As you read and look through this listen to Smetana's "The Moldau" ->

Top of the watershed at 5300 feet above sea level.

Short trees and dense floor vegetation thrive in high elevation forest without streams. 5000 feet above sea level. — at Cherokee National Forest.

 

The forest floor becomes completely covered in vegetation because the trees aren't dense enough to block the sunlight from penetrating. 4500 feet above sea level — at Cherokee National Forest.

In lower elevations the trees grow taller and less vegetation grows on the floor due to less sunlight. Ferns are common. 4250 feet above sea level. — at Cherokee National Forest.

Clouds and fog stay in the upper elevations. 4000 feet above sea level.

Water begins to sprout from broad springs in mountain slopes and form small creeks and little valleys develop. below. 4000 feet above sea level

Because the valley are still so steep, creeks consist of lots of waterfalls and drops. 3750 feet above sea level.

Also the elevation drops more steams converge and form bigger streams. Streams cross over larger bedrock layers and form bigger and wider waterfalls caused by changes in water flow during seasons and increase participation. 3500 feet above sea level.

 

As the valley get bigger and elevation drops the streams and valleys flatten out and hold less waterfalls. 3250 feet above sea level.

When the stream crosses bedrock layers wide waterfalls do form but because the valleys are so flat and broad pools or water form above and below the falls. 3000 feet above sea level.

 

As a valley converges with a bigger valley it often flattens out and creates larger but gentle steams. 3000 feet above sea level.

Also water flow increases from converging streams larger boulders litter the stream bed and create deeper pools and rapids. 2750 feet above sea level.

 

Side streams from separate watersheds converge on the larger river valley and create large waterfalls as the cut through the bed rock layers on the larger valley sides. 2500 feet above sea level.

Floor vegetation cannot grow due to the taller, larger, and more dense trees. Instead of ferns and weeds, rodudendrum grows. 2500 feet above sea level.

 

As more streams and valleys converge, the overall watershed gets much bigger and rapids get bigger as well. 2250 feet above sea level. Also more roads can be built due to a broader valley floor, and more humans interact with the stream polluting it.

The water becomes less clear due to more erosion from natural environment, flooding, human activity, deforestation, and building roads and towns. However, overall the water is still pretty clean. 2250 feet above sea level.

As more steams converge the water the stream then becomes a full fledged river. When the river crosses bedrock layers larger waterfalls are formed. Pollution becomes more apparent. 2000 feet above water. From here the river leaves the mountains and becomes very flat and dirty from increased soil runoff. Farms and big cities dot the landscape adding more pollution. The river makes large meanders in flat open land until it joins other rivers and eventually meets the oceans.