Estuary
An inlet of the sea which is really the lower end of a river valley. At high tide the sea floods the estuary, but at low water areas of sand, mud flat and saltmarsh are revealed, providing a rich feeding ground for many types of wildfowl and wader. The estuaries of the British Isles are of great importance to such birds, especially to those on migration to and from the European continent, but this habitat is greatly threatened by barrage schemes, land reclamation and industrialisation. Among the most important British estuaries are those of the Rivers Forth, Mersey and Medway.From Peter Weaver's Birdwatcher's Dictionary
Copyright © 1981 by Peter Weaver