River Exe Flashcards
Describe the location of the river exe
South-west England
Source located in exmoor moorland 514m above sea level
Mouth in Exmouth
Catchment area is 612km2
What types of land are found in the catchment area?
67% grassland
15% woodland
10% arable
How much rain falls each year and what percentage ends up in the river?
1295mm per year
66%
What percentage of the bedrock is either moderate or low permeability?
95.5%
What is the name of the reservoir?
Wimbleball
What percentage of the catchment is urbanised?
4.5%
Evidence to show there is a high flood risk
10% of houses are at risk of a 1 in 100 year flood
11,000 properties at risk
How is the carbon cycle affected?
Digging drainage ditches causes moorland peat to become a carbon source rather than carbon sink
Dried out peat becomes susceptible to erosion, the carbon contained in peat dissolves in water leading to the water supply becoming contaminated
Dried out peat is more likely to decompose and contribute to an increase in atmospheric carbon
What is the aim of the Exmoor mires project?
To reverse the decline of the exmoor wetland bogs
What will the results of the Exmoor mires project be?
Healthier peat lands
Better water quality
More infiltration
Reduced flood risk
What percentage has storm flow leaving restored sites been reduced by?
33%
How much has the water table risen by?
2.65cm
How much cheaper is it to treat water now that the quality has been improved?
20%
What percentage has the carbon yield decreased by?
50%
Why were the moorlands drained?
For farmland
