Catchwater drain
Encyclopedia
A catchwater drain is a land drain, a ditch cut across the fall of the land, typically just above the level of low-lying, level ground such as The Fens
of eastern England
, where some land, tens of kilometres from the sea is at about sea level
. Its purpose is to gather water draining from the higher, sloping ground before it reaches the flat land whence it would be difficult or expensive to remove. The water may be on the surface
, in streams or in the ground before it is gathered, perhaps to be led away across the lowland by an embanked river.
There are other circumstances in which a catchwater
may be employed. A hill-top or hillside may be used to trap rainwater
which is then gathered by the catchwater and fed to a reservoir. From this a house, village or town may be supplied.
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
of eastern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where some land, tens of kilometres from the sea is at about sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Its purpose is to gather water draining from the higher, sloping ground before it reaches the flat land whence it would be difficult or expensive to remove. The water may be on the surface
Surface water
Surface water is water collecting on the ground or in a stream, river, lake, wetland, or ocean; it is related to water collecting as groundwater or atmospheric water....
, in streams or in the ground before it is gathered, perhaps to be led away across the lowland by an embanked river.
There are other circumstances in which a catchwater
Catchwater
A catchwater is a large-scale man-made device for catching surface runoff from hills and channelling it to reservoirs for later usage as a part of the public water supply....
may be employed. A hill-top or hillside may be used to trap rainwater
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can...
which is then gathered by the catchwater and fed to a reservoir. From this a house, village or town may be supplied.