River Huntspill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| River Huntspill | |
|---|---|
 The Huntspill river crossed by a railway bridge and the M5 motorway
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| Country | England |
| County | Somerset |
| Region | Somerset Levels |
| District | Sedgemoor |
| Major city | Street |
| Length | 5 mi (8 km) |
| Mouth | River Parrett |
| - location | Huntspill, Somerset, England |
| - coordinates | |
| - elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
The River Huntspill (or Huntspill River) is an artificial river, in the Somerset Levels, in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England.
The river was excavated as a five mile long straight channel using a dragline during the early years of World War II. It was constructed as a priority war work.[1] Its main function was to provide an all year-round guaranteed supply of 4.5 million gallons per day of process water for ROF Bridgwater, the Royal Ordnance Factory near Puriton.[1] It was also intended to help drain parts of the lower Brue Valley. It was connected to the South Drain at Gold Corner. It implemented parts of a drainage plan for the Somerset Levels first drawn up in 1853 but not implemented until World War II.[1]
The Huntspill River has retention sluices at both ends. In winter flood water can be removed by gravity drainage; and in summer it can be topped up by pumping water from the moors.[1]
The Huntspill River is a National Nature Reserve,[2] it discharges into the River Parrett just south of Highbridge. The Parrett flows into Bridgwater Bay, which also an important National Nature Reserve,[3] on the edge of the Bristol Channel.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Williams, Michael [1970]. The Draining of the Somerset Levels. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 238. ISBN 0-521-07486-X.
- ^ Huntspill River National Nature Reserve. Natural England. Retrieved on 2007-06-09.
- ^ Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve. Natural England. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
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