Relatedly, why do branching river channels form fractals? Check out this latest installment of Minute Earth to find out.
https://gizmodo.com/can-you-guess-the-subject-of-this-photograph-5973265
See also: The Control of Nature, by John McPhee, specifically the book’s first section, which centers on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ repeatedly inadequate efforts to divert the flow of the mighty Mississippi River. If this installment of Minute Earth piqued your interest even a little, you’ll positively relish McPhee.
H/t @smartereveryday