Dark Water (river)

Template:Geobox The Dark Water is a river in the English county of Hampshire. The river flows south from a source in the New Forest, reaching the sea through the Solent at Lepe. The River Darkwater is one of the many streams which flow through the New Forest in Hampshire. The source of the river is in the East of the Forest, just to the north of Hardley Bridge (approximately 50m above sea level). Woodland surrounds the higher reaches of the river, and it winds its way through sands and clay until it reaches its mouth at Lepe 8.5km later. The area receives a modest annual rainfall of between 800-900 mm and much of this is intercepted by vegetation. The geology of the area consists of sands, gravels and clay and this underlying clay layer means during winter months, when rainfall is at its highest, the ground becomes saturated and impermeable. This leads to high amounts of surface water, particularly in the lower reaches of the river. The source of the River Darkwater can be found at Holbury Mill Pond and the mouth can be found at Lepe.