Broads Flooding

[Peter Waller]

A huge amount of salt water over topped the lock and harbour wall at Oulton Broad, inundating the freshwater ecology with what were probably millions of gallons of saltwater. The tidal surge from the sea via Gt Yarmouth went many miles up the Waveney, quite probably meeting the salt water from Oulton Broad. Potentially fish could have been trapped between both salt surges. Only time will tell, but there is a potential for a disaster on the River Waveney. Not good news. The salt water lock at Oulton Broad was over-topped by two or more feet of salt water that cascaded into the Broad. Spectacular but also a possible tragedy.

[Newt]

Massive fish kills (well, aquatic life kills) - not a good thing. Any word on how long it will take to return to normal salinity levels?

[John Weddup]

Peter I reported this here a few weeks ago when there were high mortality rates on the thurne.

 

I didn't bother this time as most on here just seemed to think it was natural and OK or even a good thing for the system.

 

For those who live in East Anglia it is very important.

 

The fish kills this time will be immense.

 

John

[JV44]

John /Peter I hope the fish kills are not to disasterous but it don`t sound good

[Peter Waller]

Newt, no feedback or comment from the fisheries people yet but I'm sure that will be forthcoming.

[lutra]

Peter I reported this here a few weeks ago when there were high mortality rates on the thurne.

 

I didn't bother this time as most on here just seemed to think it was natural and OK or even a good thing for the system.

 

For those who live in East Anglia it is very important.

 

The fish kills this time will be immense.

 

John

Don't think I amount to most on here John, but If you want to use your superior knowledge of East Anglia to inform us whats not natural about tidal surges or how fish kills on waters with lots of small stunted fish can't have a positive effect in the longer term, you can or could have done.

[Peter Waller]

There are at least two obviouses in this debate, one being that tidal surges are natural, the other being that salt water surges into freshwater are damaging to our sport, especially when the fishery is generally healthy, e.g. not over run with small, stunted fish.

[Tigger]

Peter I reported this here a few weeks ago when there were high mortality rates on the thurne.

 

I didn't bother this time as most on here just seemed to think it was natural and OK or even a good thing for the system.

 

For those who live in East Anglia it is very important.

 

The fish kills this time will be immense.

 

John

 

So what do you want us to do about it then John ?

 

 

The tide pushes many miles up my local rivers but so what, surely that's a natural occurence ?

[Peter Waller]

As far as the Broads are concerned salt intrusion is a regular and natural occurrence but in this case it went far beyond the norm. In the case of Oulton Broad there has been a large shoal of bream and some good roach on the Broad. The surge via Lowestoft would have forced them off the Broad and up the River Waveney, into the face of the surge via Gt Yarmouth. Hopefully they made it ahead of the Yarmouth surge but I rather fear that they didn't.

 

Do I want anyone to do anything about it? No, there is nothing that can be done by us mere plebs but I thought that folk might be interested, especially those that had planned to fish the area this coming weekend. Okay, so nature will replace the lost fish, but in the meantime our sport will not be what it was. Unfortunately these abnormal salt incursions are happening more often, adding weight to the calls for tidal barriers at both Lowestoft and Gt Yarmouth.

 

Had a carp lake been inundated then I wonder what the reaction would have been?

 

For those that are either affected, or vaguely interested, here is yesterday's salinity report by an on the ball and concerned EA fisheries department:

 

Salt surge update.

Report from saline testing as of last night.

Waveney:
One and a half miles from Beccles.

Yare:
Lethal levels up as far as surlingham entrance, and 6000ms as far up as postwick.

Thurne:
Salt on candle dyke and pushing onto Hickling.

Bure:
Salt as far up as
Salhouse.

[Ken L]

So is there any actual evidence of dead fish ?