydrology, navigation, ecology and water management.","purpose":"Let an agent explain tributaries and drainage networks, describe how they are named, ordered and measured, identify tributaries of specific rivers with sources, and support hydrology and geography questions.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["A tributary flows into a main stem river or lake regardless of relative length or discharge.","Left and right designations refer to the side of entry when facing downstream.","Stream order describes relationships within a drainage network.","Tributaries contribute to the structure of a drainage basin."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What tributaries are.","layers":[{"id":"concept","name":"Concept","description":"Concept and naming.","findings":[{"id":"concept-finding","name":"Concept","description":"Concept.","questions":[{"text":"What is a tributary, how are left and right tributaries designated, and what is a main upper course?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which river system is meant?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"networks","name":"Networks","description":"Drainage networks and order.","findings":[{"id":"networks-finding","name":"Networks","description":"Networks.","questions":[{"text":"How do tributaries form drainage networks, and how do stream order systems classify them?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits drainage basins?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"identify","name":"Identify","description":"Tributaries of rivers.","layers":[{"id":"rivers","name":"Rivers","description":"Tributaries of a river.","findings":[{"id":"rivers-finding","name":"Rivers","description":"Rivers.","questions":[{"text":"What are the tributaries of a given river, according to hydrographic sources?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific river?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"measure","name":"Measure","description":"Measuring tributaries.","findings":[{"id":"measure-finding","name":"Measure","description":"Measurement.","questions":[{"text":"How are length, discharge and catchment of tributaries measured?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits hydrometry?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"manage","name":"Manage","description":"Management and ecology.","layers":[{"id":"management","name":"Management","description":"Water management.","findings":[{"id":"management-finding","name":"Management","description":"Management.","questions":[{"text":"How do tributaries matter for flood management, water supply and river basin planning?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is a flood emergency present now?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"ecology","name":"Ecology","description":"Ecology.","findings":[{"id":"ecology-finding","name":"Ecology","description":"Ecology.","questions":[{"text":"What ecological roles do tributaries play for fish migration and habitats?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits river ecology?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"learn","name":"Learn","description":"History and teaching.","layers":[{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How have tributaries shaped settlement, boundaries and exploration?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"teach","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","findings":[{"id":"teach-finding","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","questions":[{"text":"How can river systems be taught with maps?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Map and name tributaries from official hydrographic data, stating left or right bank.","Monitor water level, flow and quality for the authority that commissioned it."],"mustNot":["Divert, dam or abstract water from a tributary without the required permits.","Discharge pollutants into a tributary.","Disturb spawning grounds or riverbanks while surveying.","Understate flood risk from a tributary to people living near it."],"requiresHuman":["Issuing flood warnings or advice to evacuate.","Changing flows through gates or weirs on a tributary."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["What happens upstream on a tributary affects everyone downstream on the main river.","Rivers sustain fisheries, farms and ecosystems that cross administrative borders."],"affectedParties":["Downstream communities","Fish and river wildlife","Farmers and water users"]},"owners":{"steward":"The river basin or water authority; riparian owners hold rights along the banks.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["National hydrographic databases","Water abstraction permit registers"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q355304","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"watercourse","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"water cycle","type":"related","note":"runoff and river flow"},{"target":"volume flow rate","type":"related","note":"discharge of tributaries"},{"target":"aqueduct","type":"related","note":"artificial watercourses for contrast"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.tributary","Wikidata: Q159675 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q159675)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Channel length:  km - Measured along the channel from its identified source to its confluence.","Water discharge:  m3/s - Measured as water volume passing a channel cross-section per second, with the observation period specified.","Drainage basin area:  km2 - Measured as the upstream land area draining to the tributary outlet.","Channel width:  m - Measured across the channel at a specified location and water level."]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["A tributary flows into a main stem river or lake that need not be larger.","Left or right designation follows downstream orientation.","A distributary branches away from a river, whereas a tributary joins a receiving river or lake.","Streams and rivers joining larger ones."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain tributaries and networks","describe naming and ordering","identify tributaries of rivers","support hydrology questions"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Confusing left and right designation","Confusing tributaries with distributaries","Inconsistent naming of main stems"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Hydrographic naming and ordering conventions","Water management and river basin law","No regulation of the concept"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Streams flowing into larger watercourses.","headwater and initial tributaries","left and right tributaries","major tributaries of great rivers","minor streams and brooks","tributaries of lakes"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q159675: tributary","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q159675","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Tributary","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tributary","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should drainage basins be a separate entry?","How should hydrographic databases be linked?","How should river basin management be linked?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q159675/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q159675/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T04:28:23Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:29+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}