Flooding

[magnetman]

I've been on the Thames today near Henley and also Runnymede. The River is not in flood. Red boards on most of the locks but no burst banks. Quite a bit of water about but nothing too alarming - not like what is happening further north. 

 

The red boards are an indication of the status of the weirs not the level of the river itself. It's more about the flow speed which makes navigation more hazardous due to the pull from weirs. 

 

For example Marlow lock current status red boards 

 

River level information downstream (where the level fluctuates a lot due to the River being quite narrow.  (screenshot)

 

 

 

Nothing much happening. The River deals with it provided there is no silly rain. It's quite a big river.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by magnetman

[matty40s]

23 minutes ago, The Dreamer said:

Here at Diglis, the river is over bottom lock and half way up the top lock.  That means we are moored in the basin at not far off river level.  Those two locks have a combined drop of around 16ft!

Not 16 ft today...

[mark99]

I walked down the Wandle. Clear as tapwater and normal level. Amazing how fast it rises and falls back to normal.

[Nightwatch]

3 hours ago, Alway Swilby said:

There's been two boats moving through Sandford lock on the Thames today, one upstream and one down. Red boards on and lockie advised them not to move. Looked scary.

Why do people do that. I mean go against alockies advice. I am talking Thames Lockie.

[Mike Todd]

2 hours ago, matty40s said:

Not 16 ft today...

Diglis is on the river whilst the two locks link the basin and river

[matty40s]

7 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Diglis is on the river whilst the two locks link the basin and river

I know that, I could also show you the Avon which is normally 8 feet or more above the Severn at Tewkesbury, the Severn is flowing through the Avon lock at present.

[blackrose]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

I've been on the Thames today near Henley and also Runnymede. The River is not in flood. Red boards on most of the locks but no burst banks. Quite a bit of water about but nothing too alarming - not like what is happening further north. 

 

The red boards are an indication of the status of the weirs not the level of the river itself. It's more about the flow speed which makes navigation more hazardous due to the pull from weirs. 

 

For example Marlow lock current status red boards 

 

River level information downstream (where the level fluctuates a lot due to the River being quite narrow.  (screenshot)

 

 

 

Nothing much happening. The River deals with it provided there is no silly rain. It's quite a big river.

 

 

 

The other thing to be aware of is that safe navigation isn't just about river levels. On some reaches of the Thames and other rivers, the flow can actually increase as the river level falls because the water funnels into a narrower channels. 

[RAB]

Was going to take the scenic walk to the Badger Inn Just off the Middlewich branch of the Shroppie, but decided my wellies weren’t high enough (path and bridge slightly flooded!)

 

[blackrose]

I took my boat up from Cogenhoe to the winter mooring at Billing this morning. There was a fair bit of flow and I think the river was still on red but it was fine. I guess reaches of the Nene further downstream are still in full flood.

[ditchcrawler]

35 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Why do people do that. I mean go against alockies advice. I am talking Thames Lockie.

Because its advice, you don't have to follow advice you can make your own mind up.

[MHS]

37 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Because its advice, you don't have to follow advice you can make your own mind up.

And your insurance company will also make up their own minds when you make a claim if cruising against the lockie’s advice on red boards. 

[magnetman]

It's standard procedure for lock keepers to give cards to boaters who are choosing to pass through the lock on red boards. 

 

Advice to seek a safe mooring and wait for it to go back to yellow. But as it is a PRN waterway it is entirely up to the master of the vessel what to do and passage through  the lock can not be refused by the keeper.

I believe some hire boats are not insured in red boards conditions so they do have to stop and get a skipper or stay put but any private boat can proceed regardless of the conditions and many do choose to proceed. Any negative outcomes are entirely their responsibility.

 

 

3 minutes ago, MHS said:

And your insurance company will also make up their own minds when you make a claim if cruising against the lockie’s advice on red boards. 

Yes it would be interesting to see how a third party claim proceeded in this situation .

[blackrose]

I've had advice from lockkeepers on the Thames that it was ok to proceed on red boards (going upstream) with caution. It was obviously up to me to decide but they were right. None of the reaches were bad reds, although one or two lock entrances with weirs coming into them were tricky and Sonning bridge was a bit scary too.

[dmr]

1 hour ago, MHS said:

And your insurance company will also make up their own minds when you make a claim if cruising against the lockie’s advice on red boards. 

When we got stuck on the Thames on red boards the Lockie said his moorings were almost full and if any more boats came downstream then maybe one or two of us should move down to the next lock.

