The Alluvial FanThe alluvial Fan is a fan or cone shaped deposit of sediment crossed and built up by streams. As a stream's gradient decreases, it drops coarse-grained material. This reduces the capacity of the channel and forces it to change direction and gradually build up a slightly mounded or shallow conical fan shape.
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In Rocky Mountain National Park there is a good example of an alluvial fan, as seen in the picture to the left.