Low water levels.....

[Flocal]

I have only been on my boat a year and have a question..

 

Has water levels, lack of rain fall ever been a problem for our canals, like it is at the moment?

 

Water levels in rivers are low, canals are being shut in certain areas to try and get water back up to operational heights ect, what if it carries on?

[koukouvagia]

 

Water levels in rivers are low, canals are being shut in certain areas to try and get water back up to operational heights ect, what if it carries on?

We're all doomed.

Records of the Wendover Springs - which are particularly relevant for the present Tring stoppage-, dating back to 1841 show that there was a serious ten year drought from 1887- 1897 and more recently the years 1990 – 1992 were bad as was 1976, 1973 and 1965.

[cotswoldsman]

We're all doomed.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7RIgs3eygo

[Sarah and Ian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7RIgs3eygo

 

Brilliant. I had a Springer Spaniel who was named after that Character Frazer.

[magpie patrick]

There are at least three things behind a canal having enough water

 

1) being able to abstract enough in the first place

 

2) keeping it in the canal having got it

 

3) being economic with its use at locks by using sideponds, working turns backpumping etc

 

There are often problems in summer when 1 and 3 don't line up, and evaporation is at it's highest, however I think we now have a problem with leakage as well in many places, coupled with the limited supplies because of massively increased extraction for other purposes. Rivers are also low. Around Frome rivers that historically drove mills are a shadow of their former selves, due to low rainfall and abstraction

 

Somehow, they still flood on occasion though, although that is partly because we build things in silly places

[Rebotco]

If the UK population keeps growing (for reasons others may suggest)and the land area remains the same, it is eventually

 

inevitable that we'll run out of sufficient water. And that's without the natural cycle of climate.

 

We'll just have to drink less water - think I'll convert to tea!

[magpie patrick]

If the UK population keeps growing (for reasons others may suggest)and the land area remains the same, it is eventually

 

inevitable that we'll run out of sufficient water. And that's without the natural cycle of climate.

 

We'll just have to drink less water - think I'll convert to tea!

 

Getting pretty close to that in parts of the home counties now, with the government wanting to expand the housing stock and the water companies asking where they are supposed to find the water from

[Guest]

Getting pretty close to that in parts of the home counties now, with the government wanting to expand the housing stock and the water companies asking where they are supposed to find the water from

 

What they should have done is built one of these a few decades ago in anticipation of massively expanding industry and then close all the manufacturing base down - leaving enough for residential use.

 

 

(It's Keilder for those that don't recognise it)

[Arthur Brown]

Look at the Grantham canal for a water shortage problem.

[Boondock]

I have only been on my boat a year and have a question..

 

Has water levels, lack of rain fall ever been a problem for our canals, like it is at the moment?

 

Water levels in rivers are low, canals are being shut in certain areas to try and get water back up to operational heights ect, what if it carries on?

 

Then we'll end up like this:-

 

 

Taken yesterday on the pound below Cowroast

 

Cheers Boondock

Edited February 7, 2012 by Boondock

[guelrose]

1976 - locks only open for 3 hours from 1200 noon to 3 p.m. on some canals....

 

But, wasn't it hot.....!

[Grace and Favour]

Then we'll end up like this:-

 

 

Taken yesterday on the pound below Cowroast

 

Cheers Boondock

 

Now's the time to do the blacking!

[Roxy]

1976 - locks only open for 3 hours from 1200 noon to 3 p.m. on some canals....

 

But, wasn't it hot.....!

 

 

 

Yes I remember it well!!

 

 

[churchward]

1976 - locks only open for 3 hours from 1200 noon to 3 p.m. on some canals....

 

But, wasn't it hot.....!

Yes it was indeed. I spent some of the summer taking O levels. I think at least one person fainted with the heat and stress of the exam each time!

[DaveG]

We went up to Rutland Water at the weekend and there are places where the water has retreated more than 50 metres from the bank. The small river which runs through our village and on into the Nene is normally about 3-4ft deep at this time of year - it's about 3 inches at the moment and comes just over the dog's paws! Even the snow melt hasn't changed anything.

 

I really don't think it bodes well for the spring and summer once boats start moving in quantity again as I suspect there will be very early-season closures and restrictions....and a lot of grumpy boaters! Strange times, indeed.

[Travis]

Plenty of water up here

[alan_fincher]

Plenty of water up here

Please put as much as you can spare the postage for into a large container, and mail to......

 

Jeff Whyatt

Waterway Manager

British Waterways South East

510-524 Elder House

Elder Gate

Central Milton Keynes

MK9 1BW

 

If enough people can be persuaded, it could be our best hope of boating into London this year!

[matty40s]

Please put as much as you can spare the postage for into a large container, and mail to......

 

Jeff Whyatt

Waterway Manager

British Waterways South East

510-524 Elder House

Elder Gate

Central Milton Keynes

MK9 1BW

 

If enough people can be persuaded, it could be our best hope of boating into London this year!

 

Don't e-mail it though. I will still be there unopened in July.

[PhilR]

There seems to be plenty of water in the reservoirs in the north west - both canal feeder and drinking water reservoirs.

 

But I can never understand why we pay more in water rates up here (where rainfall is plentiful) than in the drier regions .............

[Rebotco]

There seems to be plenty of water in the reservoirs in the north west - both canal feeder and drinking water reservoirs.

 

But I can never understand why we pay more in water rates up here (where rainfall is plentiful) than in the drier regions .............

 

 

Its a "surcharge" as punishment for pinching all ours!

[skpt]

perhaps they could use the water cascading into the sea that i can see from my garden in wales. when there has been rain it has 2 friends. my mother used to pump up drinking water from pumps in the road. now you can hear this water just disappear into the sea 100 yards away.

[mrsmelly]

1976 - locks only open for 3 hours from 1200 noon to 3 p.m. on some canals....

 

But, wasn't it hot.....!

 

77 was another good summer. I vividly remember the weekend of the Queens silver jubilee celebrations sat outside our local pub all day in scorching sun.

[LEO]

We're all doomed.

Records of the Wendover Springs - which are particularly relevant for the present Tring stoppage-, dating back to 1841 show that there was a serious ten year drought from 1887- 1897 and more recently the years 1990 – 1992 were bad as was 1976, 1973 and 1965.

 

Kk,

 

Interesting, from my records I note we had a very wet period, during the Autumn of 2000. in January 2001 this resulted in a large pond forming in the field behind the moorings at Cowroast. This drained (through the garage car park) into a deep ditch, under the lane via a culvert and into the canal below Cowroast lock.

 

This stream (may have been the River Bulbourne) ran until late March 2000, and has not been seen since.

 

The worst drought conditions I have boated in occured in summer 1976, Thames Locks operated once an hour and pumps were sited at locks to pump water back OVER the weirs.

 

L.

[fender]

The 1930's - especially 1934 were particularly bad years for the canals

[nbfiresprite]

In 2000 the Nene was only open for 7 weeks due to high water levels.

 

Firesprite

 

In the chilly Fens