Floodplains are very fertile areas of land, so are often used for agriculture and growing crops.
Floodplain
Fig. 8.19(b) Floodplain: notice the levees (raised banks) and the flat land at either side of the river.
A-Z
Flooding: Occurs when rivers are filled with too much water. The water breaks through the
riverbanks and spreads over the surrounding land.
Floodplains
Artificial levees are sometimes constructed by engineers in or near urban areas in order to reduce a river’s ability to flood businesses and homes.
Fig. 8.19(c) Floodplain: notice there is no settlement on the floodplain due to the threat of flooding.
CHECK YOUR LEARNING
1. Why is the river ‘slow moving’ in its old age? 2. List two reasons why a river may overflow its banks. 3. What is ‘alluvium’? 4. Explain the difference between natural and artificial levees. 5. How does a ‘back-swamp’ form? 6. What does a ‘bluff line’ indicate in a floodplain? 7. What evidence in Fig. 8.19(b) tells you the river is in the old stage/lower valley? 8. Floodplains are valuable agricultural land but unsuitable locations for development. Explain.
