Drought UK 2010

[Josher]

Drought UK 2010: River dries up in days as summer finally comes to the UK

 

"With rivers running dry after just a few days of hot weather, it seems summer has finally arrived in Britain.

Just a fortnight ago the River Greta in Teesdale, County Durham, was in full flow, but today children are able to walk along the river bed.

Last week United Utilities issued drought warnings across the UK as 2010 proved to have the driest start to the year since 1964".

 

Daily Mail.

 

With problems on the Leeds and Liverpool, Huddersfield and the BCN is a drought going to be the last straw? Does anyone recall dealing with general restrictions on the system in previous years - what impact can we expect (lengthy waits at locks?).

 

Perhaps other parts of the country are ok, but here in rainy Manchester - we don't seem to be having any rain!

[Matthew Knowles]

Rain? Hmmm, yes I remember that stuff, I think!

[magpie patrick]

Working Days, canals had restricted hours, lock keepers enforced "working turns" some closed, the Leicester Section was notorious for this

 

1976, in May, Oxford Canal was down to 3 hours per day at locks between Napton and Aynho, in the summer it closed alltogether. That year Dad decided we'd do the Ashby for some reason...

 

When we do economic studies for waterways, re reckon they need to survive the 1 in 10 year drought for businesses to have faith in them. The Rochdale struggles to deal with a 1 in 3 year drought

[Daio]

I do remember problems on the Monty, the upper reaches of the Llangollen, the Caldon (including the summit of the T&M which was well down at the time - at least there was more headroom in Harecastle for a change) in the past. The Basingstoke usually cops it. Don't remember a big snag with main lines, though. at least south of Mancie. Does Tring have supply problems? Agree it's typical we get this now when Chasewater is dry.

[Josher]

Fermanagh: Where has all the water gone?

 

Belfast Telegraph.

[Pluto]

When we do economic studies for waterways, re reckon they need to survive the 1 in 10 year drought for businesses to have faith in them. The Rochdale struggles to deal with a 1 in 3 year drought

It is surprising how little traffic was originally expected on canals. Designing the reservoir system for the Rochdale, Rennie worked on 750 tons per week across the summit. As a wide canal with boats carrying 40 tons, that works out at 38 passages per week, or less than 6 passages per day, if the boats returned empty. More reservoir space was built subsequently, but the Rochdale later lost supplies when the canal company sold most of its reservoirs in the 1920s.

[NB Alnwick]

The other danger from a severe drought is countryside fires - a thoughtlessly discarded bottle in a tinder dry hedgerow could, given the right conditions cause a serious fire. Canal towpath hedgerows contain much more litter these days than they did during the last drought of 1976.

 

We need to be very careful . . .

[Canalwatcher]

I'm beginning to wonder whether East Anglia this summer is a bit risky from the point of view of getting stranded because of lack of water. How probable is this based on previous dry weather periods?

 

Mick

[MoominPapa]

I'm beginning to wonder whether East Anglia this summer is a bit risky from the point of view of getting stranded because of lack of water. How probable is this based on previous dry weather periods?

My guess is that you'd be less likely to have a problem on the rivers, even in a very dry summer they will have a base flow that's enought to keep the levels up. That covers the Nene and the Ouse. The Middle Level does get drawn down for irrigation, but there's a limiting level that's supposed to allow continued navigation. The ML is replenished from the Nene during the summer period.

 

So in a dry summer, East Anglia is a better bet than the canals.

 

Of course there's the 17 locks of the Rothersthorpe flight that take water from the GU. I guess if BW was desperate that might close those.

 

MP.

Edited June 23, 2010 by MoominPapa

[NBMike]

The other danger from a severe drought is countryside fires - a thoughtlessly discarded bottle in a tinder dry hedgerow could, given the right conditions cause a serious fire. Canal towpath hedgerows contain much more litter these days than they did during the last drought of 1976.

 

We need to be very careful . . .

At least it may incinerate some of the bagged dog poo hanging in the bushes!

[familyfive]

I do remember problems on the Monty, the upper reaches of the Llangollen, the Caldon (including the summit of the T&M which was well down at the time - at least there was more headroom in Harecastle for a change) in the past. The Basingstoke usually cops it. Don't remember a big snag with main lines, though. at least south of Mancie. Does Tring have supply problems? Agree it's typical we get this now when Chasewater is dry.

 

I thought the Llangollen would have been ok as it acts as a feeder?

 

I remember the Southern Oxford suffering lots from lack of water in the late 70s early 80s.

 

Never mind - our holiday starts at the end of July so it is bound to rain then - remember last summer!!

[Josher]

A water company is considering imposing a hosepipe ban to combat a dry spell in north-west England.

