Dredging

[Black Rabbit]

Hi Guys,

 

As I get older, some things tend to escape me. Could someone please explain to me how dredging will prevent flooding in the future? Surely, lowering a river bed won't lower the water level? I mean, for a given 100m stretch of river the depth may vary, creating shallower and deeper swims. But the surface level along that same stretch of river doesn't vary accordingly.

 

As I say, I'm getting older. Maybe I'm missing something.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Black Rabbit

[Steve Walker]

Something must be done. Dredging is something. Therefore do dredging.

 

I think that's about as far as it goes. You can substitute "badger culling" for dredging and it still works, must be something in the farming mindset.

[Vagabond]

Something must be done. Dredging is something. Therefore do dredging.

 

 

I hear a story that in response to "Get Dredging" the reply was "We can't, the heavy dredgers have been sold off"

 

Anyone know if that's true ?

[wotnobivvy]

Hi Guys,

 

As I get older, some things tend to escape me. Could someone please explain to me how dredging will prevent flooding in the future? Surely, lowering a river bed won't lower the water level? I mean, for a given 100m stretch of river the depth may vary, creating shallower and deeper swims. But the surface level along that same stretch of river doesn't vary accordingly.

 

As I say, I'm getting older. Maybe I'm missing something.

Dredging will give the river more carrying capacity, thus a bigger volume will be catered for. But as others have said dredging is not the answer. It's a bit like mending a puncture, the tyre is no longer flat, but the cause of the puncture is back up the road a bit

[Andy_1984]

I would think dredging would not create enough new capacity given how much water there actually is in peoples houses/streets etc ?

[philocalist]

I hear a story that in response to "Get Dredging" the reply was "We can't, the heavy dredgers have been sold off"

 

Anyone know if that's true ?

 

We can only hope .......

[Vagabond]

Dredging will give the river more carrying capacity, thus a bigger volume will be catered for. But as others have said dredging is not the answer.

Yep, more carrying capacity - fine whilst the tide is going out.........

 

Trouble IS....... When a spring high tide comes in, more water is coming landwards to cause backing up.

 

For example...........

 

The River Parret has burst its banks this evening due to the spring high tide.......

[Rice Crackers]

Hi Guys,

 

As I get older, some things tend to escape me. Could someone please explain to me how dredging will prevent flooding in the future? Surely, lowering a river bed won't lower the water level? I mean, for a given 100m stretch of river the depth may vary, creating shallower and deeper swims. But the surface level along that same stretch of river doesn't vary accordingly.

 

As I say, I'm getting older. Maybe I'm missing something.

 

Everyone knows dredging will achieve nothing. It may give a river slightly more capacity but in the event of a flood the effect will be minimal and will just mean floodwater gets downstream more quickly which will exacerbate the problem further down.

 

The problem here is people are angry that they've been flooded out and they want someone to blame and direct their fury at. This, therefore has to be the government's fault as it's difficult to sue the weather gods. The ill-informed public perception is that the river needs to be dredged and hasn't been. How the river and all around it survived for the tens of thousands of years before the dredger was invented isn't clear, but who cares about that when a scapegoat is required? Lets put aside for a minute the fact that these people willingly moved to a flood plain and are now mystified as to why they're knee-deep in water.

 

In situations such as this the government wants to be seen by the public to be decisive and acting in their best interests. The ill-informed public has demanded as course of action that any idiot can see will be futile but in order to score political points the government has agreed to it anyway at enormous public expense in order to score some points with the electorate.

[wotnobivvy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26106290

 

 

 

And would that really have helped in these conditions

[robd]

Interesting comments and views from some experts, echoing what seems a commonsense opinion.

http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/?p=22582&upm_export=print