River Exe case study

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  • Created by: roseb00d
  • Created on: 01-05-23 19:07
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  • River Exe -case study
    • location
      • the source is at exehead in south west somerset
      • the mouth is in exmouth devon
      • the towns Exmouth and Tiverton are on the river
      • the river is more than 5 miles long
      • two major tributaries of the river -river elyst and creedy
      • prominently in devon
    • the river catchment
      • the exmoor national park at the source of the river has an higher elevation
      • the land is mostly low permeability with areas of moderate permeability
        • the areas of moderate permeability are have either a fissure or intergranular rock formations
      • higher levels of precipitation recorded near the source of the river than near the mouth
    • water balance
      • high levels of precipitation
      • large amount of the precipitation is absorbed by the peaty moorland soils of the exmoor mires
      • run-off accounts for 65% of the water balance due to the impermeable nature of the bedrock and the drainage basin ditches on exmoor
    • reservoir (wimbleball lake)
      • completed in 1979
      • on a tributary of the river Exe (river haddeo)
      • contains 374 acres of water
        • reduced the water down stream
    • the exmoor mire project
      • in 2010 research was funded to understand how the southwest peat land was structures and functioned
        • peat bogs are essential water and carbon stores
          • they provide essential services to the ecosystem including
        • in 2011 it was identified that peat bogs were the most important terrestial carbon store
      • the project aims to restore and rejuvenate the exmoor mires
        • Cost: £4.5 million (2010 to 2020) to restore 3,000ha of peatland, with 1,400ha achieved by December 2016.
        • A rise in the water table level of 2.65cm on average across the areas monitored and up to 21cm in some deeper peat locations
        • By blocking up drainage ditches, the aim is to enhance water storage, improve water quality and facilitate a rise in water table levels, which will allow the peat to accumulate quicker and store more carbon. 
      • the peat land had become degraded due to :
        • peat extraction
        • over-grazing
        • burning
        • disturbance from military use
        • climate change
        • nutrient decomposition

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