Floods in Somerset

[llamedos]

Home at Last!

His three children, a boy of 10 and 4-year-old twins, were delighted to be back in their own bedrooms.

They just went straight to sleep with no bickering.

They can't quite believe that we're in the house to stay.

The youngest one said "can we stay here another night daddy?" and I said yes of course we're here to stay now.

– JAMES WINSLADE, FARMER

For full report & video with James http://www.itv.com/news/west/2014-10-09/home-at-last-for-flooded-somerset-farmer/?

 

[Nell]

Thank goodness, so pleased for him.

I was fuming when I read in the press that he wasn't compensated for his grass seed costs (some 11 grand) until someone went to visit him six months later. Seems his farm wasn't adequately flooded! That was after sending in the aerial photos. Beggars belief!

 

[Gatehouse Farm]

Lucky bugger we are still in a caravan and will be for another 4-5 weeks.

 

[llamedos]

Thank goodness, so pleased for him.

I was fuming when I read in the press that he wasn't compensated for his grass seed costs (some 11 grand) until someone went to visit him six months later. Seems his farm wasn't adequately flooded! That was after sending in the aerial photos. Beggars belief!

http://www.itv.com/news/west/update/2014-10-10/environment-secretary-to-visit-somerset-levels/?

 

[renewablejohn]

Have the winter water levels been set as yet for the Somerset levels and if so are they lower than last year or have the wildlife fraternity managed to maintain the winter flooding policy.

 

[roscoe erf]

saw this thought you might like it @Kevtherev http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...et-s-call-fleet-oil-lorries-vacuum-water.html

 

[Kevtherev]

My tanker

Roscoe has a mishap

 

[roscoe erf]

View attachment 106450
My tanker

View attachment 106452
Roscoe has a mishap

that will teach me to drink the load

 

[Dry Rot]

It is good to hear things are gradually getting back to normal in Somerset so I suppose it can all soon be forgotten -- until the next time!

I'm staggered there hasn't been more discussion about the CAUSES of the Somerset and similar flooding.

The flooding was nothing like as bad around here but I've encountered ignorance and stupidity around every corner, a lot of it from professionals who ought to know better.

"I already maintain my ditches because I have a management agreement under Cross Compliance. I clean them out every x years so I do my duty" -- So no need to routinely check and clear culverts? No annual maintenance required? No obligation to cut back over hanging trees? No obligation to prevent flooding under other legislation (so statute law, common law, local by laws, etc. don't apply?).

A blockage in a water channel UP STREAM will cause flooding DOWN STREAM? Really? So water can flow up hill?

"Water won't flow in a ditch unless it has a fall in it". Yes, but water creates it's own fall and will seek to flow to the lowest point.

"We need to allow the ditches to silt up so the land doesn't dry out in the summer". But plant roots and soil organisms can't live in saturated soil so it becomes sterile and production will be depressed.

"The water in the ditch isn't over flowing the banks, so that can't be causing the flooding". Never heard of the water table then?

"The ditch hasn't been cleaned for years, so it has ceased to be a ditch" (Quote from DEFRA!).

"The damage to the ditch banks is caused by rabbits, not cattle". (Quote from senior DEFRA official. There's a clue in the size of the foot prints if you look).

Soil can only absorb so much water. When that is exceeded, it becomes a flood. If more water enters a drainage system than can leave, it becomes a flood.

I've heard all the above and more either from large farmers (>1,000 acres) or DEFRA/RPID officials. Stupidity by officials paid to do a job ought to be a criminal offence as it is taking money under false pretences, but then our prisons would be full so I suppose that wouldn't work either. The tragedy is that our taxes and insurance premiums pay for all this nonsense.

 

[Osca]

Well, a blockage upstream certainly floods my land downstream... that's not as daft as you might think; imagine a dam bursting. And a ditch without a fall won't flow - it will overflow. Subtle difference. Ok with a low outlet with a fall it will fill and slowly empty, fair enough, but the fall has to come into it somewhere.
I don't like the sound of your cow-sized rabbits, though.