pääuomaan

Pääuomaan is the illative singular form of the Finnish noun pääuoma, a term used in hydrology and fluvial geomorphology to describe the main channel of a river or stream. In technical texts it is used to distinguish the principal bed that carries the largest portion of discharge from secondary channels, side channels, or floodplains.

Pääuoma itself is a compound of pää meaning “main” or “head” and uoma meaning “riverbed” or “channel.” The word is most common in Finnish geographical and engineering contexts, where it helps specify where water is typically expected to flow under normal conditions or during flood events.

In usage, pääuomaan appears in descriptions of river systems, flood-control planning, and river engineering. It denotes movement toward or into the main channel, and is often found in sentences that discuss water flow or channel designation. For example: Vesi virtaa pääuomaan, indicating water flowing into the main channel.

Related terms include uoma, which refers to a riverbed or channel in general, and pääuoma itself as a concept in river morphology. The distinction between the main channel and distributaries or secondary channels is central to flood risk assessments, sediment transport analysis, and habitat studies in fluvial environments.

See also: uoma; pääuoma; fluvial geomorphology; river engineering; hydrology.