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topic 1 River Wye - Coggle Diagram
topic 1 River Wye
Human activity and management
river is highly urbanized flowing through several large towns with large populations
Most of Wye valley used for farming- middle + lower course
popular tourist attraction for landscape, wildlife, adventure and sports (water and climbing)
Lots of flooding- in urban settlements steps have been taken such as:
storage lakes built above towns.
parts of floodplain left unused and deliberately made to flood reliving pressure downstream.
Flood walls (Hereford) built to protect properties.
Human activity and management have effected geomorphic processes ie:
Tree planting in upper course- reduces mass movement- reduces sediment in river which can block channel downstream.
less flooding means less sediment for floodplains and levees so artificial ones have to be built.
river banks stabilized by vegetation improving access for fishers and walkers, reducing flooding.
river management effects flow and river processes both in towns and countryside
the river flows south- east from central wales- Plynlimon Hills to Chepstow.
there is little human activity except a few dams and reservoirs. however a previous paper production factories have polluted the water.
mostly flows through moorland and farmland.
geomorphic processes.
these operate at different scales- spatially (space) and temporarily (time)
erosion, transportation + deposition create a V-shaped valley, meanders, flood plains and levees.
weathering + mass movement especially in upper course but are more localized and on a smaller scale.
geomorphic processes are effected by geology + climate:
In
middle course
alternating bands of hard and soft rock cause rapids- popular for water sports
weak mudstone + sandstone eroded form flat valleys and meanders
between Goodrich and Chepstow river forms large gorge- Wye Valley
In the
upper course
the river bed is impermeable shales, with many tributaries joining the river.
much rainfall in upper course specially in winter- causes fast flow, high rate of erosion, flooding.
low temperature- freeze- thawing on river valley sides, mass movement ie sliding and slumping.
high rates of rainfall mean much erosion forming steep v- valleys, waterfalls and rapids
upper slopes are actively weathered and effected by mass movement
landforms
Levees and floodplains formed by alluvium deposition in middle and lower course
Waterfalls and rapids in upper and middle course and tributaries
Meanders on flat lowland plains in middle course
Wye Valley- steep gorge between Goodrich and Chepstow.
V-valleys in upper course in the Plynlimon Hills
