rivers to benefit from new level of trust

[John Weddup]

Thats the title on the opening page of anglersnet from elton.

 

Its a great shame then that the environment agency have decided ( due to health and safety reasons) they cannot any longer open or close manual mill gates or weirs.

 

This in suffolk has resulted in large area,s of river being reduced to a stream with fish deaths. I beleive this is a nationwide policy so if you have a river that depends on management to keep levels up, or down when rain comes watch out.

 

john

[Grandma]

Which rivers in Suffolk are you referring to John?

Edited October 18, 2006 by Grandma

[John Weddup]

today river stour but also others such as brett and gipping are affected.

 

john

[Grandma]

today river stour but also others such as brett and gipping are affected.

 

john

 

 

John,

 

I just read an article about this:

 

http://www.sudburytoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2...ticleID=1818177

 

Presumably the gate will be left open to reduce the risk of flooding upstream. I know the stretch below the Mill Hotel is particularly affected by low water levels - I guess this is the bit that's reduced to a stream that you mentioned?

[Elton]

The press release on Anglers' Net that John is referring to can be viewed here:

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/News/ea_art.html

[John Weddup]

the stretch of river i refered to was initially in sudbury but the stretch below sudbury to henny is also very low.

 

All the manual gates from wixoe through to cattawade will be fixed either shut or open depending on opinion of EA guy as to wether flooding will be a risk.

 

I guess they are prepared to let large area,s flood that are arable land or meadows.

 

The situation varys along the river depending on open or shut policy. Its complicated slightly as most millgates have bypass streams that used to be used to allow water past when it was not needed by mill. These have all but filled in now due to main gates doing all work. If they continue with this policy lots of work will be required on those if the gates are closed.

 

There have been several reports on local radio press etc. with many people fearing flooding when it rains and wildlife destruction when its dry.

 

The only way to get over this would be fixed weirs being built to hold water level in sections at a reasonable level.

 

But as I suspect that this is more of a cost saving measure using health and safety as a convenient excuse i cannot see any money for weirs to be availeble.

 

This area is carefully monitored by english nature as many sssi,s are along this section. It seems good timing as english nature have just had huge cuts and been incorporated into other agencies . Maybe they are not out there walking the countryside like they were.

 

I wish to make this clear this is not a local issue this covers the whole country

 

john

[Grandma]

Thanks for the other link Elton, I'd read that before, but had not related it to the title of this thread.

 

Going back to the Stour, that is one of the rivers that has a Trust, that's assuming it's the same kind of Trust to which the EA is referring.

 

I do know that the one of the main aims of Stour Trust is to open navigation to the whole river, up to Sudbury, so presumably weirs will not be an option. They've been restoring the locks so perhaps they will use these to manage water levels? Obviously they will need to maintain some kind of depths for navigation.

[John Weddup]

navigation is only to sudbury there is a lot of river and fishing above sudbury.

 

There are several weirs below sudbury that they will never be able to afford putting loch gates in. They only just managed to raise enough money for one at gt cornard.