Human modifications to floodplains
| As human populations grow the floodplains of rivers start to become modified. The video opposite looks at some of the changes and the consequences that can result. |
River management strategies – Costs & Benefits
See geographyas.info and BBC Bitesize for a range of flood prevention measures. See below for measures that should be covered. You will need to know the pros and cons for each one. This link also gives excellent info on flood prevention measures and has a case study on Yarm (mentioned below).
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Channel straightening
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Flood barriers/walls Flood wall effective in Yarm – Evening Gazette
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Artificial levees |
Settlement relocation See Three Gorges Dam case study |
Dam & reservoir construction See Three Gorges Dam case study |
Managing the Mighty Mississippi US Army engineers lay concrete mats along the bans & bed to reduce erosion and keep the channel from moving. – See video |
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Enlargement / dredging of river channels |
Flood relief basins / diversion channels Curitiba uses parkland for flood relief. Removal of artificial levee at Ouachita river (a tributary of the Mississippi in Louisiana. |
Afforestation
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Land-use zoning | Channel lining & vegetation clearance | See this link for an overview of river flood defences and their application along the River Tees in the UK. |
