River Sprint
54°24′32.2″N 2°45′45.9″W / 54.408944°N 2.762750°W
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2016) |
| Sprint | |
|---|---|
 The Sprint at Garnett Bridge | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | England |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Harter Fell |
| Mouth | |
• location | confluence with River Kent |
The River Sprint is a river in Cumbria, England with its source high up on the south-facing side of Harter Fell. It flows into the River Kent just to the south of Burneside.
The first two miles of the river is made up of a series of short flat sections interspersed by spectacular water falls, before it enters Longsleddale valley. When in Longsleddale, it begins to get wider as it is fed by a large number of streams (known as becks; a term derived from Old Norse).
The River Sprint is the fastest rising river in England,[citation needed] and frequently floods in Longsleddale valley, making the road impassable. The river is spectacular at times of high flow, and is popular with canoeists and fishermen.
Industry
[edit]The river powered mills from medieval times to the twentieth century There were mills at Garnett Bridge and downstream at Sprint Mill near Burneside.[1]
Ecology
[edit]Like other tributaries of the Kent, the Sprint is a stronghold of the white clawed crayfish, one of the reasons for the designation of these rivers as a Special Area of Conservation underpinned by SSSI status.[2]
The water quality of the Sprint has been adversely affected by degraded peatland in its headwaters.[3] The erosion of the peat is thought to have been caused by heavy grazing in the past.[4] The Environment Agency’s Catchment Restoration Fund has funded a project to improve the water quality and alleviate flooding as part of a wider initiative called the "Source to Sea Programme". This involves restoration of peatlands in the catchment areas of rivers feeding into Morecambe Bay, including a site called Borrowdale Moss where water from blanket bogs feeds into the Kent catchment via the Sprint and also into the neighbouring Lune catchment.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Lloyd, Karen (2016). "The power of water to drive a mill and break a bridge". Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ "River Kent: site details". Retrieved 18 November 2020. Joint Nature Conservation Committee
- ^ a b "Peatland restoration: Borrowdale Moss". Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ "Borrowdale Moss". Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
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