The River Lagan www.laganvalleylearning.co.uk

Katie investigates the river Katie kingfisher lives along the River Lagan. She loves living there and thinks she’s the luckiest bird alive to have such a beautiful home. One day she starts to think about her river and she asks herself some questions. Where does the river start? Where does it end up? Does it change along the way? Who else lives along the Lagan? Katie decides she’s going to go on an adventure to discover the Lagan!

Where do rivers come from? High up in the hills rain falls from the clouds, the rain water runs into lots of little streams. These streams flow down the mountains and get bigger as they travel down the hills. A river is formed when lots of these small streams join together. Rivers end up in lakes or the sea. Clouds form Rain falls Water evaporates Rivers flow

Katie finds out facts Katie goes onto the internet and finds out some interesting facts about the River Lagan… The start of a river is called the source. It is usually found in the hills or mountains. The end of a river is called the mouth. The mouth of the River Lagan flows into the sea. The River Lagan is 60km long. It flows through towns such as Lisburn and Belfast.

Katie and the source Katie decides to visit the source of the river. She knows it’s in the hills in a place called ‘Slieve Croob’. She can’t wait to see what she will find. The Dromara Hills near the Mournes Katie can’t believe her eyes when she’s told this tiny trickle of water coming up from a spring is the source. She thinks of her mighty Lagan further downstream and feels very confused. The source of the River Lagan How does the river become so big when it starts so small?

Katie discovers more river facts The route a river takes from the source to the mouth is called the river course. Rivers don’t flow in straight lines they twist and turn through the surrounding countryside. A big bend in a river is called a meander. Meander This is what a river would look like if you cut it in half. The bottom of a river is called the river bed. The side of a river is called the river bank. Where the water flows is called the channel. B. C. A.

Map of the River Lagan Katie finds a map of the river as it flows through the Lagan Valley Regional Park. It passes through the towns of Lisburn and Belfast. Can you spot where your school is?

People and the Lagan Katie discovers that people have been living beside rivers for thousands of years. Why do you think people chose to live beside rivers in the past? Water for growing food Drinking water Transport Bathing

Who lived along the Lagan? Stone age man 7000BC The Normans 1200’s Canal Folk 1700’s – 1950’s The mill workers 1700’s

Lagan Canal towpath Katie discovers that in the 1700’s a canal was built from Lough Neagh to Belfast. The canal was used for transporting goods to and from the many industries dotted along the Lagan. Beside the canal you can see a towpath. Horses were used to pull boats along the canal.

What might their cargo have been? Lightermen The Lightermen and their families usually lived on board the boat. The job of the lighterman was to transport the cargo between Belfast and Lough Neagh as quickly as possible. What might their cargo have been?

Cuts, locks and weirs Sometimes the river was too narrow, too shallow or the bends too sharp for boats to pass through. Other passageways known as “cuts” were dug and locks and weirs put in place to regulate the depth.

Lock keepers Lock keepers were the people who looked after the locks and made sure that the boats got through safely. The Lagan Navigation Company, who owned the canal, employed them and they were given houses to live in, beside the locks, as part of the job.

Walking along the towpath How do people use the River Lagan today? Canoeing Fishing Rowing Swimming Watching wildlife Walking along the towpath

What kind of wildlife lives in the Lagan? Otters Heron Eels Ducklings Salmon Dragonflies

Where the river ends Katie has followed the course of the river through the Lagan Valley Regional Park and she is wondering, “Where does it end?” The River Lagan winds its way to Belfast Lough. Belfast Lough is still a major port today, with lots of passenger and cargo ferries. What an AMAZING journey!

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