River Sediment Load and Carrying Capacity

The statement "the smaller load a river has, the more sediment it can carry" is incorrect. Generally, the more sediment a river carries, the smaller its load capacity becomes because sediment adds weight, making transport more difficult. Rivers with high sediment loads tend to be slower-moving with shallower channels.

Exceptions exist, such as flash floods where high velocity allows large sediment transport, but these are rare. Most rivers follow the pattern of carrying less sediment as their load increases.