River Levels

[Steve Burke]

Many of you will already be aware that the EA's web site has river level readings for a huge number of stations. Go to http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/default.aspx

 

Here are a couple of specific links, but you can easily find others by clicking on the maps.

 

Upper Thames and Kennet: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/136495.aspx

 

Littlebourne near Wingham (Little Stour): http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/136486.aspx?stationId=1139

Edited January 8, 2014 by Steve Burke

[Steve Burke]

I'd add that the river at Wingham is just below Littlebourne and no longer has a gauging station. However compared with upstream we have high banks and the river has never burst its banks on my property in the last 20 years, although it was close in 2000. This year the level is many feet lower.

 

A few of the swims at Wingham are a few inches deep from high water from the lakes but all are fishable. The main problem is fallen trees that we're dealing with, but we're short staffed due to my recovering from surgery and Glyn injuring himself.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Steve Burke

[Chris Plumb]

Steve - that Vale of White Horse page has been in my favourites for years. Gauge at Theale (Kennet) equalled it's all time historic high in the past few days - with gauges in Reading at their highest for a decade.

 

Further up the valley the rainfall of 20/7/07 (when 98mm fell in 3 HOURS) swelled some readings to levels that will probably be never seen again!

 

C.

[Anderoo]

The Thames here is inching up to its record 2007 level, and the Windrush has beaten it with an all-time high.

[Mark Wintle]

It's still 2ft below the historic 1894, 1929 and 1947 levels which makes you think just how bad those floods were. Glad my uncle, who's 91, no longer lives in Binsey Lane.

[steveking]

The Sussex Ouse at Freshfield bridge beat its 2007 record by 10cm, nearly 3m above normal level.

[Tigger]

You can guarantee there be a hose pipe ban in summer

[viney]

At 4.30 this morning the Kennet at Newbury was 2cm over it's highest recorded level!

[Mark Wintle]

I have noticed that the EA 'highest ever' levels a) only go back a few years, don't get updated when exceeded. The Dorset Stour had higher levels than just about every record in recent times just 2 weeks ago but nothing was updated. On the Stour the great flood of 1979 was much higher than this flood though, and one in the 1700s much higher still with other very high ones historically. The worst Dorset Frome flood was after the 1955(?) cloudburst when Martinstown got 11.5" of rain in a day.

 

The most reliable flood markers are where there is a bronze plaque marking the level of historic floods. I know Godstow Lock on the Thames has one for the 1947 flood, and there is one on the Stour at Longham Waterworks, another on Sturminster Newton Mill. Most impressive one I ever saw was on the Rogue River in Oregon with a flood marker over 100ft above normal - all bridges swept away! Saw a bridge in Germany with a whole series of markers going back over 100 years. The river (tributary of the Rhine) was in flood at the time but many feet short of teh historic markers.

[JV44]

Mark we see many of the flood markers at Thames locks whilst on our travels that give food for thought esp the 1947 ones!!! but surely the river back in 47 was nowhere near the average 8` -10` navigation depth....or at least all the old river duffers that I have spoke to over the years have said she was a very different river then before Straightening and dredging large bits of her....

I suppose against that you have all the building on flood plains and concreting large areas so maybe it evens out ??

Not that I would want to see or experience 1947 levels mind Steve