River Laver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids River Laver |
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River Laver near Ripon
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| Country | England |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Confluence of North Gill Beck and South Gill Beck at Dallowgill 170 metres (560 ft) 54°8′22″N 1°42′30″W / 54.13944°N 1.70833°W |
| River mouth | River Skell at Ripon 33 metres (108 ft) 54°7′55″N 1°32′8″W / 54.13194°N 1.53556°W |
| Length | 9.3 miles (15 km) |
The River Laver is a small river in North Yorkshire, England. It is a branch, or "tributary," of the River Skell. The Skell then flows into the River Ure.
The name "Laver" comes from an old language called Brittonic. It means "talkative" or "babbling brook." This is a good name for a river that makes a lot of noise as it flows! There is also a river in Wales called the Afon Llafar which has the same meaning.
The River Laver is a popular spot for fly fishing. People especially like to fish here for brown trout and grayling.
Where Does the River Laver Flow?
The River Laver starts from several small streams. These streams begin on the moors, which are open, hilly areas, between Nidderdale and Kirkby Malzeard.
The two biggest streams are North Gill Beck and South Gill Beck. They meet in a narrow, wooded valley near Dallowgill. This is where the River Laver officially begins.
The river continues through a wooded valley. It then gets wider when it reaches Laverton. Near Winksley, the riverbanks become very woody again. As the river gets closer to Ripon, the area becomes more open and flat. The River Laver finally joins the River Skell on the western side of Ripon.
How Much Water Flows in the River?
Experts have been measuring the flow of the River Laver since 1977. They use a special wall, called a weir, in Ripon to do this. The area that drains into the river, called the "catchment," is about 88 square kilometres (34 sq mi).
On average, about 1.1 cubic metres per second (39 cu ft/s) of water flows past the measuring station. This means about 1,100 liters (or about 290 gallons) of water flow by every second.
In June 2007, the river level was very high. It reached 1.9 metres (6 ft 3 in) over the weir. At that time, it was estimated that about 65 cubic metres per second (2,300 cu ft/s) of water was flowing. That's a lot of water!