 

Some Lockies have narrowboats of their own and know lots about boating, some have never been on a narrowboat and are not really in a position to offer good advice, they can offer advice but its ultimately up to the boater to decide what to do.

Insurance companies say nothing about red boards but might have a lot to say about reckless and unreasonable behaviour.

 

...........Dave

[Naughty Cal]

An example of why you don't go through Lincoln when the lights are flashing red!

 

https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2019/10/wat-er-pickle-local-heroes-free-barge-from-lincoln-canal/?fbclid=IwAR0VUc5ndLyjoiZ0Z4ugmrYDUnpQRAH9vSTqS1erMRARSMjhUKAHyeSPB7Q

[peterboat]

Life is to short to move when the boards are in the red, this August on the S&SY I waited 3 day's for it to go back to yellow it was still a quick journey! Having been on big tides on the Trent I know how little control we really have over the water, Rachel with NC has the power to push the current we don't so why would we?

[Momac]

2 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

An example of why you don't go through Lincoln when the lights are flashing red!

 

https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2019/10/wat-er-pickle-local-heroes-free-barge-from-lincoln-canal/?fbclid=IwAR0VUc5ndLyjoiZ0Z4ugmrYDUnpQRAH9vSTqS1erMRARSMjhUKAHyeSPB7Q

I hope no damage was caused to the moored boat.

Presumably the narrowboat made it under the next bridge and no one was decapitated in the process?

[MHS]

3 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

An example of why you don't go through Lincoln when the lights are flashing red!

 

https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2019/10/wat-er-pickle-local-heroes-free-barge-from-lincoln-canal/?fbclid=IwAR0VUc5ndLyjoiZ0Z4ugmrYDUnpQRAH9vSTqS1erMRARSMjhUKAHyeSPB7Q

As a temporary measure could he not have tied his stern rope to the railings on the near side? I don’t think there’s rings there outside Wilko but it might have proved easier. 

 

Ps do you know if the levels at Torksey have dropped enough to open the floodgates yet?

[Momac]

10 minutes ago, MHS said:

As a temporary measure could he not have tied his stern rope to the railings on the near side? I don’t think there’s rings there outside Wilko but it might have proved easier. 

 

Ps do you know if the levels at Torksey have dropped enough to open the floodgates yet?

I doubt it

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/2128

 

Torksey lock keeper 07884238781

And they will surely be aware of the situation at West Stockwith .

 

[MHS]

I spoke with West Stockwith yesterday. They expected to open their gates today. I plan to speak with Torksey tomorrow as hoping to maybe do WS to Torksey on Saturday or Sunday. 

The Trent is dropping fairly quickly now but time will tell. 

[Momac]

After flooding there may be more debris than usual on the river – you probably know that.

I have previously seen the cut at Torksey clogged up with debris and the lock entrance barely passable  – tree branches and the like. There is not much that can be done to clear it other than wait for the tides to take care of it.

[doratheexplorer]

32 minutes ago, MHS said:

I spoke with West Stockwith yesterday. They expected to open their gates today. I plan to speak with Torksey tomorrow as hoping to maybe do WS to Torksey on Saturday or Sunday. 

The Trent is dropping fairly quickly now but time will tell. 

Doesn't look like it's dropping fast to me.  I'd be staying well clear of the Trent for the next few days.

[MHS]

26 minutes ago, MartynG said:

After flooding there may be more debris than usual on the river – you probably know that.

I have previously seen the cut at Torksey clogged up with debris and the lock entrance barely passable  – tree branches and the like. There is not much that can be done to clear it other than wait for the tides to take care of it.

We’ve done the Trent a few times and still treat it with respect. We encountered massive amounts of debris back in September doing Naburn to Selby. Haven’t experienced it yet at Torksey though

 

8 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Doesn't look like it's dropping fast to me.  I'd be staying well clear of the Trent for the next few days.

You are quite right at Torksey, but dropping upstream so it will hopefully start here soon as well. 

[doratheexplorer]

7 minutes ago, MHS said:

We’ve done the Trent a few times and still treat it with respect. We encountered massive amounts of debris back in September doing Naburn to Selby. Haven’t experienced it yet at Torksey though

 

You are quite right at Torksey, but dropping upstream so it will hopefully start here soon as well. 

But West Stockwith is downstream and that's the trip which was proposed.

[MHS]

7 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

But West Stockwith is downstream and that's the trip which was proposed.

I think we may be at cross purposes. We are at West Stockwith and aim to go up to Torksey with the tide. 

The trent at Farndon and further upstream is dropping. We hope this is quick enough that Torksey drops too to allow us to make the trip.