Southampton Water facts for kids

Fawley oil refinery seen from Netley Hospital.

Calshot Castle helps protect the entrance to Southampton Water.

The Fawley Oil Refinery.

Southampton Water is a long, narrow arm of the sea, also known as a tidal estuary. It is located in England, just north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight. The large city of Southampton sits at its northern end.

Along the western side of Southampton Water, you'll find marshy areas and villages like Hythe and Fawley. The huge Esso oil refinery is also located at Fawley. On the eastern side, which has slightly steeper land, are places like Weston, Netley, and Hamble-le-Rice. You can also find the Royal Victoria Country Park there.

Southampton Water, along with the Solent, is famous around the world for yachting (sailing boats). It was even used as a location for sailing and motorboating events during the 1908 Summer Olympics.

How Southampton Water Was Formed

Southampton Water is a type of ria, which means it's a "drowned valley." It's actually the lower part of the River Test. This area was created when the English Channel's sea levels rose after the last ice age. The rising water flooded many valleys in southern England.

Several rivers flow into Southampton Water, including the Test, Itchen, and Hamble. Scientists believe that Southampton Water was partly formed when a much older river, the River Solent, was submerged. The Test, Itchen, and River Medina are thought to have been branches of this ancient river.

Why Southampton is a Major Port

The city of Southampton became a very important port partly because of the special features of Southampton Water. It was naturally deep enough for large ships, even before any improvements were made. Over time, it has been made even deeper. This was easy to do because the riverbed is made of soft silt, which is simple to dredge (remove material from the bottom).

Another helpful feature is the "double tide." This means that the high tide lasts for an unusually long time. This makes it much easier for very large ships to move in and out of the port safely.

Challenges and Future Plans

Southampton Water is an area where different uses of the land can sometimes conflict. There's a growing urban area called "the Waterside" that sits in a narrow strip of land between Southampton Water and the New Forest National Park. Villages like Marchwood, Hythe, Dibden Purlieu, Holbury, and Fawley have all grown quite a bit.

Dibden Bay: A Port Expansion Debate

Between Hythe and Marchwood, there's an area of land called Dibden Bay that was created by reclaiming land from the water. Associated British Ports (ABP) wanted to expand the Port of Southampton here. They said this expansion was vital for the port's future and the local economy.

However, many environmental groups strongly opposed this plan. The marshy areas of Dibden Bay are very important for wildlife and have international protection under the Ramsar Convention.

A planning investigation looked into the proposal. In April 2005, the government agreed with the investigation's recommendation to reject ABP's plan. The reason was that the environmental value of the site was too high, and there were other possible places for port expansion in southern England that hadn't been fully explored yet.

In July 2009, Associated British Ports started a discussion about their 20-year plan for Southampton port. They still believe that expanding into the Dibden reclaim area will be necessary between 2021 and 2027, even though they know how important the area is for nature.

Introduced Species

In 1925, American hard-shelled clams were brought into the River Test. This area was warmer because of cooling water from the Southampton Power Station. The idea was to breed the clams to use them as bait for eels. Since then, these clams have spread throughout Southampton Water and into other nearby harbors like Portsmouth Harbour and Langstone Harbour.

Images for kids

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  The River Itchen (at the bottom center) flowing into Southampton Water.