Urban precipitation and drainage Flashcards
What does river restoration refer too?
A variety of management techniques aimed as restoring the natural state and function of the river system.
What were the aims of the Bronx River restoration project?
Increase biodiversity
Reduce flood risk
Improve the aesthetics of the river landscape
Removing all hard engineering adaptations to restore meanders, wetlands and floodplains
What was the Bronx River like before it’s restoration project?
As a result of the local concrete factory: dangerous, dirty, unusable, polluted, degraded
Before industry: meandering, filled with trees, chestnuts and marine animals, animals like badgers
Became a brownfield site when deindustrialization took place
How did they restore the Bronx River?
Natural matting to build up banks and prevent erosion
Put shellfish to attract am environment for oysters and other marine animals
Dredge river to remove waste
Planted trees on banks to reduce flooding by increasing interception
Used old maps and geo-referencing to restore the river to the way it originally was
Attempt to encourage the eco-system by putting in other marine animals
Every Saturday free river tours took place to educate people
How much did the restoration of the Bronx River cost?
£30m
What impact did the Bronx River restoration project have?
Increased togetherness/community spirit
Increased biodiversity
More aesthetically pleasing
Became like a “8 mile backyard”
Provided job opportunities as it attracted businesses
Boosted the local economy by raising house prices
What is another example of a River Restoration project?
The River Skerne, Darlington
What is the River Skerne?
A tributary of the River Tees
What took place to the River Skerne between 1850-1945?
River was straightened and channelised
Why was the River Skerne straightened and channelised?
To accommodate industrialisation and urbanisation
What took place to the River Skerne in the 1950s and 1970s?
Further widening and deepening
Why was the River Skerne widened and deepened further?
To improve drainage and reduce flood risk
What are the effects of urban surfaces on the water cycle?
Reduced evaporation
Poor quality runoff
Reduced infiltration
Wastewater discharge
What are the four approaches to waste management?
Recycling
Trade
Incineration
Landfill
What is recycling?
Materials are reprocessed into new products - save energy
What are the impacts of recycling?
Large global market for recyclables
Reduces quantity of disposable waste
Return materials to economy
Contribute to greenhouse gases
What is trade?
Global waste trade is movement of waste between countries for treatment, disposal or recycling
What are the impacts of trade?
Disposable waste may not be controlled properly in some countries
They may create environmental problems in the recipient country
What is an example of trade waste?
The Basel Convention controls movement of hazardous waste
What is incineration?
General waste can be burned at high temperatures an under safe conditions
What are the impacts of incineration?
Reduce volume of waste by up to 90%
Produce energy as an output
Can lead to severe air pollution if not properly managed
Expensive
What is landfill?
The burial of waste in man made or natural excavations
What are the impacts of landfill?
Less regulated in poorer countries
Gas produced can be collected to make electricity
Methane produced contaminate groundwater and atmosphere
Take up a lot of space
What is a SUD?
Sustainable drainage system,s
What is the aim of SUDs?
Attempt to manage surface water in urban areas
What are the techniques which attempt to manage surface water in urban areas?
Swales
Permeable road and pavement surfaces
Infiltration trenches
Bioretention basins
What is a swale?
Wide shallow drainage channels that are normally dry
What are permeable road and pavement surfaces?
Use of porous block paving and concrete
What are infiltration trenches?
Gravel filled drains and filter drains
What are biorentention basins?
Gravel and/or sand filtration layers beneath fe
