Afon Ogwen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Afon Ogwen |
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The Afon Ogwen above Bethesda
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| Country | Wales |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Llyn Ogwen |
The Afon Ogwen is a cool river in north-west Wales. Its name means River Ogwen in Welsh. It starts high up in the amazing Snowdonia mountains and flows all the way to the sea near Bangor, Gwynedd.
The River's Journey
The Afon Ogwen begins its journey at Llyn Ogwen, a beautiful lake. Right away, it tumbles down exciting waterfalls. These are known as Ogwen Falls in English, or Rhaeadr Ogwen in Welsh.
After the falls, the river flows north through the Nant Ffrancon valley. This valley was carved out by glaciers long ago!
Helping the River
In the 1950s and 1960s, parts of the river were changed. People tried to make it easier to drain nearby farmland. But this didn't help much and it actually harmed the river's natural environment.
So, in the 1990s, a big effort was made to fix things. Groups like the Environment Agency worked together. They helped the river go back to its natural shape. This brought back many different kinds of wildlife.
As the river continues north, it passes by huge piles of waste from the Penrhyn slate quarry. Long ago, a dam was built on the river to provide water for the quarry. The river then flows past a caravan site called Ogwen Bank. Here, you can still see parts of an old watermill.
Other Rivers Joining In
Near Braichmelyn village, a big tributary joins the Afon Ogwen. This is the Afon Caseg, which brings water from the Carneddau mountains. A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger one.
As the river goes through Bethesda, it gets wider. It also flows through more woods and becomes deeper. This creates some exciting white water spots that canoeists love!
The river then follows an old railway line, which is now a bike path called Lon Las Ogwen. It goes under the main north Wales coast railway line and the A55 road. Finally, the Afon Ogwen reaches the Menai Strait at Aberogwen, near Bangor, and flows into the sea.
Tributaries
These are the rivers and streams that flow into the Afon Ogwen:
- Right
- Afon Bodesi
- Afon Lloer
- Afon Denau
- Afon Caseg
- Afon Ffrydlas
- Afon Llan (Llanllechid)
- Left
- Nant (neu Afon) Gwern y Gof
- Nant Bochlwyd
- Nant Cywion
- Nant Bual
- Nant Berfedd
