River Eamont

{{Short description|River in Cumbria, England}} {{redirect|Eamont|the ship|Eamont (schooner)}} {{use British English|date=March 2018}} {{use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox river | name = Eamont | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology =  | image = RiverEamontAtBroughamCastle(SimonLedingham)Jun2004.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = The River Eamont where it is joined by the [[River Lowther]] close to [[Brougham Castle]] | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption =  | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = [[United Kingdom]] | subdivision_type2 = Part | subdivision_name2 = [[England]] | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 =  | length_km = 8 | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location = | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max =  | source1 = | source1_location = [[Ullswater]] | source1_coordinates = | source1_elevation = | mouth = | mouth_location = confluence with [[River Eden, Cumbria|River Eden]] | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = | tributaries_left = Dacre Beck, Thacka Beck | tributaries_right = River Lowther | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }} The '''River Eamont''' is a [[river]] in [[Cumbria]], [[England]] and one of the major tributaries of the [[River Eden, Cumbria|River Eden]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Brougham and Eamont Bridge|url=https://edenriverstrust.org.uk/things-to-do/brougham-and-eamont-bridge-trail|website=edenriverstrust.org.uk|accessdate=22 January 2019|page=14|format=PDF}}</ref> The name of the river is from [[Old English]] (ēa-gemōt) and is a back formation from [[Eamont Bridge]] which means the 'junction of streams'.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ekwall|first1=Eilert|title=The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names|date=1960|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|isbn=0-19-869103-3|page=155|edition=4}}</ref>

For its whole length, the Eamont marks the boundary of the traditional counties of [[Cumberland]] to the north with [[Westmorland]] to the south.

The river is formed by the outflow from [[Ullswater]] in the [[Lake District]], later augmented by Dacre Beck from the west and the [[River Lowther]] which carries the water from [[Haweswater Reservoir|Haweswater]] north to the Eamont at [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]]. It reaches the [[River Eden, Cumbria|Eden]] {{convert|7|km|order=flip|0}} east of Penrith.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eamont (Lower)|url=http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB102076070990|website=environment.data.gov.uk|accessdate=1 March 2018}}</ref>

The river has flooded on numerous occasions; the most recent was when [[Storm Desmond]] hit in December 2015. During the flooding, 300-year old [[Pooley Bridge]] was washed away and a temporary bridge had to be installed to reconnect the two halves of the village.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bridge destroyed by floods replaced|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-35856641|accessdate=1 March 2018|work=BBC News|date=20 March 2016}}</ref> The same storm damaged the [[Grade I]] listed [[Eamont Bridge (structure)|Eamont Bridge]], but after masonry work, it re-opened in March 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Flood-hit bridge to reopen after repairs|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-35869203|accessdate=1 March 2018|work=BBC News|date=22 March 2016}}</ref> In April 2019 preparatory works began to replace the temporary bridge with a new bridge. The crossing was closed from September 2019 until Easter 2020, while the new bridge was installed.

The river is also a stronghold of the endangered white clawed crayfish (''[[Austropotamobius pallipes]]'').

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==External links== {{Commons category-inline}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Eamont, River}} [[Category:Rivers of Cumbria|Eamont]] [[Category:Eden catchment|1Eamont]]