River Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lee/Lea |
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| River | |
 River Lee at Hertford Basin
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| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Source | |
| - location | Leagrave, Luton |
| - elevation | 115 m (377 ft) |
| Mouth | |
| - location | Bow Creek, River Thames |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 68 km (42 mi) |
The River Lee or River Lea is a river in England.
It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork, where it splits in two for a short distance, creating an island on which Cork's city centre is built, then passing through Cork Harbour on the south coast, one of the largest natural harbours in the world, and empties into the Celtic Sea.
It flows generally southeast, east, and then south to London where it meets the River Thames 51°30′26″N 0°00′33″E / 51.507113°N 0.009184°E. The last section is known as Bow Creek. A section of the river runs through Hertford castle and shares a valley with the river Beane at Hartham common. Morgans School, in Hertford, have named one of their houses after the river Lea.
The catchment area of the River Lee is 1,253 km2. The long-term average flow rate of the River Lee is 40.4 cubic metres per second (m3/s)
A hydro-electric scheme was built on the river, upstream from Cork City, and this part of the river now contains the Carrigadrohid and Inniscarra reservoirs. The river is crossed by 42 bridges, 29 of which are in Cork City, and one tunnel. The river also provides an 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) stretch of salmon fishing.
Images for kids
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River Lee north channel
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River Lee south channel
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In 2009, water was released in large quantities from the Inniscarra Dam, causing flood damage in Cork City
See also
In Spanish: Río Lee para niños
