Floods?

[blackrose]

Just thinking.. Does anyone take time off work to keep an eye on their boat during floods?

I keep an eye on the EA river levels and I know from previous experience that my boat goes up and down with the level and behaves perfectly when it floods. Hope those aren't famous last words! I've had two texts this morning from people at the moorings to tell me my boat looks fine.

Edited March 10, 2016 by blackrose

[ditchy]

[attachment=3449:20160310_075559.jpg

The view of what was my garden . Getting the dog off so she can do her business is going to be fun.

What's the view out of the opposite side?

[nipper]

Aren't hirers allowed on the Avon between bath and Bristol. I'm sure I've seen them? Or you mean they went onto the river ignoring red board signs?

Indeed!

[bassplayer]

I keep an eye on the EA river levels and I know from previous experience that my boat goes up and down with the level and behaves perfectly when it floods. Hope those aren't famous last words! I've had two texts this morning from people at the moorings to tell me my boat looks fine.

Thanks for that link BTW, a very useful web site.

 

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

[blackrose]

Indeed!

I see. In that case they are idiots. It's come up so fast on the Warks Avon and so unpredictably, that conceivably one could have started out in the morning on green levels at the ANT lock gauges, but by the afternoon been on red. Mind you, there would have been enough lock gauges between to see what was happening. I don't think I'd fancy being moored at some of those locks in a flood though. The riser poles just aren't high enough.

[Bunny]

Are there red boards at the exit of the Bath flight onto the Avon ? There never used to be . Very difficult to judge the river if you havn't seen the flow at other times . I remember about 6 years ago being at Bath waiting to go to Bristol , looking at the river , watching it rise , asked the crt / bw lengths man ( not a volunteer ) about the river in spate , yea fine he said ... no problem , off you go . I thought I would just check with the lockie at the entrance to Bristol . Gave him a call ..... no way he said , you would be mad to come down here , wait another 3 or 4 days . Walked down river later and we might not have even made it under Churchill bridge . Spent two days stopping hire boats . Two insisted they were going to Bristol they went down and an hour later were back , shaken , but safe . Don't know why Crt don't lock the flight halfway down , that would enable anyone to get off the river but stop others going down . Bunny

[Rickent]

 

Hi ditchy , this is the view looking the other way.

Managed to get the dog off the boat in my shorts and old trainers, the water was 3 ft deep in my garden and yes it was bloody cold.

[blackrose]

20160310_105652.jpg

 

Hi ditchy , this is the view looking the other way.

Managed to get the dog off the boat in my shorts and old trainers, the water was 3 ft deep in my garden and yes it was bloody cold.

If that's your home mooring it sounds like you need to invest in a decent pair of chest waders and a life jacket (if you don't have one already).

 

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!"

Edited March 10, 2016 by blackrose

[Rickent]

It is my home mooring and yes a decent pair of chest waders are on the list as that water was very cold this morning. It hasnt flooded like this for at least five years.

[ditchy]

20160310_105652.jpg

Hi ditchy , this is the view looking the other way.

Managed to get the dog off the boat in my shorts and old trainers, the water was 3 ft deep in my garden and yes it was bloody cold.

Didn't quite expect it that bad! Suppose u have water in every direction now. Stay safe. My wellies got full today too. I'm back inside now warming up.

[Bunny]

Husband just popped into abc Aldermaston for paint . Very glum 12 boats booked to go out Saturday and k and a closed from County lock to Kintbury . So 12 holidays being relocated . Bunny

[David Mack]

News from Bath...

 

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Couple-rescued-falling-River-Avon-Bath/story-28891970-detail/story.html

 

"An eye witness told the Bath Chronicle that the tiller of the boat had swung round and knocked the woman off the boat".

 

A good example of why you should never stand in the tiller arc while the boat is moving!

[blackrose]

 

"An eye witness told the Bath Chronicle that the tiller of the boat had swung round and knocked the woman off the boat".

 

A good example of why you should never stand in the tiller arc while the boat is moving!

Unless you want an early bath.

[nbfiresprite]

High water levels on the Middle Level last night, Water level rose by over a foot in six hours, While heading back to Foxes as I passed the West End Moorings, the owner of the swatter boat bellowed out 'Tick-over *** ******'. I was fighting a 5 knot current, so the revs were high. Just made it back before dark. A hour later the stop planks were put in. Unfortunately one boat was pulled under by it's tight lines overnight and sunk, a sad sight to see this morning.

 

Edited March 10, 2016 by nbfiresprite

[Athy]

...but the Well Creek section absolutely normal. It always is, as I keep telling insurance companies.

[Scholar Gypsy]

...but the Well Creek section absolutely normal. It always is, as I keep telling insurance companies.

