The River Thames is the cleanest river in the world that flows through a major city. This is a major feat considering that fifty years ago the river was so polluted that it was declared biologically dead. From 1830 to 1860 tens of thousands of people died of cholera as a result of the pollution in the Thames.
A new by-law has banned people from swimming in the River Thames without prior permission from the Port of London Authority (PLA). But the river is potentially dangerous, with tides, strong currents, and whirlpools.
However, as Andrew tells Sun Online Once, even once the sewer is completed, the Thames will still look brown. This is because it is a muddy river, owing to the silt on the riverbed - but any new water that enters the system will be clean "almost overnight".
According to Visit Thames: "The River Thames may take its name from the Sanskrit Tamas meaning 'dark' as its waters are often dark and cloudy; another school of thought is that it is named after the Roman Tam meaning 'wide' and Isis meaning water."
Fun Facts about the River Thames. The Thames is both tidal and non-tidal, depending which spot you're looking at – it becomes tidal after Teddington Lock. The river is home to over 119 species of fish, as well as otters, voles, and eels. The Thames Path is 184 miles long, which makes it the longest river walk in Europe
Of the Thames' 346km (215 mi) total length, 160km (99 mi) is in fact tidal, that's close to half of the length. This section, which is known as the Tideway, stretches all the way from the sea until stopping at the first lock on the river in Teddington.
The River Thames is now home to some 120 fish species, including two rarities: the Twaite Shad (a type of migrating Herring) and Sea Lamprey, both of which are spawning in the tidal Thames. In the non-tidal Thames, Roach, Chub, Perch, Pike and Bream can all be found along the whole of the River.
The second largest use of river water is for the public water supply. The Thames and Lee provide 90 per cent of London's water. The industrial uses of water are numerous. Steel mills, breweries, paper makers and many other industrial processes use river water or groundwater for their trade.
The River Thames is the cleanest river in the world that flows through a major city. This is a major feat considering that fifty years ago the river was so polluted that it was declared biologically dead. From 1830 to 1860 tens of thousands of people died of cholera as a result of the pollution in the Thames.
I'll be honest, I never thought that a person or body could own a river, but it turns out that the River Thames is owned by the Crown. Well, in technicality, they own the river bed, and then the actual water flowing is the responsibility of the Port of London Authority.
Dead bodies abound
On average there is one dead body hauled out of the Thames each week.The River Thames is one of the cleanest rivers in the world.
New by-law bans swimming in River Thames. A new by-law has banned people from swimming in the River Thames without prior permission from the Port of London Authority (PLA). But the river is potentially dangerous, with tides, strong currents, and whirlpools.
In 1957, the Natural History Museum declared the Thames biologically dead. News reports from that era describe it as a vast, foul-smelling drain. "The tidal reaches of the Thames constitute a badly managed open sewer," the Guardian, then called the Manchester Guardian, reported in 1959.
It rises at Thames Head in Gloucestershire, and flows into the North Sea via the Thames Estuary. The Thames drains the whole of Greater London. Its tidal section, reaching up to Teddington Lock, includes most of its London stretch and has a rise and fall of 23 feet (7 m).
The pronunciation of 'Thames' comes from the word's original spelling, which had pre-Celtic roots. Simply put, the river's name has always been pronounced 'tems', with a simple 't' sound. The modern spelling of the word Thames illustrates an interesting phenomenon in the history of the English language.
The river has been an important trade and transport route since prehistoric times. London's fame and fortune is due its river. All through the Middle Ages the Thames was one of London's main highways.
The Thames is not particularly dangerous, compared with other similar rivers. More people drown in it than in any other river in the UK, but that is mainly because so many people live or work near to it, and that there are so many pubs near to it, rather than any characteristic of the river itself.
Where is the mouth of the Thames?
At its widest, right at the mouth of the river, the Thames measures 18 miles across and it's just 18 metres at its narrowest in Lechlade.
London 'could drink treated sewage' - Thames Water. Recycled toilet waste could be introduced to London's tap water, under plans being considered by Thames Water. The company has launched a consultation on the idea of drinking sewage water which has been treated, put back in the Thames and retreated.
The pronunciation of 'Thames' comes from the word's original spelling, which had pre-Celtic roots. Simply put, the river's name has always been pronounced 'tems', with a simple 't' sound. The modern spelling of the word Thames illustrates an interesting phenomenon in the history of the English language.
It is England's longest river and the second longest river in the United Kingdom. Long ago, before Britain was separated from continental Europe, the Thames was a tributary of the Rhine. The English Channel was formed about 7,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age.
But for all the fresh water pouring into it, the Thames remains mostly salt. A mere 15 miles in length from its mouth to the shores of Norwich, the Thames is an estuary, a span of brackish water that ebbs and flows with the tides.
About 90 kilometres from the sea, above London, the river begins to show the tide caused by the North Sea. At London, the water is slightly salty with sea salt.
80% of the water we supply to London and the Thames Valley comes from rivers and 20% comes from underground sources called 'aquifers'.
The Thames Estuary is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the sea, starting at Teddington, the tidal Thames passes through London to its mouth, the Kent/Essex Strait. It constitutes a major shipping route with the key ports; Port of London and the Medway Ports of Sheerness, Chatham and Thamesport.
Innumerable brooks, streams and rivers, within an area of 9948 square km (3,841 square miles), combine to form 38 main tributaries feeding the Thames between its source and Teddington. These include the rivers Churn, Leach, Cole, Coln, Windrush, Evenlode, Cherwell, Ock, Thame, Pang, Kennet, Loddon, Colne, Wey and Mole.
Thames Head is the site in Gloucestershire, traditionally identified as the source of the River Thames, the major river which runs through the centre of London. It is in a meadow known as Trewsbury Mead near the village of Kemble and the town of Cirencester.
Textbooks tell us the River Severn is the longest - at 220 miles (354km), and the River Thames slightly shorter at 215 miles (346km) long. If this was the case it would add a further 14 miles (22km) to the Thames, making it nine miles (14km) longer than the Severn.
What towns does the Thames flow through?
London
Oxford
Henley-on-Thames
Reading
Windsor
What is the flow rate of the river Thames?
It rises at Thames Head in Gloucestershire, and flows into the North Sea via the Thames Estuary. The Thames drains the whole of Greater London. Its tidal section, reaching up to Teddington Lock, includes most of its London stretch and has a rise and fall of 23 feet (7 m).
| River Thames |
|---|
| ? average | 59.3 m3/s (2,090 cu ft/s) |
