Introduction
This project is about the Cuckmere Estuary and the physical features of The Seven Sisters Park. I will also talk about the flooding of the park and the courses of action that could be taken if I ran the park. In this project I will assess whether or not the park is well managed in my opinion.
Physical Features Of The Park-
The park has many interesting physical features that make it a brilliant and unique landscape. The Cuckmere Haven is a low lying valley and the River Cuckmere flows through it to the sea. The River Cuckmere has been run and managed for centuries by man. It is run by man primarily to improve navigation and now the park comprises a straight channel with embankments that contain water and reduce the flooding. The old meanders are still visible and are an important landscape feature. However, the whole landscape is under threat from sea level rise and keeping up the sea defences is not a sustainable option due to how expensive it would be to strengthen the defences.
The meanders across the north section of the estuary mark the original river course. Because the culverts at either end of the meanders are not connected, water cannot flow through them. Little egrets and small grebes can often be seen on the meanders, eating insects, larvae and even small fish.
The straight cut between Exceat Bridge and Foxhole corner was built in 1846, is a great achievement since it was dug by hand. Its purpose was partly to help with navigating along the maybe also to help drain the pastures either side of the river so they could be used for agriculture.
The pastures either side of the river are used for grazing marsh and are also used by local resident farmers for grazing their own sheep and cattle. The meadows (the west side ones) are slightly lower, wetter and less disturbed than those on the east. Birds like to roost in the meadows as well. The pastures on the west side are