How Well Do You Know U.S. Rivers?

Article June 17, 2026

From drinking water to wildlife to history and adventure, rivers help shape life across the United States. Take the quiz to test your river knowledge.

# results title text: You scored {score} out of {total_questions}. # results text: 0|

Headwaters beginner: Every river starts somewhere. Keep exploring the country’s rivers through Pew’s work.

Stream explorer: You’re learning fast and heading in the right direction. Explore Pew’s river work to learn even more.

Current expert: You’re flowing strong with river knowledge. Explore Pew’s river work to learn even more.

River champion: You know rivers shape landscapes, support communities, and deserve protection. Explore Pew’s river work to learn even more.

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River champion: You know rivers shape landscapes, support communities, and deserve protection. Explore Pew’s river work to learn even more.

# wrong text: Sorry, that's incorrect. # right text: That's correct! # social text incomplete: It’s National Rivers Month. Test your knowledge and discover why healthy rivers matter with this quiz. # social text complete: It’s National Rivers Month. Test your knowledge and discover why healthy rivers matter. I scored {score} out of {total_questions}. Try yourself and share your results! # _imgurl : /-/media/post-launch-images/2026/06/usc-quiz 6-17/ ? About how many named rivers, streams, and creeks are there in the continental United States? (!img[Fabian A. Gallo/Getty Images]({_imgurl}usc_1.jpg) /!) - 5,000 - 25,000 - 110,000 + 220,000 ! Federal geographic records list roughly 220,000 named stream features in the lower 48 states, including rivers, creeks, brooks, branches, forks, and runs. Named rivers alone are fewer, but the broader figure shows how vast America’s waterway network is. ? Which is the longest river in North America?(!img[Amy Toensing/Getty Images]({_imgurl}usc_2.jpg) /!) - Mississippi River + Missouri River - Yukon River - Rio Grande ! The Missouri River, is the longest river on the North American continent, stretching about 2,540 miles from the Rocky Mountains to where it joins the Mississippi River near St. Louis. Its nickname—Big Muddy—comes from the heavy sediment it historically carried. ? Which river flows north through Florida? (!img[VisionsbyAtlee/Getty Images]({_imgurl}usc_3.jpg) /!) + St. Johns River - Suwannee River - Apalachicola River - St. Marys River ! Most people assume rivers flow south, but rivers flow downhill—not by compass direction. The St. Johns flows north for about 310 miles from Blue Cypress Lake to the Atlantic Ocean. ? Which river carved the Grand Canyon? (!img[Moment RF/Getty Images]({_imgurl}usc_4.jpg) /!) - Snake River + Colorado River - Green River - Gila River ! The Colorado River helped form the Grand Canyon through a process known as downcutting, in which a river slowly erodes rock, cutting deep chasms over millions of years. ? What percentage of U.S. river miles is protected under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System? (!img[Bob Wick/BLM via Flickr]({_imgurl}usc_5.jpg) /!) - 10% - 5% - 1% + Less than 1% ! Only a tiny fraction of U.S. river miles receive protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The rivers are preserved for outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values. ? What is a watershed? (!img[Haizhan Zheng/Getty Images]({_imgurl}usc_6.jpg) /!) - A waterfall + Land area that drains into a common waterway - An underground lake - A river crossing ! Every drop of rain that falls eventually flows somewhere—often to a creek, river, lake, or bay—and all the land that feeds that waterway is part of its watershed. Every person on Earth lives in a watershed. ? Which river flows through Washington, D.C.? (!img[blightylad-infocus/Getty Images]({_imgurl}usc_7.jpg) /!) - Occoquan River + Anacostia River - Shenandoah River - Monocacy River - All of the above ! The Anacostia River flows from Maryland through northeastern Washington, D.C., before joining the Potomac River just downstream of the Jefferson Memorial. ? Why are wetlands adjacent to rivers so important? (!img[Bill Dickinson/Getty Images]({_imgurl}usc_8.jpg) /!) + They reduce flooding and improve water quality. - They stop rainfall. - They remove wildlife habitat. - They dry streams faster. ! Wetlands act like natural sponges, storing stormwater and trapping pollutants, which helps protect communities from flooding and naturally filters water. ? How can dams affect rivers? (!img[L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images]({_imgurl}usc_9.jpg) /!) - They can block fish migration. - They can trap sediment. - They can separate connected habitats. + All of the above ! Dams can provide benefits such as power generation or water storage, but they also change how rivers function, sometimes inhibiting fish, such as salmon, from reaching critical habitats for food and spawning. ? Which Tennessee river is known to support more than 150 fish species and 60 species of freshwater mussels? (!img[Rebekah Ewing/USFWS]({_imgurl}usc_10.jpg) /!) + Duck River - Obed River - Harpeth River - Little River ! The Duck River is recognized as one of the richest freshwater ecosystems in North America, home to remarkable biodiversity.