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250:. Winter flooding has filled an old carrier channel along the crest of a ridge (running from right foreground to middle distance), and has also flooded the drainage channels (on left and into distance, where they join the river). In use, water would have seeped from the carrier channel on the right, through the grass in the foreground into the drainage channel on the left, which would have looked almost empty.
440:). The drains in a derelict water-meadow are generally clogged and wet, and most of the carrier channels are dry, with the smaller ones on the ridge-tops often invisible. If any main carrier channels still flow, they usually connect permanently to the by-carriers. The larger sluices may be concealed under the roots of trees (such as
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between the two. Mains were often along the edge of the valley, each main supplying up to about 1 km (0.6 mi) of the valley. The water from the main was used to supply many smaller carriers, on the crests of ridges built across the fields. The channel on the crest of each ridge would
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took any water not needed for irrigation straight from the main back to the river. The ridges varied in height depending on the available head – usually from around 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 in). The pattern of carriers and drains was generally regular, but it was adapted to fit the
124:. Water-meadows were mainly used in Europe from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. Working water-meadows have now largely disappeared, but the field patterns and water channels of derelict water-meadows remain common in areas where they were used, such as parts of
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in the Czech
Republic. By imitating the natural river flooding which is rare in modern straightened and dammed rivers, a rich biodiversity can be restored and attract and sustain many rare and protected wetland species.
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which returned the water to the river. The ridges and the drains made an interlocking grid (like interlaced fingers), but the ridge-top channels and the drains did not connect directly. A
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Former water-meadows are found along many river valleys, where the sluice gates, channels and field ridges may still be visible (however the ridges should not be confused with
444:), which have grown up from seedlings established in the brickwork. The complex mixture of wet and drier ground often gives derelict water-meadows particularly high
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to grow several weeks earlier than otherwise, and in dry summer weather irrigation kept the grass growing. It also allowed the ground to absorb any plant
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did not aim to flood the ground, but to keep it continuously damp – a working water-meadow has no standing water. Irrigation in early spring kept
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Derelict water-meadows can be transformed into wildlife protection and conservation areas by repairing and operating the irrigation, as is the case of
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were formed along which the water could trickle in a zig-zag fashion down the field. The water could be used again for fields lower down the slope.
293:) of the ridge, the channel eventually tapering to an end at the tip of the ridge. The seeping water would then collect between the ridges, in
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These were used for fields on slopes, and relatively little engineering skill was required to construct them. Water from a
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natural topography of the ground and the locations of suitable places for the offtake and return of water.
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357:(irrigation) and maintenance of the water-meadow was done by a highly skilled craftsman called a
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carried by the river water – this fertilised the grassland, and incidentally also reduced
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159:. "Water-meadow" is sometimes used more loosely to mean any level grassland beside a river.
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The terminology used for watermeadows varied considerably with locality and dialect.
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topography, which is found on drier ground and has a very different origin in
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Parapotamische
Nutzungssysteme – Wiesenwässerung am Fuß des Kaiserstuhls
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Includes detailed description of bedwork and catchwork water-meadows.
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Water
Management in the English Landscape: Field, Marsh and Meadow
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The water meadow at
Magdalen College, Oxford, is an island in the
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Description, terminology and diagrams of floated water-meadows.
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water-meadows were built on almost-level fields along broad
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was fed to the top of a sloping field, and gentle sloping
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582:. Vol. 14 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 842–846.
365:, who was often employed by several adjacent farmers.
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Water
Meadows: The lush pastures of the river valleys
136:. Derelict water-meadows are often of importance as
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598:, including description of catchwork water-meadows.
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46:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
1235:A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia
560:. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1999.
1320:Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board
1245:Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Type
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317:The water flow was controlled by a system of
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167:Two main types of water-meadow were used.
147:Water-meadows should not be confused with
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77:Learn how and when to remove this message
556:Hadrian Cook and Tom Williamson (eds.),
454:
229:
88:
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1340:Meadowview Biological Research Station
1272:Greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands
573:"Irrigation § II. Water Meadows"
404:. The grass was used both for making
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289:overflow slowly down the sides (the
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1335:Irish Peatland Conservation Council
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618:—PhD thesis on watermeadows (PDF)
604:Includes animation of water flow.
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831:Flooded grasslands and savannas
505:Flooded grasslands and savannas
337:took carriers over drains, and
384:off the ground and so allowed
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1355:Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
1345:Society of Wetland Scientists
329:(small earth or wooden-board
16:Artificially irrigated meadow
970:Peatland, mire, and quagmire
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626:—PhD thesis on watermeadows
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1240:National Wetlands Inventory
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1325:Delta Waterfowl Foundation
301:, these joining to form a
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1491:Environmental terminology
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590:Description of the upper
122:agricultural productivity
1304:Wetland indicator status
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32:This article includes a
1015:Freshwater swamp forest
579:Encyclopædia Britannica
371:
61:more precise citations.
