Analysis of River Meander Development and Relationship betweenVegetation and Bank Stability: River Lostock, Preston, Lancashire.

River channel morphology is constantly changing. The course of a river adapts and forms meanders, this is because there are several factors that act upon a river and cause it to erode. This paper studies the vegetation type and density that exists on a bank, flow pattern of the river, and bank composition and how this affects bank stability. This paper will investigate the causes and effects of erosion on six meanders of the River Lostock, Preston, Lancashire, England. A vegetation survey was carried out; the total vegetation cover was recorded along with the types (shrubs, trees, and grass) at the mid and top bank of each meander. To gain the flow pattern data, velocity was recorded at inner, middle, and outer sections of the meanders. Bank composition was recorded using a texture by feel method. The percentage of erosion at each bank was recorded. The results of this study found, the level of erosion on river banks depend on the amount of total vegetation cover on the bank. However it was inconclusive as to which type of vegetation is best for stabilizing the banks. The flow pattern showed that velocity is greatest at the outer bend and least great at the inner bend. Also found is that vegetation influences velocity, the more vegetation there is on a bank the less great the velocity will be. The results of the effect of bank composition on erosion were also inconclusive.