River board
Encyclopedia
River Boards were authorities who controlled land drainage
, fisheries and river
pollution and had other functions relating to rivers, streams and inland waters in England
and Wales
between 1950 and 1965.
The boards were established by the River Boards Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6., C. 32), and replaced the Catchment Boards that had been created in 1931. They were given powers to regulate fisheries and took over the duties of flood prevention on main river
s from local authorities. England and Wales (except the Thames and Lee catchment areas, the County of London
and some adjoining areas) was divided into River Board Areas, each with a board partly nominated by county council
s and county borough
corporations, and partly appointed by the government.
The Act allowed that "orders defining river board areas and establishing river boards may be made at different times for different areas". It was not until 1955 that all the boards had been established.
The river boards were replaced by twenty-seven river authorities
on April 1, 1965, under the Water Resources Act 1963. The new authorities comprised the area of one or two river boards.
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, fisheries and river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
pollution and had other functions relating to rivers, streams and inland waters in 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...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
between 1950 and 1965.
The boards were established by the River Boards Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6., C. 32), and replaced the Catchment Boards that had been created in 1931. They were given powers to regulate fisheries and took over the duties of flood prevention on main river
Main river
Main rivers are a statutory type of watercourse in England and Wales, usually larger streams and rivers, but also include some smaller watercourses. A main river is defined as a watercourse marked as such on a main river map, and can include any structure or appliance for controlling or regulating...
s from local authorities. England and Wales (except the Thames and Lee catchment areas, the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
and some adjoining areas) was divided into River Board Areas, each with a board partly nominated by county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
s and county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
corporations, and partly appointed by the government.
The Act allowed that "orders defining river board areas and establishing river boards may be made at different times for different areas". It was not until 1955 that all the boards had been established.
| River Board | Former Catchment Boards |
|---|---|
| Avon and Dorset | |
| Bristol Avon | Avon (Bristol) |
| Cheshire | Weaver |
| Cornwall | |
| Cumberland | Waver and Wampool |
| Dee and Clwyd | Clwyd, Dee |
| East Suffolk and Norfolk | East Norfolk Rivers (including the river Waveney), East Suffolk Rivers, North Norfolk Rivers |
| East Sussex | Cuckmere, Old Haven (Pevensey) and Bulverhythe Stream, Ouse (Sussex), Rother and Jury's Gut |
| Essex | Essex Rivers, Roding, Stour (Essex and Suffolk) |
| Devon | |
| Glamorgan | Thaw |
| Great Ouse | Ouse (Great) |
| Gwynedd | Anglesey Rivers, Conway, Dysynni, Prysor |
| Hampshire | Avon and Stour |
| Hull and East Yorkshire | Hull |
| Isle of Wight | |
| Kent | Kent, Medway, Romney and Denge Marsh Main Drains, Stour (Kent) |
| Lancashire | Crossens, Douglas, Lune, Wyre |
| Lincolnshire | Ancholme and Winterton Beck, Welland, Witham and Steeping River |
| Mersey | Alt, Mersey and Irwell |
| Nene | Nene |
| Northumberland and Tyneside | |
| Severn | Severn |
| Somerset | Somerset Rivers |
| South West Wales | |
| Trent | Trent |
| Usk | |
| Wear and Tees | |
| Welland | |
| West Sussex | Adur, Arun |
| Wye | Wye |
| Yorkshire Ouse | Derwent, Ouse (Yorkshire) |
The river boards were replaced by twenty-seven river authorities
River authority
River Authorities controlled land drainage, fisheries and river pollution in rivers, streams and inland waters in England and Wales between 1965 and 1973.The authorities were created by the Water Resources Act 1963 River Authorities controlled land drainage, fisheries and river pollution in...
on April 1, 1965, under the Water Resources Act 1963. The new authorities comprised the area of one or two river boards.
External links
- Trent River Authority and predecessors (University of Nottingham)http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/mss/online/water/collections/severn-trent.phtml