River flow and associated transport of sediments and solutes through a highly urbanised catchment, Bradford, West Yorkshire.

The hydrological characteristics of catchments become drastically modified in response to urbanisation. The total contributions and dynamics of runoff, suspended sediment and solutes may change significantly and have important implications downstream where they may affect flooding, instream ecological habitat, water quality and siltation of river channels and lakes. Although an appreciation of the likely hydrological changes is crucial for effective catchment management they are still poorly understood.

The impact of a convectional summer rainfall event on river flow and fine sediment transport in a highly urbanised catchment: Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Urban watercourses are important assets to cities, but they often have extremely 'flashy' hydraulic regimes and poor water quality, making them potential hazards. Current knowledge of the impact of intense rainfall events on urban river water discharge and, in particular, fine sediment transport is limited. Continuous monitoring of flow and turbidity (subsequently calibrated to suspended sediment concentration) was undertaken at a network of four sites throughout the highly urbanised Bradford catchment in West Yorkshire, NE England.

The temporal and spatial variability of sediment transport and yields within the Bradford Beck catchment, West Yorkshire.

Recent EU directives have emphasised the need to understand and limit potential water quality problems within urban river systems. Under certain conditions sediments and contaminants derived from industrial and domestic waste and the urban surface may be expelled into urban rivers via the sewer and drainage system. These discharges may lead to water quality problems within urban catchments.