1496:History of agriculture
1350:Wetlands International
1121:List of wetland plants
428:Derelict water-meadows
400:of the river water by
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171:Catchwork water-meadow
116:subject to controlled
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995:Salt pannes and pools
602:Harnham Water Meadows
455:Working water-meadows
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345:provided access for
236:bedwork water-meadow
226:Bedwork water-meadow
1455:Wetlands portal
1086:Constructed wetland
671:Types and landforms
594:valley in southern
1299:Salt marsh die-off
1217:Salt marsh dieback
1126:List of fen plants
965:Palustrine wetland
866:Intertidal wetland
861:Interdunal wetland
402:nutrient pollution
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190:. You can help by
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34:list of references
1501:Landscape history
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1375:Aquatic ecosystem
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1282:Ramsar Convention
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1091:Converted wetland
1033:Peat swamp forest
896:Inland salt marsh
588:Upper Test Valley
234:Flooded derelict
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1435:Will-o'-the-wisp
1368:Related articles
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1060:Whitewater river
1010:Coniferous swamp
891:Freshwater marsh
784:Clearwater river
700:Blackwater river
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149:flood-meadows
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1400:List of bogs
1255:Conservation
1186:Ombrotrophic
1130:
1101:Water-meadow
1100:
1025:
836:Grass valley
826:Flood-meadow
789:Cypress dome
720:Cataract bog
695:Beach meadow
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490:Flood-meadow
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449:biodiversity
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120:to increase
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106:water meadow
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102:water-meadow
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53:Please help
45:
1425:Telmatology
1420:River delta
1287:Ramsar site
1277:Marsh organ
1176:Hydric soil
1055:Vernal pool
1038:Shrub swamp
906:Tidal marsh
735:Plateau bog
725:Coastal bog
715:Blanket bog
628:(in German)
325:gates) and
282:top carrier
272:, called a
130:Switzerland
110:watermeadow
59:introducing
1480:Categories
1385:Bog butter
1081:Bog garden
1074:Artificial
1045:Wet meadow
911:High marsh
901:Salt marsh
804:Fen-meadow
772:Alder carr
755:Upland bog
750:String bog
745:Raised bog
592:River Test
540:Floodplain
535:Wet meadow
378:irrigation
311:by-carrier
307:tail drain
118:irrigation
1207:Hydrosere
1195:Processes
1181:Marsh gas
1026:Myristica
916:Low marsh
730:Kermi bog
705:Bofedales
685:Backswamp
510:Grassland
416:(usually
414:livestock
390:nutrients
339:causeways
335:aqueducts
244:Hampshire
199:June 2010
140:wildlife
114:grassland
67:June 2024
1521:Wetlands
1465:Category
1395:Bog-wood
1390:Bog iron
1380:Bog body
1202:Halosere
1154:Histosol
1149:Acrotelm
1132:Sphagnum
990:Reed bed
935:Moorland
814:Rich fen
809:Poor fen
664:Wetlands
468:See also
408:and for
363:waterman
355:floating
343:culverts
220:terraces
153:flooding
142:habitats
1506:Meadows
1430:Turbary
1410:Estuary
985:Pothole
975:Pocosin
940:Mudflat
779:Ciénega
762:Callows
678:Natural
596:England
525:Prairie
515:Pasture
446:wetland
410:grazing
359:drowner
351:working
349:. The
319:hatches
278:carrier
259:floated
255:Bedwork
248:England
155:from a
138:wetland
134:England
55:improve
1511:Rivers
1000:Slough
955:Pakihi
945:Muskeg
871:Kettle
841:Guelta
418:cattle
382:frosts
347:wagons
323:sluice
299:drawns
295:drains
216:spring
212:stream
104:(also
1096:Swale
1065:Yaéré
1028:swamp
1005:Swamp
960:Palsa
950:Oasis
930:Misse
881:Marsh
851:IgapĂł
846:Hamun
821:Flark
794:Dambo
690:Bayou
520:Plain
500:Field
422:sheep
386:grass
327:stops
291:panes
163:Types
157:river
40:, or
1292:List
1159:Peat
1114:Life
980:Pond
925:Mere
876:Lagg
856:Ings
767:Carr
545:Berm
394:silt
372:Uses
341:and
331:dams
274:main
270:leat
132:and
799:Fen
710:Bog
424:).
420:or
412:by
406:hay
392:or
361:or
353:or
305:or
297:or
280:or
257:or
238:at
214:or
194:.
108:or
1482::
576:.
451:.
276:,
268:A
246:,
242:,
144:.
128:,
100:A
44:,
36:,
656:e
649:t
642:v
321:(
201:)
197:(
80:)
74:(
69:)
65:(
51:.
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