Effect of drought

[Lazy Days]

With the news full of talk of drought I was wondering whether anyone recalls how much navigation was compromised in 1976?

 

[Relax.A]

I have been told that locks were restricted to every hour or so or when there was a lock full and that there were pumps at locks pumping the water used back up stream . Also water levels were obviously very low . Also there was a smell from the still water. My boat draws nearly 5 feet so I am quite worried as I struggle with moorings anyway .

 

[Brayman]

Only three or four years ago we were restricted to about four locks per hour - which was pretty quick for some locks!

 

[Lazy Days]

Only three or four years ago we were restricted to about four locks per hour - which was pretty quick for some locks!

So business as usual at Boulter's on a summer Sunday.

 

[Chris_d]

I can vaguely remember going up and down the river in '76, 2 hour waits at some locks were common, however that was due to the number of boats not the drought.

 

[boatone]

May be timely to remind everyone of this PLA NtoM from last November which I believe is still current:

Levels Below Richmond Lock and Weir

 

[oldgit]

Are so Grasshopper....You may care....

.....to remember how the locals of err .....was in somewhere in Bucks ? all got together to prevent a new resevoir being built in their locality .
Can we cut them off first please.
I volunteer to turn the stopcock on NIMBYS.
Down here they have already posted notices in the press regards extracting water from the Medway to fill up Bewl Bridge....Oooo and let gets those compulsory water meters installed pronto.

 

[TrueBlue]

.....to remember how the locals of err .....was in somewhere in Bucks ? all got together to prevent a new reservoir being built in their locality .Can we cut them off first please.
I volunteer to turn the stopcock on NIMBYS.
Down here they have already posted notices in the press regards extracting water from the Medway to fill up Bewl Bridge....Oooo and let gets those compulsory water meters installed pronto.

Reservoir - do you mean the one at Abingdon? I thought that was going ahead - sometime?

As to water meters - I must disagree; fine if one can actually measure the consumption (as I do with one those monitor machines - excellent), but the water thingy will be down a hole in the garden and impossible to read - so no jolly good in helping me cut down.

Just a nice way for Southern Water to make more money.

One of the few things that get me wound up.

 

[Lazy Days]

So to summarise..... unless it rains, alot, and soon, I can expect a season of waiting up to two hours for each lock in stinking stagnant water in order to reach a mooring (in said stinking stagnant water) that there likely won't be the depth to get on to anyway?

If they do end up implementing restrictions on locks per hour does that mean that OOH self-service will be suspended?

Katy

 

[Brayman]

If they do end up implementing restrictions on locks per hour does that mean that OOH self-service will be suspended?

Katy

Good point!

 

[oldgit]

but the water thingy will be down a hole in the garden and impossible to read - so no jolly good in helping me cut down.


One of the few things that get me wound up


The fact it is merely there appears to concentrate the mind.
10% drop in water comsumption in households after installation.
A very precious resource far more so that petrol or diesel ?

 

[534l4rk]

[QUOTE.
A very precious resource far more so that petrol or diesel ?[/QUOTE]

Particularly for steam engined vessels ?

 

[TrueBlue]

but the water thingy will be down a hole in the garden and impossible to read - so no jolly good in helping me cut down.


One of the few things that get me wound up


The fact it is merely there appears to concentrate the mind.
10% drop in water comsumption in households after installation.
A very precious resource far more so that petrol or diesel ?

It's "sold" on the basis that you can monitor your use - which is laudable.
In practice it's more FUD, which isn't.

 

[boatone]

During the most recent episode the delay was simply waiting so that a full lock could be locked through and lockies used their discretion so that you didn't have to wait an inordinate length of time if it was quiet.

As long as water is continuing to flow over the weirs there is not too much problem but once the river drops to that level every locking is a loss of headwater downstream - the same problem that keeps the Basingstoke Canal shut for most of the summer season. Someone mentioned 'back pumping' but I would have thought that would be pretty impractical on the Thames given the size of locks.

The question of how Public Power might be affected is well made !

 

[TrueBlue]

......
If they do end up implementing restrictions on locks per hour does that mean that OOH self-service will be suspended?

Katy

Quiet there - in case EA spots the loophole.

 

[Brayman]

During the most recent episode the delay was simply waiting so that a full lock could be locked through and lockies used their discretion so that you didn't have to wait an inordinate length of time if it was quiet.

As long as water is continuing to flow over the weirs there is not too much problem but one the river drops to that level every locking is a loss of headwater downstream - the same problem that keeps the Basingstoke Canal shut for most of the summer season. Someone mentioned 'back pumping' but I would have thought that would be pretty impractical on the Thames given the size of locks.

The question of how Public Power might be affected is well made !

The trouble was, a few years ago, there was plenty of water flowing over the weirs but locking restrictions were still in place, I'd like to see some calculation of how much water goes over the weir in a hour compared with two or three lockfuls.

 

[TrueBlue]

The trouble was, a few years ago, there was plenty of water flowing over the weirs but locking restrictions were still in place, I'd like to see some calculation of how much water goes over the weir in a hour compared with two or three lockfuls.

They DO know - It's just they don't want to encourage wanton use, by making it unpleasant....

IIRC last time the lockies were permitted (?) to lock you up/down when the lock was full of boats - or others waiting.

I wonder if they'll be using sandbags this time.

 

[boatone]

Just for the record, the following was received from EA in late January and I have seen no further updates as yet:

Drought
December was a wet month in the South East with above average rainfall received across the South East Region, resulting in improved river flows. Rainfall for January (up to the 10th) was 38% of the long term average for January. At present, whilst stretched, the situation is being managed. We are working to our draft South East drought plan and have regional and area drought teams in place and holding fortnightly regional drought teleconferences to monitor the situation. We will keep you updated as the situation progresses with details of any likely impacts for navigation.