THAMES RIVER

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Context

Recent incident in UK that a man who attacked a woman and her two daughters with a corrosive substance likely jumped into the Thames River and drowned.

Details

River Thames

• River Thames, Chief River of southern England. Rising in the Cotswold Hills, its basin covers an area of approximately 5,500 square miles (14,250 square km).
• It’s part of the longest river in England, it has 45 locks, is home to over 25 species of fish, boasts three areas of outstanding natural beauty and it’s the only river in Europe to have a national trail follow its entire length.
• It flows into the North Sea.
• The river passes numerous popular cities along its way, such as London, Reading, Hendley-on-Thomas, Windsor and Oxford, where it is also called the Isis River.

Tributaries

• The main tributaries of the River Thames are: Lea (68 km), Leach (30 km), Churn (37 km), Coln (52 km), Windrush (48 km), Kennet (77 km), Evenlode (68 km), Ock (37 km), Loddon (32 km)
• The Thames and its tributaries have many important floodplains and are home to a wide variety of wildlife. They are important for water supply. The many chalk streams that contribute to the Thames are rich with iconic species of native wildlife including otter, kingfisher and water vole (the River Kennet and Lambourn are SSSIs).

Threat

• They are suffering due to many pressures; from urbanisation to invasive species.