the river brock Flashcards
where is the river?
lanchasire, north west england
what is the impact of the river brock’s west facing slopes?
sun rises in east-> less evaporation
how much rainfall does RB receive?
high amounts of relief rainfall-> 2000-2500m a year (higher than british average)
what is the impact of the river brock’s poorly drained peatbogs?
90% water (easily saturated)= waterlogged areas
D2 areas drained for faming and decomposition-> water cannot infiltrate the peat
what are hydrographs like in the upper course? why?
flashy d2 reduced evap, lots of runoff d2 peat, impermeable grit
what is the river brock’s drainage basin like?
40km2 elongated basin-> slows down the water until it reaches St Michaels (confluence), funnel shape- flooding is more likely in lower course
what % of the RB flow is natural? what is the lower course affected by?
95% natural BUT lower course is affected by bridges, canals and A6 motorway
What is the RB river regime like?
Little seasonal variation, but river discharge fluctuates greatly depending on level of precip, late winter maximum, and low flow in sumer
When did the river brock most seriously flood?
1980 d2 intense and prolonged rainfall-> 400 homes affected
How have the comprehensive flood protection programme impacted the river brock?
most vulnerable area floodplains are kept free from buildings, flood embankments for when river levels are high
how have the environment agency impacted the river brock?
implemented a flood storage basin at Catterall for a 1 in 50 year flood-> capacity to store 1.7 million cubicm of floodwater
How have DEFRA impacted the river brock?
£10million fund to restore peatlands-> increase saturation and infiltration (has decreased runoff by 24%)
+ peatlands- link to carbon sequestration
how has rough grazing impacted the river brock?
heavy grazing-> suppression/loss of plant species= bare patches can develop and erosion occurs-> higher levels of runoff and localised flooding
