River Avon

The River Avon is one of two important rivers in the United Kingdom’s Royal Crown Colony of Azazian Sarnia, with a length of 822 km.

Geography

The River Avon finds its source in the headwaters located in Sarzonia’s Pavanne colony, most significant being the Ashbridge Creek, the primary source for the Avon and if included within the Avon’s length stretches the river to 1,231 km.

Owing to the low and broad fluvial valley, the River Avon flows slowly and meanders through Azazian Sarnia officially starting at the confluence of the Cartier Creek and the Ashbridge Creek and working its way north until it reaches the mouth of the Sanborn Stream, where the confluence empties into the Avon Estuary, which runs for some 1,200 km itself before emptying into the ocean.

With the long estuary, the River Avon also is known for its tidal bore, which reaches a height of 1.5 m and can present some problem to local shipping – although it is a boon to local surfers.

Navigation

The River Avon is critical to the inland transport of goods into the interior of Azazian Sarnia. Although most oceangoing ships must call the city of Port Royal as their terminus, barges are commonly seen transporting goods from Port Royal on the mouth of the Avon to the colony’s capital Avalon-on-Avon, located on a hill around which the river makes its most severe course change – a near half circle before correcting to a north-south course.

Owing to the underdevelopment of the colony, the river provides the UK with ready access to the interior of the nation and it was with this in mind that the UK is developing plans to build a canal that will link the River Avon to the River Selby in a near east-west route from Avalon-on-Avon to the city of Atherton on the Selby.

Urbanisation and Development

The importance of the river has seen numerous small river ports develop along the banks, each attempting to lure barges and other ships to their small towns with services catering to mariners and sailors. However, the two cities of main importance continue to be Port Royal and Avalon-on-Avon.

In large part the colony has yet to see any significant river crossings completed, although a rail bridge is scheduled to be completed in early March of 2006 that will link Avalon-on-Avon to the important mining/industrial town of Atherton. The railway is being developed by a private firm in direct competition to the Avalon-Atherton Canal which would otherwise be the primary link to bring goods and raw materials from Atherton to Port Royal, the colony’s primary port.

Similarly, a road bridge is scheduled to be completed in late March of 2006 as part of a ground-level highway that will connect Atherton to Avalon. It is to be designated the SM2, or Sarnian Motorway 2 (as the SM1 is under construction and will link Avalon-on-Avon to Port Royal.