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TheRiver Rhondda (Welsh:Afon Rhondda) is ariver inSouth Wales with two major tributaries,Rhondda Fawr (meaningbig Rhondda) andRhondda Fach (meaninglittle Rhondda).
The river has two majortributaries, theRhondda Fawr and theRhondda Fach (respectively, the "big" and the "little" Rhondda). Despite these names, both tributaries are of similar length. Both valleys display the U-shape cross-sections typical ofglaciated valleys, having been eroded during successiveice ages. They cut deeply into the thick South WalesCoal measures which comprisesandstones andmudstones andcoal seams ofCarboniferous age. The whole form of the river and its surrounding urbanisation has been dominated bycoal mining and the communities that grew up to exploit the richcoal seams. Much of the valley has suffered severesubsidence because of the removal of coal from beneath the valley floor. The houses and streets have subsided with the result that river levels are, in parts, higher than the surrounding houses. In order to contain the river and prevent flooding, walls have been built, sometimes across the ends of streets - these are known as "The Rhondda walls".
TheRhondda Fawr has its source on the eastern side ofCraig y Llyn south ofLlyn Fawr in a spring called Ffynnon y Gwalciau at an elevation of about 544m OD.[1] The main head stream, Nant Carn Moesen (or Nant Carfoesen) runs down a plateau slope for about a mile and drops steeply, joining with the Nant Garreg-lwyd and the Nant Melyn to form the Rhondda.[2] The combined waters then continue descending sharply through a mountain gorge to the foot of Pen Pych.[3] The river runs throughBlaenrhondda where it is joined by the Nant y Gwair, and runs down the Rhondda Valley, (Welsh:Cwm Rhondda). The river then passes through a string of mining towns and villages includingTreherbert,Treorchy,Pentre,Ton Pentre,Ystrad Rhondda,Llwynypia,Tonypandy (joined by the Nant Clydach), Dinas andPorth where it joins its sister tributary.
TheRhondda Fach rises about a mile to the east of the source of the Rhondda Fawr on the hills above Blaenrhondda in a marshy area between Mynydd Beili Glas and Mynydd Bwllfa at an elevation of 489m OD.[4][1] The fledgling river is first contained in theLluest-wen Reservoir before flowing down intoMaerdy and then on throughFerndale,Tylorstown,Ynyshir to itsconfluence at Porth.
The River Rhondda flows on pastTrehafod to reach its confluence with theRiver Taff atPontypridd.
The mining industry had a catastrophic impact on the quality of the river with all the mine waters being pumped straight into the river with no treatment. For very long periods, probably more than a century, the river was continuously black with coal solids and little if anything could live in the river. This was compounded by the very basicsewage disposal arrangements which saw all the sewage discharged into the same river. Not until the 1970s was there real investment made in improving thesewage treatment arrangements.
Since the early 1970s the river has been steadily improving in quality largely due to the closure of all the coal mines and through the investment in sewerage and sewage treatment.
51°36′57″N3°24′39″W / 51.61591°N 3.41074°W /51.61591; -3.41074
