E

River Eden case study

Where is it?

  • North west England between the Lake District and Pennines

Landforms

  • V-shaped valleys - ^^600 metres^^ above sea level
  • Hell Force Waterfall - hard rock (^^limestone^^), soft rock (^^sandstone^^)
  • Meanders near ^^Salkeld^^
  • Oxbow lake near ^^Briggle Beck^^
  • ^^Carlisle^^ is built on the floodplain

Processes

  • Regular freezing in the winter near the source, leading to ^^freeze thaw weathering^^
  • Intense rainfall can lead to ^^landslides^^, so more material in the river
  • ^^High river volumes^^ can increase geomorphic processes
  • ^^Limestone^^ is vulnerable to ^^chemical weathering^^
  • West of River Eden there is ^^impermeable rock^^, making ^^flooding more likely^^
  • ^^Sandstone^^ is prevalent in in middle+lower courses, ^^increasing erosion^^

Human activity

  • ^^10km of flood walls + embankments^^ along river
  • ^^Castle Carrow Beck^^ (south west of Carlisle)has been ^^dammed to create a reservoir^^
  • Near ^^Dalston^^ (south of Carlisle) ^^1,000 trees^^ have been planted
  • Restoration of the river from its ^^previously straightened state^^ (e.g ^^artificial meanders created south west of Appleby - slows river flow^^)