Question for the River Police (TM)

[jbgibson]

Yes. Anything from a mere wide spot in the river up to Lake Michigan is perfectly plausible midstream.

And if one needs a largeish island partway down a river, portraying it as an island in such a lake rather than a split watercourse is better.

[Phlimm]

So what is the difference between that and what I have seen as critiques that lakes cannot drain to two rivers?

[s0meguy]

They can, but they come together again, thus creating an island in the river. Draining into 2 separate rivers doesn't happen because rivers erode and eventually one of the rivers erode deep enough to lower the level of the water, thus taking away the other river's supply of water. That's my understanding of why it is impossible anyway.