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The geomorphological setting of some of Scotland's east coast freshwater mills: a comment on Downward and Skinner (2005) ‘Working rivers: the geomorphological legacy . . .’
Author(s) -
Bishop Paul,
Jansen John D
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
area
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1475-4762
pISSN - 0004-0894
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4762.2005.00642.x
Subject(s) - bedrock , geology , fluvial , streams , hydrology (agriculture) , sediment , mill , geomorphology , physical geography , archaeology , geography , geotechnical engineering , structural basin , computer network , computer science
Many of the water mills on Scotland's east coast streams, unlike those discussed recently byDownward and Skinner (2005Area 37 138–47), are found in predominantly bedrock reaches immediately downstream of knickpoints (i.e. bedrock steps). Bedrock knickpoints in the lower reaches of Scottish rivers are a widespread fluvial response to the glacio‐isostatic rebound of northern Britain. These steps in the river profile propagate headward over time, but for intervals of a few centuries or so they are sufficiently stable to be exploited for the elevational fall necessary to power the mill wheel. Many of these mills were apparently powered by ‘run‐of‐the‐river’, as are some today that formerly had mill dams. The typical lack of sediment storage along the erosional lower reaches of many Scottish rivers means that failure of mill structures in Scotland will probably have less dramatic geomorphological and management implications than those suggested by Downward and Skinner for southern English rivers.