ELSS - River Kennet CS Flashcards
Where is the River Kennet located?
Wiltshire and Berkshire
What is the water table like in the River Kennet?
Deep
What is the geology in the upper catchment of the river?
Chalk
What type of rock is chalk?
Permeable
Why are chalk streams important?
- Rare
- Unique ecosystems
What type of fauna does the river support?
- Atlantic salmon
- Brown trout
- Water voles
- Otters
What flows contribute to river discharge?
- Percolation
- Infiltration
- Channel flow
- Groundwater flow
What flows contribute to river discharge?
- Percolation
- Infiltration
- Channel flow
- Groundwater flow
Historically why was demand to extract water high?
- Water was used to power watermills
- For brewing and tanning (17th, 18th)
What settlements are close to the river?
Swindon - urban area reliant on water
What is the population of Swindon?
> 220,000
How would you extract water from a basin?
- Pumps
- Pipelines - wells
What problems does over extraction from the River Kennet cause?
- Harm to wildlife habitats
- Part of children upbringings - sense of place
- Disturbance to best known chalk stream
- SSSI
- Provides fish - so jobs could be lost
What was the campaign against extraction?
Angling Trust
How much have flows reduced by in the River Kennet?
10-14%
How much has river discharge reduced by in 2003?
20%
What have reduced flows led to?
- Reduced temporary areas of standing water
- Wetlands reduced
What has the reduced water table led to?
- Reduced saturation excess overland flow (Marlborough Downs)
- Springs dry up
When did the Environmental Agency issue the notice for measures to prevent further extraction?
2014
What is the new alternative water source for Swindon?
River Thames - 18km pipeline
How much was the pipeline sourced to Swindon?
£35 million
How many homes does the pipeline support?
30,000
How much is extraction reduced by?
7 million litres/day
How much is extraction reduced by?
7 million litres/day
Who supplies Axford with water?
Whitefield Reservoir
What are the names of the two campaigning organisations?
- ARK
- The Angling Trust
Who backed angling and conservation groups?
The local MP, Richard Benyon (Conservative)
When do they plan to stop extraction from the River Kennet by?
2050