 

BBC News.

[Keeping Up]

In 1976 the 3 (or 2 or 4 or whatever) hours a day llimit at the locks was often more of a limitation that you'd think at first thought. I remember arriving at the top of Atherstone to discover thatthere was 7 hours-worth of boats in the queue ahead of us - so we'd have waited for 3 days to get through.

[buccaneer]

This is a disgrace after one one the coldest winter and very wet springs they are talking about bans.Here is a link to some of the winter floods, warning takes a lot of space but Ok on broadband.

http://www.stridingedge.net/Walks/2009/11....er/20.11.09.htm

 

Here in lancashire they have closed 3 resivoirs near to me and they are now nature reserves and the water to my house is no longer nice fresh and soft but comes from an artesian well that leaves scale in kettles and pipe work and lime scale on your car bodywork and windows unless you wipe the car dry.

Given the amount of rain we have had it hard to believe!

[Tillerman]

I overheard a lockie at one of the Thames locks saying that restrictions might be enforced if water levels drop.

This would mean waiting at least 20 minutes at each lock for other boats, rather than filling/emptying if you are the only boat.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Tillerman

[Proper Job]

.........My guess is that you'd be less likely to have a problem on the rivers, even in a very dry summer they will have a base flow that's enought to keep the levels up. That covers the Nene and the Ouse. The Middle Level does get drawn down for irrigation, but there's a limiting level that's supposed to allow continued navigation. The ML is replenished from the Nene during the summer period.......

 

MP.

Back in '76, even the Thames had severe restrictions on boat movements. The river became most unpleasant due to virtually zero flow. Most of the weirs were sandbagged to stop leakage.

 

IIRC locks were only turned around when full or every hour (which ever happened soonest).

 

The Southern Oxford was virtually shut to traffic due to queues and locking restrictions.

 

Add to that the IWA festival traffic this year?

 

Lets hope for a bit of rain soon - not ofeten you hear that statement

[Chris J W]

Why have we never considered the building of desalination/filtration plants and sucking water from the sea? We are surround by the stuff after all?

 

Surely it can't be beyond technology to build the plants and distribution system?

 

(And, for the sake of argument, let's ignore cost)

[Proper Job]

Why have we never considered the building of desalination/filtration plants and sucking water from the sea? We are surround by the stuff after all?

 

Surely it can't be beyond technology to build the plants and distribution system?

 

(And, for the sake of argument, let's ignore cost)

Ah........

 

But there in lies the problem. We all love our cheap, unlimited, clean, fresh water.

 

If everyone lived on a boat for a while (something I'm not advocating as I don't want to many people invading), people would soon learn how to conserve water.

 

Or at the very minimum, not waste so much.

[Josher]

Cumbria is facing a drought-hit summer that even three weeks of solid rain will not end. United Utilities has confirmed hosepipe bans could be in place as soon as next week if there is no significant rainfall. It has started a radio advertising campaign urging people to save water and have showers instead of baths.

 

Star.

[familyfive]

The River Usk is now down to drought flow levels and water management measures are in place on the Mon & Brec from Monday.

[nb Innisfree]

Why have we never considered the building of desalination/filtration plants and sucking water from the sea? We are surround by the stuff after all?

 

Surely it can't be beyond technology to build the plants and distribution system?

 

(And, for the sake of argument, let's ignore cost)

 

No need really, if the problem looks like becoming permanent then the infrastructure can be increased to gather more water as there is easily enough rainfall to provide abundant water. So far it's not critical enough to justify the expense.

[Chris J W]

Ah........

 

But there in lies the problem. We all love our cheap, unlimited, clean, fresh water.

 

If everyone lived on a boat for a while (something I'm not advocating as I don't want to many people invading), people would soon learn how to conserve water.

 

Or at the very minimum, not waste so much.

 

I do believe I said to ignore the issue of cost - what about the technological aspect?

 

 

No need really, if the problem looks like becoming permanent then the infrastructure can be increased to gather more water as there is easily enough rainfall to provide abundant water. So far it's not critical enough to justify the expense.

 

The expense I asked to ignore for the sake of argument?

 

So if, say, it's constant drought weather in London they can ship water down from rainy Scotland?

[Josher]

Drought officially over.

 

Thames Water not planning restrictions as drought fears eased Docklands 24.

 

Meanwhile ... in the Pennine foothills ... they can only dream about having that first beer on Deansgate ...

 

 

ps and if they think they can run to our hills if that dam thingy dosn't work then they can thinks again!

Edited June 26, 2010 by Josher

[Travis]

A couple of photos of Foulridge upper res. Taken this morning.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2010 by Travis

[Trev]

I am sure you can buy powdered water and just dilute it?