noun
shallow river; river shallows
Refers to a shallow part of a river or a river shallow enough to cross. In modern everyday Japanese, 浅瀬 is usually the more transparent word; 高瀬 can sound literary, regional, or place-name-like.
夏には川の高瀬を歩いて渡れる。
In summer, you can walk across the river shallows.
noun
flatboat; river boat
Abbreviation of 高瀬舟, a shallow-draft river boat or flatboat. This use is limited and often has a historical or transport-related feel rather than being an ordinary modern word for boat.
See also: 高瀬舟
荷を積んだ高瀬が川を下っていった。
A loaded flatboat went down the river.
The spelling combines 高, associated with height or a raised level, and 瀬, a shallow or current in a river. This component explanation matches the written form, but the exact historical derivation is not asserted here.