Dredging

[ginger]

I think that there is another factor in the flooding issue that never seems to get mentioned. The soil acts like a sponge up to the point of field capacity, once saturation is reached run off occurs and that finds it way into drains, streams and rivers. Cover the soil with a waterproof lid in the form of new build houses, supermarkets and countless 'out of town' retail parks and you have created the perfect means of flooding what is left.

[Rice Crackers]

I have to say I'd never heard the term 'Somerset Levels' until this week but I thought the very term 'levels' speaks volumes about the kind of terrain we're dealing with here so I looked it up on Wikipedia:

 

The Somerset Levels, or the Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly known, is a sparsely populated coastal plain and wetland area of central Somerset

 

it goes on to say:

 

One explanation for the county of Somerset's name is that, in prehistory, because of winter flooding people restricted their use of the Levels to the summer, leading to a derivation from Sumorsaete, meaning land of the summer people.

 

So this is a natural wetland that has regularly flooded in winter since at least before pre-historic times. Back then people were clever enough to avoid the area during winter but mankind has since decided to build all over it then act with total shock when it floods and start blaming the government and a lack of river dredging.

 

This is just bonkers in my opinion. It's like moving to North Wales then demanding the government does something to alleviate all the rain

[Anderoo]

Government bows to angry public and over-rules EA on dredging decision: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/29/somerset-river-dredging-floods-david-cameron

 

Bad precendent to set...

[Steve Walker]

In the past I have enjoyed some great grayling fishing on the Tone

[Andy_1984]

Would be nice to have some information on the bad effects dredging large amounts of silt has on water. currently lots of work been going on at my local canal and dredging without at least silt curtains is happening. tried to suggest to them to use them but yet to get a response.

 

cant even see the bottom of the canal in less than 1ft of water for atleast 2 - 3 miles

[Leon Roskilly]

'Somerset' is derived from a land that could only be occupied in the Summer, and abandoned to the flooding in the Winter ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset )

 

 

With changling weather patterns It may once again have to be abandoned when the rains start.

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/30/flooding-experts-uk-adapt-climate-change?CMP=twt_fd

[Leon Roskilly]

Good piece by George Monbiot

 

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/30/dredging-rivers-floods-somerset-levels-david-cameron-farmers

[chesters1]

Good piece by George Monbiot

 

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/30/dredging-rivers-floods-somerset-levels-david-cameron-farmers

The buggers been reading my posts (wink)

[Leon Roskilly]

Lessons learned?

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/02/flooding-winter-defences-environment-climate-change?CMP=twt_fd

[Steve Walker]

Lessons learned?

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/02/flooding-winter-defences-environment-climate-change?CMP=twt_fd

"Climate change appears to be hitting harder and faster than feared"

 

That statement appears to conform to the theory that the difference between weather and climate is whether it is consistent with the theory of anthropogenic climate change