pickering beck

Question 1

context of study

Answer 1

pickering beck is a tributary of the river DERWENT, North Yorkshire.
population- 7000

Question 2

background

Answer 2

-repeated flooding in the town with the floods in 2007 causing £7 million in damage.

• drainage basin was 1.98m in 2007.
• heather in moorland is being removed so increased runoff.

Question 3

natural causes of flooding

Answer 3

-precipitation (650mm annually)
-the steep catchment means that it is at risk of flash floods.
-heather in moorland removed, increasing runoff.

Question 4

human causes of flooding

Answer 4

-overstocking and overgrazing of farm land compacts the soil.
-urbanisation
- many management strategies have already been rejected on cost-benefit grounds due to the low value of the agricultural area.

Question 5

flood management

Answer 5

the focus is to slow the flow by managing the entire catchment. 33% of the catchment is publicly owned making changes easier to instigate.

Question 6

defences in place

Answer 6

• 29 large woody debris dams were installed to slow the flow.

-189 heather bale check dams were constructed on the various smaller streams that feed into pickering beck.

Question 7

other strategies

Answer 7

• a new floodplain north east of pickering has been created allowing 120,000m3 of floodwater to be retained.

-‘no burn zones’ 10m either side of the stream to decelerate water flow and increase infiltration.

-50 hectares of riparian woodland to be planted either side of the river for 30m. containing hydrophilic plants such as willow.