Flooding on the Thames is a natural process. When the river
overflows its banks and floods, the water must have somewhere to
go. The water spreads out over the flood plain. People have
built upon the Thames floodplain, so the water has nowhere to
go. The result is that when the river floods, property and homes
are destroyed. We must find a balance that allows the river to
flood naturally, but doesn’t damage people’s property. Flooding
is a natural process. When a river gets full with rain water, it
breaks its banks and the water spreads out over the flood plain.
The water then soaks into the ground or returns to the river as
levels drop. The rich river silt (mud) that is left behind makes
the earth good for agriculture. The wide flat Thames Valley has
a large fertile flood plain, which is why it has been an
important area for farming for hundreds of years. Problems arise
when people build on the flood plain. Flat river valleys have
always been popular places to build houses, so for hundreds of
years people ha