River Rhondda

River Rhondda

The River Rhondda ( _cy. Afon Rhondda) is a river in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales which has two major tributaries; the Rhondda Fawr ( _en. Large Rhondda) and the Rhondda Fach ( _en. Little Rhondda).

Description

Despite their names, both tributaries are about the same length. Both river valleys are typical "U" shaped glaciated valleys in carboniferous sandstones and coal measures. The whole form of the river and its surrounding urbanisation has been dominated by coal mining and communities that grew up to exploit the rich coal seams. Much of the valley has suffered severe subsidence because of the removal of coal from underneath the valley floor. The houses and streets have subsided with the result that river levels are, in parts , higher than the surrounding houses. In order to contain the river and prevent flooding, walls have been built, sometimes across the ends of streets - these are known as "The Rhondda walls".

Course(s)

The Rhondda Fawr rises near Llyn Fawr - and runs down the Rhondda Valley, ( _cy. Cwm Rhondda) to its confluence with the River Taff at Pontypridd.

The river runs through Blaenrhondda where it is joined by the Nant y Gwair via a classic example of a hanging valley. The river then passes through a string of mining towns and villages including Treherbert, Treorchy, Pentre, Ton Pentre, Ystrad Rhondda, Llwynypia, Tonypandy, Dinas, Porth and Trehafod before finally joining the River Taff in Pontypridd.

The Rhondda Fach has its source very close to the Rhondda Fawr on the hills above Blaenrhondda. The fledgling river is first contained in the Lluestwen reservoir before flowing down into Maerdy and then on through Ferndale, Tylorstown, and Ynyshir before joing its sister tributary at Porth.

Improving Water Quality

The mining industry had a catastrophic impact on the quality of the river with all the mine waters being pumped straight into the river with no treatment. For very long periods, probably more than a century, the river was continuously black with coal solids and little if anything could live in the river. This was compounded by the very basic sewage disposal arrangements which saw all the sewage discharged into the same river. Not until the 1970s was there real investment made in improving the sewage treatment arrangements.

Since the early 1970s the river has been steadily improving in quality largely due to the closure of all the coal mines and through the investment in sewerage and sewage treatment.

External links

* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2795785 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of the River Rhondda]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • River Taff — (Afon Taf) River The Taff flowing through Llandaff …   Wikipedia

  • Rhondda — (IPAEng| rɒnðɘ), or Rhondda Valley (Welsh: Cwm Rhondda ) is a former coal mining valley in Wales, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ( mawr large) and… …   Wikipedia

  • Rhondda Cynon Taff — Rhondda Cynon Taff, or RCT, ( cy. Rhondda Cynon Taf) is a county borough in the preserved county of Mid Glamorgan, Wales.The county borough borders Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly to the east, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan to the south,… …   Wikipedia

  • Rhondda (disambiguation) — Rhondda or Rhondda Valley is a constituancy and one time borough and district in South Wales. It may also refer to:Places*Rhondda Fawr the larger of the the two valleys in the Rhondda *Rhondda Fach the smaller of the two valleys in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Rhondda (district) — infobox historic subdivision Name= Rhondda Arms= Motto= Hwy Clod na Golud (Fame outlasts wealth) HQ= Pentre Status= Local Government District (1877 1894) Urban district (1894 1955) Municipal borough (1955 1974) Borough (1974 1996) Start= 1877 (as …   Wikipedia

  • River Clun, South Wales — Geobox|River name = River Clun native name = Afon Clun image size = image caption = The River Clun at Talbot Green etymology = Welsh: afon = river, clun (obsolete) = meadowcite web|title=BBC Wales What s in a name Place name search|url=http://www …   Wikipedia

  • River Afan — Geobox|River name = River Afan native name = Afon Afan other name = category = etymology = nickname = image caption = country = Wales | country state = region type = Counties | region = district = municipality = parent = tributary left =… …   Wikipedia

  • River Ogmore — Coordinates: 51°28′11″N 3°38′18″W / 51.46972°N 3.63833°W / 51.46972; 3.63833 …   Wikipedia

  • River Ely — The River Ely ( cy. Afon Elai) is a river in South Wales flowing generally south east, from Tonyrefail to the capital city of Cardiff.The river is about 24 miles long. Its source lies in the mountains to the south of Tonypandy, RCT rising in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Dinas Rhondda — Coordinates: 51°37′10″N 3°25′51″W / 51.61948°N 3.43073°W / 51.61948; 3.43073 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”