 

Am I right that Well Creek has no significant land drainage role? I've not spotted any pumping stations pumping water up into it - apart from one near the aqueduct that was pumping water up from the main drain during a hot summer.

[matty40s]

It really was a spectacular and intense rainfall from a low pressure which split over the E midlands. The river level recorders at the top end of the Soar, Nene and The Upper Avon catchment have recorded higher levels than either 2012, 2007 and even 1998 in the case of the Avon.

[Athy]

 

Am I right that Well Creek has no significant land drainage role? I've not spotted any pumping stations pumping water up into it - apart from one near the aqueduct that was pumping water up from the main drain during a hot summer.

There are numerous drains running from the adjacent fields into it, so the answer must be yes, though I have no figures as to how much water it shifts. I do not think that water is generally pumped upwards for drainage. As it has Marmont Priory Lock going down towards the March end, and Mullicourt Aqueduct where water can fall into the main drain at the other end, it probably does drain a significant amount of water off the surrounding land. Certainly our front garden, which is beside it, is never waterlogged.

[bassplayer]

It really was a spectacular and intense rainfall from a low pressure which split over the E midlands. The river level recorders at the top end of the Soar, Nene and The Upper Avon catchment have recorded higher levels than either 2012, 2007 and even 1998 in the case of the Avon.

It's amazing for just a days worth of rain. How did we used to manage? Ahh, yes, we still had trees to soak it up (or was that 1898?).

 

Didn't get very far with my walk this morning. Guess where?

[Athy]

It's amazing for just a days worth of rain. How did we used to manage? Ahh, yes, we still had trees to soak it up (or was that 1898?).

There are several trees visible from my office window. I have seen quite a few in other places too. Where are you, in 1918 Ypres?

[bassplayer]

There are several trees visible from my office window. I have seen quite a few in other places too. Where are you, in 1918 Ypres?

[Athy]

You do raise a serious point: are there fewer trees in Britain now than there were, say, 40 years ago? I know that Dutch Elm Disease did for quite a few about that time, but there have been substantial programmes of replanting since then. There are probably fewer hedges now than there were then, as farm fields have generally become bigger, but I'm not sure if those play a part in the alleviation of flooding.

[bassplayer]

You do raise a serious point: are there fewer trees in Britain now than there were, say, 40 years ago? I know that Dutch Elm Disease did for quite a few about that time, but there have been substantial programmes of replanting since then. There are probably fewer hedges now than there were then, as farm fields have generally become bigger, but I'm not sure if those play a part in the alleviation of flooding.

I would imagine the lack of dredging of all our water channels is a factor. Plants and trees help to keep the water table a bit lower so that there is room for overnight rain.

[MoominPapa]

There are numerous drains running from the adjacent fields into it, so the answer must be yes, though I have no figures as to how much water it shifts. I do not think that water is generally pumped upwards for drainage. As it has Marmont Priory Lock going down towards the March end, and Mullicourt Aqueduct where water can fall into the main drain at the other end, it probably does drain a significant amount of water off the surrounding land. Certainly our front garden, which is beside it, is never waterlogged.

 

Water which drains into Well Creek goes out over the weir at Nordelph into Old Popham's Eau which takes it to the Middle Level Main Drain. As most of Well Creek is above the surrounding land, there won't be a lot, but there is a weir at Salters Lode that can discharge excess water from the Old Bedford into Well Creek. Presumably that only happens when there's a lot of rain and the Old Bedford sluice is tide locked. As the EA is responsible for drainage of the Old Bedford (it's South Level, not Middle Level) I wonder if the Middle Level gets to charge the EA for any water which comes over that weir and has to be pumped out at Wiggenhall?

 

MP.

High water levels on the Middle Level last night, Water level rose by over a foot in six hours, While heading back to Foxes as I passed the West End Moorings, the owner of the swatter boat bellowed out 'Tick-over *** ******'. I was fighting a 5 knot current, so the revs were high. Just made it back before dark. A hour later the stop planks were put in. Unfortunately one boat was pulled under by it's tight lines overnight and sunk, a sad sight to see this morning.

 

 

 

A contrast to Bill Fen in January, when the level fell by the same amount just as fast, and sank two boats. That was blamed on strong winds blowing the water across the Middle Level to Wiggenhall, which then automatically pumped it out.

 

 

We're on the Cam and have just come from below Bottisham Lock to above it. Below the lock the flow and levels were cycling with the tide at Denver. Above the lock, there's a reaonable flow, but the level is being help fairly steady by the sluices.

 

 

MP.

Edited March 10, 2016 by MoominPapa

[valrene9600]

Came across the Avon at Warwick today and it was flowing fast and hadflooded fields badly alongside GU. At Radford Semele the Leam that flows into the Avon has flooded fields alonside GU as well.