Freshwater: The River Nene - flood mitigation

Question 1

Where did the river used to frequently flood?

Answer 1

Northampton

Question 2

What happened on 9th April 1998?

Answer 2

heavy rain caused River Nene and Grand Union Canal to overflow.

Question 3

What were the impacts of the flood in 1998?

Answer 3

flooded parts of the town and 2 people died

Question 4

What did the Environment Agency do by 2002?

Answer 4

They had completed a 6.8 million pound project to protect areas of Northampton hardest hit by past flooding.

Question 5

Which years were further defence works carried out in the town?

Answer 5

2003 and 2007

Question 6

What are the hard engineering defences?

Answer 6

• Clay flood embankment
• Earth embankments
• Flood walls
• Gabions

Question 7

What are the soft engineering defences?

Answer 7

• Washland

- Warning system

Question 8

When was the clay flood embankment built?

Answer 8

2002

Question 9

How long is the clay flood embankment?

Answer 9

450 m long

Question 10

Where is the clay food embankment located?

Answer 10

Weedon

Question 11

How much has the clay flood embankment raised the level of land?

Answer 11

6.8 m

Question 12

What is behind the clay flood embankment and what is its purpose?

Answer 12

flood storage area prevents further flooding downstream and developed as a habitat for flora and fauna

Question 13

Where is the earth embankment built?

Answer 13

Upton

Question 14

How many metres from the river is the earth embankment built?

Answer 14

10m

Question 15

Why was the Earth embankment built?

Answer 15

to increase channel capacity

Question 16

benefits of building the earth embankment?

Answer 16

• been visually improved by planting trees

- has footpaths

Question 17

Where was the flood wall built?

Answer 17

Foot Meadow

Question 18

How high is the flood wall and why?

Answer 18

4m high to protect housing and industry, created an open area of land for river to flood into, protecting the railway station.

Question 19

Where are the gabions built?

Answer 19

Foot Meadow

Question 20

What are the purpose of the gabions?

Answer 20

to protect river banks from erosion giving added security to the new housing beside the river.

Question 21

Where is the washland built?

Answer 21

around Upton, near Sixfields

Question 22

When was the washland created?

Answer 22

2007

Question 23

How much does the washland cost?

Answer 23

around 8 million pounds

Question 24

Why was the washland created?

Answer 24

so that water can be diverted from the river in a controlled manner in order to reduce the risk of flooding downstream.
Allows 1.2 million cubic metre flood water storage.

Question 25

Where is the warning system located?

Answer 25

Far Cotton and St James

Question 26

When was the warning system installed?

Answer 26

2003

Question 27

What does the warning system do?

Answer 27

gives 2 hours notice of the possible onset of flooding