Flooded rivers

Flooding is a natural result of prolonged rainfall, especially where riverbanks are made of impermeable rock or in steep-sided valleys where water gushes straight into a river. However, it can be exacerbated by human activity, including removing trees and shrubs which naturally soak up water from the soil. “Floods are natural events, and although animals and plants that can’t move out of the way or cope with turbulent conditions may drown, the effects of a single flood are probably not all that critical,” explains Jeremy. “Many invertebrates that live on riverbanks can hide in air pockets, climb out of the water on emergent plants or swim to the water’s edge. Fish may simply hide in deeper parts of the river to stay safe. The combined effect of regular floods is a danger, however, especially if the river water is polluted, as this brings pollutants out onto the land. As a result, a lot of riverbanks now are soaked in nutrients which can considerably change riparian zones.”