Floodplain
An area of low, flat land near a river that often floods when the level of the river rises and flows over its banks.
The deep alluvial soils of most floodplain meadows have a high capacity to store carbon. They also act to remove nutrients from river systems via the uptake of nutrients in the hay crop, resulting in improved water quality, and can mitigate flood risk by providing space for surface water.
The Asker Meadows store flood water that would otherwise spill over into the town.
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