Drought - The Greatest threat to our rivers?

Admin Posts : 494 Join date : 2009-12-27

This summer has been one of the driest for many years, no significant rain since early spring.

The EA have been in action again today on the Kennet rescuing fish, one of many such instances over the past few months.

So is this the greatest threat at present, seemingly sits under then radar of most.

A few recent reports, most go unwritten

http://rivertac.org/site/?p=3224

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/133072.aspx?page=6

Views as always

Whilst the fisheries officers of the EA do a great job, it begs the question as to why they are having to save fish from a drying river... that would be because their bosses gave abstraction consents that are sucking the life out of them in the first place...

Great job EA, save a few fish while the habitat you're saving them from is being destroyed by your own consents! Still, best for them not say anything though, not if they still want a job next year...

Richard Evil or Very Mad

Funnily enough there are some pictures on Ray Waltons facebook page of the upper Teme and its almost dried up. His comment is abstraction as well, I think its a combination of the two, but yes spot on.

Dave there are pictures popping up eveywhere of rivers that are devoid of water, it is unbelievable, but no one gives a damn! Not even the people that are supposed to protect the environment... if it wasn't legal.. it'd be a crime!

Richard drunken

Subject: drought levels Fri Sep 30, 2011 7:39 pm

the water level stations i visit on the ea site have gone below there lowest depth like the roding at shonks mill between 1.8m to 0.29m actual depth 0.26m. Crying or Very sad

Not good Andy.

Believe the EA are out again on the Churn this weekend but in a different area.

Subject: greatest threat Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:44 pm

potatoe growers are always given abstraction rights throughout the year. there are plans to build a flood water lagoon thats past the planning stage however i dont know if it fills in winter and empties in the summer/low flows.

Ground water saturation levels at 100mm, that is serious

4th Driest October to October since records began

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/drought/31791.aspx

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/17/dry-winter-drought-weather-forecast?newsfeed=true

Getting worse....

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/headlines/9441724.Water_levels_are____exceptionally_low___/

Subject: drought Sat Dec 31, 2011 9:44 am

low rainfall in oxford, isnt that where they were going to build the super reservoir? Shocked

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/22/england-rivers-environment-agency?fb=optOut

There's a great article here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17078727

It shows that the the old Water Resources board had a viable plan to create, what amounted to, an almost complete National Grid system for water.

The WR board was 'dismantled' and these plans were all dumped so Maggie could sell off all the family Jewels.........

The elevation's higher up in the grim north too innit, so it would just flow downhill all the way; They could even put those hyro-wotsit turbines along the way and get some free power from it as it runs down here!

_________________
TAC Secretary
Angling Trust member #61385

Ed Randall wrote:: The elevation's higher up in the grim north too innit, so it would just flow downhill all the way; They could even put those hyro-wotsit turbines along the way and get some free power from it as it runs down here!

Bu66er the turbines, just think of all those canals flowing like chalk streams..............

Barry just imagine Smile

This Drought Summit today is a little to late, the EA spent all of last summer doing fish rescues, stretching resources to the max. We are into the second dry winter and now the government are concerned, talk about after the horse has bolted...

Too little too late, all we can do is pray for rain.

i heard on radio news that ministers, water companies and wildlife groups were present.....anyone there for angling and/or boating and rowers

The Angling Trust were there, no idea about others but guess they would be.

this is not good one part of the wandle is down at least 9inch's.
lets hope we get some constant rain very soon..
not looking good...

Here's another good link - could it be that people are finally starting to see the light.........?

http://www.link2portal.com/drought-decl ... litres-day

_________________
THAMES ANGLERS' CONSERVANCY
Anglers dedicated to protecting and improving the River Thames
Free to Join here: http://www.rivertac.org/site/

Martin Salter on Sky News

http://news.sky.com/home/video/16173364

Thames West Area Water situation report for Feb,

Grim reading Neutral

http://rivertac.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2_2012_February_West_Thames.pdf

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/water/135345.aspx

Is it time to start challenging some of the 21000 licences?

Bet there are some that are not licensed at all....

Daily Mail
Hosed down with millions! As hosepipe ban begins, how water bosses have pocketed huge bonuses and handed shareholders massive payouts

Daily Mirror
Water mess! Leaks, hosepipe bans, rising prices... and fatcats siphon away millions

Evil or Very Mad

Subject: drought greates threat to our rivers Fri Apr 06, 2012 4:58 am

i live in the 3rd driest county in england and we do not have a hose pipe ban. yes we have underground ressies and beneath my sports and social club which we pay rent to essex and suffolk water is a massive natural underground reservoir with millons of untouched litres of water but one rises to challenge however thames water, southeast water, anglian water, sutton and east sutton water, veolia cetral water and veolia southeast water don,t because they are useless. these companies are like the previous owners of portsmouth and rangers fotball clubs, too much taking not enough giving. i walked my dog in the morning and water was comming through the pavement. i phoned essex and suffolk water and it was repaired in 6 hours and this was in 2009 when there was no shortage.

Just found this:
http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/latest-news/water-quality-grants-open-for-farmers/46066.article

They even mention the Upper Roding Andy.

There is a comments section at the bottom............I've already said my two penny's worth.

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