ABSTRACT
Studies on river channel patterns and on their
controlling factors date back to the nineteenth century
(Lokhtin 1897) but the topic still represents a relevant
and unsettled scientific issue in fluvial geomorphol-
ogy and river engineering. Available explanations
for fluvial patterns cannot be considered conclusive,
despite a variety of contributions have been proposed
since decades (Leopold and Wolman 1957, Schumm
1977, Brice 1982, Mosley 1987, Ferguson 1987) and
continue to appear also in recent times (Bledsoe and
Watson 2001, Eaton et al. 2004).
