Case Study: The River Eden - Management
Geography: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 1.1.23
Impacts of Management Strategies on the River Eden
The River Eden is vulnerable to bursting its banks. Cumbria's climate is wet, precipitation is high and the rocks are impermeable, leading to a lot of runoff. How is the river managed?
Flood walls and embankments
- Flood walls and embankments are artificial barriers built on river banks.
- They effectively increase the height of the river banks.
- Carlisle is currently protected by 10 kilometres of flood walls and embankments.
- In 2019, a new £25 million flood defence programme was being developed.
Reservoirs
- A dam is a large earth, stone or concrete wall built across a river in the upper course. Behind the dam, a reservoir (man-made lake) forms.
- Downstream of reservoirs, water flow is limited and there is not much material left to be deposited. This can lead to increased erosion and decreased build-up of the floodplain.
- South-east of Carlisle, a reservoir has been created by damming Castle Carrock beck.
Planting trees
- Planting trees in river valleys increases interception of rain water and the lag time between rain falling and it making its way into the river channel.
- As a result, the energy of the river will decrease and so meanders will form more slowly.
- £500,000 was spent planting 1,000 trees near the River Eden, trying to reduce flooding and soil erosion.
Channel management
- Channel straightening involves removing bends and meanders by adding artificial straight channels.
- Channel straightening was common in the River Eden basin in the past.
- Artificial meanders increase deposition by decreasing a river's velocity.
- Recently, artificial meanders have been installed to try to restore the Eden basin to its natural state.
Test yourself on Case Study: The River Eden - Management
How many trees have been planted near Dalston with the aim of reducing flooding and soil erosion?
Where has a reservoir been created by damming Castle Carrock beck?
Why is the River Eden vulnerable to flooding?