Title: East Anglia river times of travel
Author: Environment Agency Anglian Region
Document Type: Monograph
Abstract:
The Environment Agency let a research contract in April 1997 to investigate travel times on four rivers in the East Anglian region; the Gipping, Waveney, Bure and Wensum. The methodology utilised for these experiments involved the injection of Rhodamine WT and the tracing of that dye downstream at specified locations using Turner 10-AU fluorimeters. Three tracer experiments were carried out on the Waveney, Bure and Wensum, and four on the Gipping, across as great a range of discharges as was possible during the time span of the study. Additionally, one experiment was completed on the Wendling Beck and one on the lower Gipping from Sproughton to Horseshoe Sluices. The sites for injection and sampling were identified by discussion with the Environment Agency and reflected points where spillages might be likely to occur, together with intake locations. The final selection was made taking into account the practicalities of access and the security and safety of equipment and staff. The methodology used was generally successful, although it proved necessary to subdivide some of the traces on the Wensum and the Waveney as a result of the slow river velocities and long travel times. One trace on the River Waveney was repeated because of the failure of the water companys intake pump at Shipmeadow. Travel time predictions have been calculated based on the empirical data to allow calculation of the time of arrival, time of peak concentration, through time, and the concentration unitised peak for pollution spillages across a broad range of discharges for all rivers. The production methodology is derived from the work of Kilpatrick and Taylor (1986) and was used successfully by the authors for a similar study on rivers in the Yorkshire region (Wilson et al, 1997, 2000). A summary of the observed travel times is shown in Table ES.l. Overall the results reveal very slow travel times in comparison to other rivers in the UK, particularly at low discharges. The travel time of the River Waveney at low flow was the longest recorded in the UK in such an experiment. This result in particular reflected the very low discharges in the summer of 1997 when the low flow traces were completed.
Publisher: Environment Agency
Publication Date: 2000
Publication Place: Bristol
Subject Keywords: Rivers; Tracer techniques; Discharge (hydrology); Dye markers; Flow rate; Water pollution
Geographic Keywords: Waveney (Suffolk, Norfolk); Bure (Norfolk); Broadland Rivers catchment; Wensum; Gipping (Suffolk)
Extent: 104
Permalink: http://www.environmentdata.org/archive/ealit:621
Total file downloads: 61
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