 | Home > Off Topic > Now I Understand....Its the Farmers Fault we are flooding |
 
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| Josh K Member Since: 01 Nov 2013 Location: Herefordshire Posts: 266   
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And they completely ignore the fact that the rivers Tone and Parrett in Somerset haven't been dredged in 20 years and can now hold 40% less water. 2007 (57) Defender 90 (Sold)
Looking for another to replace it. The road less travelled.... is a muddy one! |
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29th Jan 2014 9:05am |
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| Caterham Member Since: 06 Nov 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 6298  
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Call me stupid (most do)
How have they tried to blame it on the farmers? |
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29th Jan 2014 9:09am |
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| Alicat Member Since: 25 Nov 2013 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 135
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Well, as a young lad in shorts I worked for a number of water authorities (not companies) and local authorities in the 70's and 80's, they managed the whole water cycle. E.g. Severn Trent dealt with rivers, sewers, water supply, and the local authorities dealt with water courses under the Land Drainage Act. We now have multiple agencies responsible for the water cycle DEFRA, EA, Water companies etc. All have their own priorities and we have lost the joined up approach. No wonder we have problems!
I can remember arranging for watercourses to be cleared and dredged, including serving notices on riparian owners to carryout maintenance - I bet it doesn't happen now! |
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29th Jan 2014 10:36am |
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| TJ101 Member Since: 30 May 2007 Location: Taunton Somerset Posts: 3750  
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Not seen myself, but on good authority,, a e-mail last summer warned of the river Parrett near Burrowbridge having over 20 foot of silt at least https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview/@51.070648,-2.9128369,13z California F1, 75th 110 "Kermit", 50th Ann V8, 90 V8 Hybrid, 55 Series 1 Main Brian James Trailer Dealer for South West UK |
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29th Jan 2014 10:54am |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831 
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BBC Country file had farmers blamed for flooding by letting sheep graze on the moor tops, the little feet of the sheep compacted the soil allowing the water to flow straight off the moor, this was coupled with the RSPB wanting trees planted on moors instead of sheep being allowed to graze. The beeb have to find some reason for the flooding as the global warming propaganda they waged failed. Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to  us off.
Richard |
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29th Jan 2014 12:04pm |
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| Laurie Member Since: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 2897 
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I'm surprised they haven't found a way to blame it on greenlaners.
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29th Jan 2014 12:14pm |
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| dorstsmith2 Member Since: 06 Aug 2012 Location: On the third rock from the sun in dorset Posts: 188 
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government is more intrusted in problems out side the uk
 also they have just made 20,000 soldiers redundant too   |
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29th Jan 2014 1:04pm |
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| Josh K Member Since: 01 Nov 2013 Location: Herefordshire Posts: 266
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And it's like anything, you leave a task too long and it gets harder and harder to do. Imagine trying to dredge a river with 20ft of silt - it's got to be nigh on impossible. Just read that David Cameron has ordered dredging to start in Somerset as soon as it is safe to do so. Downing Street has also alluded to the idea that the Army may be deployed to assist with the clean up. This is all the right things but why does it take this country so long to get to this point. You see reports of other countries in similar situations but get things sorted quicker. 2007 (57) Defender 90 (Sold) Looking for another to replace it. The road less travelled.... is a muddy one! |
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29th Jan 2014 1:17pm |
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| timbar Member Since: 30 Jul 2013 Location: Milton Keynes Posts: 245
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If I remember rightly aren't farmers effectively penalised for having "unusable" woodland on their land -- and hasn't it been found that woodland is enormously effective in increasing the ability of soil to retain -- or slowly drain -- water?
Off to look for refs for this otherwise entirely unfounded pair of statements ... I have a sneaking suspicion it was even posted here. 2009 110 XS Station Wagon |
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29th Jan 2014 1:53pm |
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| timbar Member Since: 30 Jul 2013 Location: Milton Keynes Posts: 245
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Well here's one, although it's from a source with a vested interest:
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/mediafile/...idence.pdf It even has a picture of a Defender in. Nice one too. 2009 110 XS Station Wagon |
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29th Jan 2014 1:56pm |
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| timbar Member Since: 30 Jul 2013 Location: Milton Keynes Posts: 245
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Ah, potentially this is what I was thinking of:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-25...storm.html With some colourful commentary: http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?thr...ing.16207/ 2009 110 XS Station Wagon |
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29th Jan 2014 2:17pm |
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| Pam W Member Since: 25 Oct 2011 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1169 
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As I see it, a lot of the problem has got to do with a shift towards preserving environments by allowing them to do as nature sees fit - a 'hands-off' approach. However, our countryside has been changed, used and managed by man for over 6000 years and is to all intents and purposes man-made. So if we don't continue to manage it then it will change and adversely affect not only our lives but the very ecosystems that have evolved and changed and adapted to human activity.
