River Management

Question 1

What are the four types of hard engineering for rivers?

Answer 1

Dams and reservoirs, straightening meanders, embankments and flood relief channels

Question 2

What are the four types of soft engineering for rivers?

Answer 2

Floodplain zoning, river restoration, flood warning and preparations, planting trees

Question 3

What are the hard engineering techniques that cockermouth has used to reduce flooding?

Answer 3

New flood walls, dredging the river, new embankments, new flood gates, new sewage system and a raised bridge

Question 4

What is the soft engineering technique that cockermouth has used to reduce the risk of flooding?

Answer 4

The floodplain was extended so that when the river does flood there is somewhere for the water to go and this area was allowed to deliberately flood

Question 5

What are the social impacts caused by management in cockermouth?

Answer 5

Positive: reduced anxiety and depression, quality of life improved as risk of flooding was reduced

Question 6

What are the economic impacts caused by management in cockermouth?

Answer 6

Positive: 55 businesses protected by the new self raising barrier
Negative: cost £4.4million

Question 7

What are the environmental impacts caused by management in cockermouth?

Answer 7

Positive: new style flood barrier means that the visual impact to the river is not impaired throughout the rest of the year
Negative: dredging the river damages the vegetation and animal life of the river and surroundings whilst it is being done

Question 8

Have the management strategies in cockermouth been successful?

Answer 8

Partly, there was still some flooding during storm Desmond in December 2015