A study of the downstream changes in the Curly Burn River

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A study of the downstream changes in the Curly Burn River

Aims: The aim for this field work is to investigate the downstream changes in the Curly Burn River in Limavady. Several hypotheses I decided to investigate included the increase  of both channel width and depth with increasing distance downstream, the increase in velocity and discharge with increasing distance downstream, the decrease  in slope downstream and the decrease in the calibre of bedload particles with increasing distance downstream.

Planning: The Curly Burn River was chosen for us to investigate due to the various aspects it had relevant to our AS study of fluvial environments. The primary data I collected in the field included measurements such as the width and depth of the river as well as the float velocity, discharge, slope and bedload shape and calibre. For a secondary data source I used an ordnance survey map of the Limavady catchment area (1:50,000) to measure the distance between sites on the river as well as locate any nearby features that may be useful. I also used Power’s roundness index to identify the shape of bedload particles. The sampling method I used was a combination of pragmatic systematic sampling to locate suitable sites of equal distance along the river and random sampling to choose various bedload particles. These methods of sampling proved to be efficient in obtaining an accurate and representative sample of the population for our investigation. The environment in which the fieldwork took place was very dangerous and proper precautions needed to be taken to ensure complete safety. After consulting the weather forecast which predicted high winds and rain, it was advised to wear warm, water proof clothing, safety helmets and flat soled Wellingtons. The leader of our group was a qualified expert, who at all times carried both a mobile phone and first aid kit with him in case of an emergency. The paths leading to the site locations on the river were uneven and many overhanging branches were present. The riverbed was very slippery and unstable due to the rocky nature and variable depths. The presence of strong river currents and Japanese giant hogweed also acted as incentives to stand in safe areas around the river when collecting and recording data. We were also equipped with hazardous apparatus, which we were taught how to use properly to avoid incident. We were warned to stay away from rats, make sure we washed our hands after being out in the field and to cover cuts with plasters to protect against Weils Disease.

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Data Collection: To measure the distance between site locations along the river I used an ordnance survey map (1:50,000) Due to accessibility and safety reasons some sites could not be measured at the appropriate distance and therefore anomalies may result due to inaccuracies in the data. To measure the float velocity of the river we required a digital stopwatch, a pair of ranging poles and floats in the form of sticks. Using the stopwatch we measured the time in which it took the float to travel the distance between the ranging poles (10 metres). To ensure precision we carried out ...

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