For that reason we have a landscape that requires management in order for it to continue to 'work' for us. Increasing population hasn't helped, obviously, but neither has trying to 'build' our way out of flooding with so-called flood defences. One man's flood defence is another man's flood - either up or down-stream. The water has to go somewhere. In York the floods are worse because they stopped dredging many years ago and now calls to re-start are met with arguments from the environmentalists about protecting the biodiversity on the river bottom! Chicken and egg. Stop building on flood plains, stop building flood banks (without gaps to flood plains), start dredging, start maintaining ditches and gullies on roads and fields boundaries. Simples. As others have alluded to the amalgamation of different bodies under one heading 'The Environment Agency" hasn't helped. Another example of the 'hands-off' approach that I am dealing with at the moment, is woodland management. I live next to a semi-ancient, semi-natural woodland. The woodland used to be managed for the benefit of its users - both human and animal - hunting, pannage, forestry, iron-working, etc - over hundreds of years. The quick-growing ground cover was managed, as was re-seeding/regrowth of young trees. Taking out mature specimens for timber kept the canopy open, letting light in and enabling appropriate rejuvenation. Now, after about 20 years of so-called management by the Woodland Trust it is now overgrown, dark and the woodland floor is choked by brambles and bracken, leading to an absence of typical woodland flowers. We've lived here for 17 years and have seen the change from a woodland that needed a bit of a refurb, to a woodland that needs a complete renovation. The WT have now started 'an extensive thinning process' but oddly and only taking out individual pine, spruce and larch which are dotted around and not really causing any great problem. The broadleaves, including the very invasive and non-native sycamore, are being left alone. Absurd! So, I blame the tree-hugging hippy cr** ! Don't get me wrong - I love trees and I love living slap-bang next to this huge woodland, but really, here, like with the flood stuff, the environmentalists can't see the wood for the trees! (and breaaattthhhh, rant over) Our blog - http://landytravels.com/ Yorkshire Off Road Club - http://www.yorkshireoffroadclub.net |
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29th Jan 2014 3:22pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20340
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They think they've got it so right but so very wrong in reality.....
They seems yo think they are heroic in their economic turn around in making innocent people suffer for their own cock ups. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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29th Jan 2014 4:30pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8580
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There are many conflicting and contributing demands on the countryside.
Some of the demands from various governments and the EU have a direct impact on flooding. In the 70's and 80's upland farmers were given grants to improve the grazing on the moors by improving the drainage. Net result of improved drainage was water run off faster into caves which caused some problems but with a high flow rate of water off the moors meant rapid rising water levels in the rivers downstream. Not a brilliant idea from governments and EU. Good idea for food production but badly thought through of the consequences. Modern housing estates sometimes have two drainage systems, one where roof water is drained directly to a nearby stream or river as that water does not need expensive treatment to clean it up. ~Second system is for the grey/dirty water which does need treatment. Sounds a great idea doesn't it? Until people reposition their washing machine etc and plumb waste directly into roof water system and then you have nice soap sud trails on nearby streams. Not exactly good for the environment! The Victorians rarely if ever built houses on flood plains but on mounds on valley floors or kept to the valley sides above flood water levels. These days councils will happily build on areas with name like 'Bogthorn" Is there a clue in the name there? Executive houses are built as small secluded sites on places like old quarries. Guess what Victorian maps shows a spring line in quarry floor. Fine during dry summer months but come a wet winter??? Have no idea on what is cause of the floods in Somerset (apart from heavy rain exceeding drainage capability) but if you build on flood plains, sooner or later they will flood! Provide large areas of waterproof surfaces, road, roofs, car parks you either have to 'store' that water somehow to slow its release into the river system or accept that downstream is going to get wetter/flooded faster then before.. What is needed is a more balanced approach to where and how society is going to live. If you are going to build houses on a flood plain then design the houses to suit. Build the houses so go up steps to houses so main part of house is above normal flood levels etc. Brendan |
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29th Jan 2014 4:35pm |
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