On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:57:53 +0000
Tim W wrote:

John
wibbled on Monday 23 November 2009 09:09

At the same time, they also dredged all the many streams and ditches in the
area, something that had not been happening regularly.

Oddly enough, they've never had to use the flood gates and I've not yet this
year, despite serious rain, seen any sign of excessive water either on the
fields beyond the bunds or in the streams.

This is interesting. I have a beck (mountain stream) about 20
feet from my house - the land slopes away from the house and beck so
there is no chance of flooding us. However in 2005 it over-topped
twice, so the farmer whose land it floods came by with a JCB and
dredged it. He didn't widen it, nor did he deepen it much, but he did
re-distribute the stones on the bottom. This weekend it filled right
up, we were convinced that it would over-top, but it didn't. My theory
is that the farmer's tidying of the beck made it flow better.

Of course, the water all ended up in Cockermouth about 8 miles
downstream and then went to Workington to wash their bridges and Bobby
away.

I'm thinking of inventing some kind of chuck-in generator for days like
these. There is plenty of energy there.

R.