Whetsham River
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Length | 2717 km | |||
| Elevation of the source | 1,688 m | |||
| Average discharge | 11.4 m³/s | |||
| Area watershed | 101,577 km² | |||
| Origin | Grinningdale | |||
| Mouth | Tar Pin Sea | |||
| Basin countries | Oglethorpia | |||
The Whetsham River is the result of glacial runoff and channeled rainfall, forming a major waterway connecting Megalopolis City and Steerford to the sea. The Whetsham is dammed by two hydroelectric gravity dam facilities, the first of which is located to the south of Megalopolis City (Megalopolis City 1 Dam) and another of which is south of Steerford (Steerford 1 Dam).
Contents
Course
The Whetsham River is 2,717 kilometers (1,687 miles). The Whetsham flows south from the Grinningdale region, just miles away from the Faxilvanian border. It flows through the sothern metropolitan area of Megalopolis City, and continues on a meandering path through the north of Steerford. From here, the Whetsham flows north towards its mouth on the Tar Pin Sea.
While extensive damming has not altered the course of the Whethsham River much, it has tamed the river making navigation much easier as well as downsizing the width of the river in many areas. The damming of the river has also provided much needed hydroelectric power and has reduced the risk of flood to 1 every 100,000 years.
History
The primary Oglethorpian settlement of Allergiers saw a massive crop failure in X565 just 5 years after landing there; the fertile banks of the Whetsham made Megalopolis City the logical second settlement, arguably saving the lives of all the settlers. Nowadays farming is still mostly prevalent in the outer areas of Steerford and Megalopolis City.
The rise of shipping in X589 saw a massive increase of shipping transport on the Whetsham; however, its turbulent nature led to many accidents and deaths. Not until the mid/late 19th century was it successfully dammed and controlled.
To allow for river traffic to reach Megalopolis City, the Steerford 1 Dam operates a set of three locks to bypass the dam. Ships of moderate size venture as far as Megalopolis City; recreational vessels may go no further than the Megalopolis City 1 Dam due to the lack of any major settlements north of it. Because of the lack of commercial shipping traffic, the Megalopolis City 1 Dam operates no locks.
Despite damming, the Nationwide Trade Authority maintains a dredged channel from the mouth to the Steerford locks as minor sediment buildup occurs over time.
See also
See the following articles;
