Explain How and Why the Ouse floods and its consequences.
Over the years human influences have affected the Ouse. The river Ouse is the principle drainage basin in Yorkshire and is naturally very large, covering 10,770 square km. It has four main tributaries; they are the Wharfe, Derwent, Aire and Don, these all contribute to the Ouse having a large base flow.
The relief of the Ouse section of the basin is almost uniformly flat. The annual precipitation varies very little as a result, ranging from between 540 and 640 mm. Annual potential evaporation is approximately 520 to 540mm. However the upland areas receive much higher amounts of precipitation. High rainfalls over the tributaries of the Ouse make it very prone to flooding, as the tributaries are unable to cope with amount of water.