Pickering Beck

Question 1

Where is Pickering?

Answer 1

North Yorkshire

A market town

Question 2

Which river is Pickering Beck a tributary to?

Answer 2

River Derwent

Question 3

When has Pickering been flooded?

Answer 3

1999, 2000, 2007

Question 4

How much damage did the 2007 floods cause?

Answer 4

£2.1 billion

Flooded 85 homes, shops and the A170

Question 5

Why were many of the residents not prepared for the 2007 floods?

Answer 5

A lot of them had never been flooded before

Caused by a day of torrential rain- little preparation time

Question 6

What is the Beck’s catchment like?

Answer 6

68km2
Gritstone and limestone
Drains the North Yorkshire Moors, mixed land use
Upper catchment is moorland
Lower catchment is arable + some pastoral

Question 7

Causes of Flooding: Geology

Answer 7

It slowly absorbs water- increases runoff

Question 8

Causes of Flooding: Steep topography

Answer 8

Rapid runoff from the steep hillsides

Little infiltration

Question 9

Causes of Flooding: Agriculture

Answer 9

Overgrazing = compacted soil- less water can infiltrate

Question 10

Causes of Flooding: Urbanisation

Answer 10

More impermeable surfaces i.e. tarmac- increases runoff

Drainage systems mean water quickly enters the river channel

Question 11

Causes of Flooding: Moorland and Forest Drainage

Answer 11

Drainage systems increase speed at which water reaches the river channel- reducing lag time

Question 12

What status is the Beck’s water quality failing to meet?

Answer 12

‘good water’

Water Framework Directive

Question 13

Why is the Beck’s water quality not meeting the expected standards?

Answer 13

Chemicals farmers use leak into the river

Question 14

What policy has the Pickering Flood Management Scheme adopted in 2007?

Answer 14

‘Slowing the Flow’

Question 15

Why is a whole catchment approach being adopted to manage flooding?

Answer 15

As it is more sustainable than isolated projects

Question 16

How much is the flood management project cost?

Answer 16

£3.2 million

Question 17

Which organisations are involved in the flood management project?

Answer 17

Forest Research

Environment Agency

Question 18

Which university’s computer model has helped the project?

How?

Answer 18

Durham

Simulates how tributaries will react after intervention- shows where intervention would worsen the problem

Question 19

Strategies used: Blocking moorland drains

Answer 19

187 heather bale dams installed in moorland drains

Aims to improve water retention, decreasing runoff

Question 20

Strategies used: Educating farmers

Answer 20

Farmers taught to move cattle feeders regularly to stop the ground being compacted
Increases infiltration

Question 21

Strategies used: No burn zones

Answer 21

Heather burning increases runoff as less interception

10m wide no burn zones established along the main watercourse in the Beck’s upper catchment

Question 22

Strategies used: Woodland creation on Farmland

Answer 22

Helps protect soils from erosion, and increases infiltration rates- reducing runoff
15 hectares of woodland have been planted on farms
Helps reduce time farmland is submerged in water- increasing yields

Question 23

Advantages of the management scheme?

Answer 23

Cheaper and more environmentally friendly than hard engineering
Risk of flooding in Pickering reduced from 25% to 4%

Question 24

Disadvantages of the management scheme?

Answer 24

Natural flood defences can’t withstand large storms as they are overwhelmed by flood water
Only reason they seem effective is because there has been less rainfall in the last few years

Question 25

Natural Causes of Flooding

Answer 25

Rainfall
Geology and Soil Type
Relief

Question 26

Human Causes of Flooding

Answer 26

Agriculture
Urbanisation
Moorland and Forest Drainage

Question 27

Causes of Flooding: Rainfall

Answer 27

Heavy rainfall- river quickly exceeds bankfull capacity

Prolonged- saturates soils

Question 28

Other benefits of the Project

Answer 28

Increasing biodiversity
Improving water quality
Increasing community involvement

Question 29

Strategies used: Construction of low level Bunds

Answer 29

Channel artificially constricted
Forces water onto flood plains in upper catchment
Once peak flow passes, water drains back into river channel
i.e. Newtondale