100px|River Parrett near Burrowbridge
The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to its mouth at Burnham-on-Sea, into the Bridgwater Bay Nature Reserve on the Bristol Channel, the Parrett drains about 50 per cent of Somerset's land area. The 37-mile (60 km) long river is tidal for 27 miles (43 km) up to Oath. Because the fall of the river between Langport and Bridgwater is only 1 foot per mile (0.2 m/km), it is prone to frequent flooding in winter and during high tides. During the Roman era the river was crossed by a ford, and in Anglo-Saxon times formed a boundary between Wessex and Dumnonia. From the medieval period the river served the Port of Bridgwater, enabling cargoes to be transported inland. The arrival of the railways led to a decline and commercial shipping now only docks at Dunball. The Parrett along with its connected waterways and network of drains supports an ecosystem that includes several rare species of flora and fauna. The River Parrett Trail has been established along the banks of the river. (more...)
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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1911:
The United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Russia signed the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention banning open-water seal hunting, the first international treaty to address wildlife conservation issues. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pacific_Fur_Seal_Convention_of_1911
1963:
The police of Ngo Dinh Nhu, brother and chief political adviser of President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem, attacked a group of American journalists who were covering a protest during the Buddhist crisis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Seven_Day_scuffle
1983:
After writing a letter to Soviet premier Yuri Andropov, American schoolgirl Samantha Smith visited the Soviet Union as Andropov's personal guest, becoming known as "America's Youngest Ambassador". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Smith
1994:
Troops from the former North Yemen captured Aden, ending the Yemeni civil war. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_civil_war_in_Yemen
2005:
Suicide bombers killed 52 people in a series of four explosions on London's public transport system . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_July_2005_London_bombings
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
vortical (adj): Like a vortex http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vortical
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. --Robert A. Heinlein http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein