Visit a website to find out more about HOW RIVERS CHANGE THE LANDHOW RIVERS CHANGE THE LAND Mud, silt and sand are carried along by the current, while gravel, pebbles and rocks are pushed and rolled along the river bed. Whenever the river slows down it drops its load — the process of deposition. Deposited material is naturally and precisely graded, the heavier pebbles and gravel settling out first, followed by the finer sand and silts. As the River Usk flows to the sea it cuts its own channel and wears away the land — the process of erosion. Shaping the Land The water carries a heavy load of eroded material — the process of transportation. Through these three processes the River Usk is constantly shaping the landscape.

Can you see how the river and the land are changing? DEPOSITION EROSION TRANSPORTATION

Reservoirs Rivers are the main source of water in many areas and reservoirs are an excellent example of how this vital natural resource is utilised and managed. Dŵr Cymru - Welsh Water - use the Usk Reservoir not only to supply a large area of South Wales with water, but also to regulate the flow of the river. The reservoir is only a few miles downstream of the source of the River Usk on the Black Mountain.

Click here to take you to the River Words Smart Notebook file.River Words Smart Notebook