West Lancashire is sinking....

[mendiplogs]

Its all as lame as fook. I am not in a flood risk zone but the LA has allowed development up hill from me and that's meant drainage and surfacing.

 

Now the drains cant cope and we regularly have surface water in the street, that ends up in the river and the people in the valley bottom start to grow gills.

 

Hi TREE weres that pic taken then mate thanks jon

[treequip]

Hi TREE weres that pic taken then mate thanks jon

 

Outside my house

[mendiplogs]

Outside my house

 

Hi TREE thanks for that keep safe up there tree Jon

[drinksloe]

If they need to build houses on flood plains they could build the houses on stilts.

 

Where I stay they built houses on a field that flooded. The council then had to spend millions on a flood storage scheme...

 

I personally think the answer is storing the flood water in dams and more forestry on upstream catchments.

 

U are right althou they reckon forestry and the drainage that comes with it is often blamed for the increase in flooding dure to rapid runoff.

 

It's really not rocket science to not build on fllod plains, but tey usually happen to be nice and flat and level so makes for easy groundworks/building.

 

Also the present way of flood prevention is not working, building walls higher and channelising it cost a fortune, doesnae work and just puts the problem elsewhere. Carisle was badly hit again after spending millions to protect them from a 50 year flood event, lasted 8 years, possibly they;ll be fine for bext 42 but i doubt it

 

The only way i can see it working is paying farmers to flood there land upstream. I know in my area during the 50-60's they straightened and build floodbanks along most of the middle streches of local river so they can use the decent farmland.

If u designed and drained the land so it could be flooded in extreme floods but also drain away fairly quickly afterwards.

Doubt it would cost that much as most floods banks already there and because u have water both sides does not have the same forces/pressure on it. Just need to either lower upstream bank (so it will not erode) or put a sluice gate in.

 

 

As for houses already in flood areas, protection is not always possible but do it up to deal with the floods.

A shop near me that floods anually (often more than once) tanked all the walls so water doesnae damage them, all plugs, light switches up high hopefully above most flood hieghts and sunk a sump into the floor so they can get a submersimble pump in easily.

When it floods they just move the stock upstairs and just turn the pump on hose and disenfect downstairs and its back to normal. They hardly bother with sandbags now as chances are wouldnae do much good.

Granted not so easy in a house

[treequip]

Hi TREE thanks for that keep safe up there tree Jon

 

Thanks for that Jon but its not up to me to keep safe though is it, I did what I could to prevent flooding when I bought a house half way up a Pennine hill.

 

If my place floods it will be because the powers that be didn't take account of the run off that would be created by the new development that they allowed then failed in their duty of care to manage

[Marko]

Might help to keep the rivers dredged also but that might cost money..

 

Not allowed to since we adopted the European Water Framework Directive (EWF). Can't mess with the river bed anymore but can build defences on the sides.

 

"A watercourse needed to be big enough to take any water that flowed into it, otherwise it would overflow and inundate the surrounding land and houses. Every civilisation has known that, except apparently ours."

 

Flooding cause that the Government would rather keep to itself - Chronicle Live

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Not allowed to since we adopted the European Water Framework Directive (EWF). Can't mess with the river bed anymore but can build defences on the sides.

 

"A watercourse needed to be big enough to take any water that flowed into it, otherwise it would overflow and inundate the surrounding land and houses. Every civilisation has known that, except apparently ours."

 

Flooding cause that the Government would rather keep to itself - Chronicle Live

 

Reason 78937374638383847383848483647484 to get out of the EU then

[mendiplogs]

Thanks for that Jon but its not up to me to keep safe though is it, I did what I could to prevent flooding when I bought a house half way up a Pennine hill.

 

If my place floods it will be because the powers that be didn't take account of the run off that would be created by the new development that they allowed then failed in their duty of care to manage

 

HI TREES that's it when we went down helped out in Somerset floods it a opener BUT UP NORTH ITS VERY BAD keep safe there thanks Jon

[Gardenmac]

Hi Guys, many thanks for your kind thoughts and messages. Thought I'd post an update...we are good thankfully.

Been trying to buy a petrol pump for the next time, which actually maybe in the early hours of tomorrow. Sadly every one here is out of stock or closed, so may be hiring one tomorrow, depends on how bad it is in morning, don't like buying off the net but if they can get one here tomorrow, so be it.

 

The brook at the back of the house has dropped by 3 ft, the main river is down too by about 8ft. The garden is drying but still like walking on porridge.

 

I have a plan that will incorporate a raised walkway around the lowest point of the house with 18" footings breeze block wall back filled with crush n run and lined by a water proof membrane. Along with 3ft wall to rear of the house, probably build this as a raised bed.This will keep water away from house. Unfortunate that most landscape suppliers up here aren't open til 6th jan, so making temporary defence until then, BnQ trade card has been handy.

 

I will be building up a store of sand bags to boost the future defences, along with a non return valve on the septic tank.

 

When we bought the house it had no record of flooding, the original flood prediction was once every 200 yrs. All those calculations are tosh, this weather is most definitely part of the Ice/ glacier melt and the effects that has on the Gulf n Jet Streams.

 

So lucky to have had the tanks emptied on Christmas Eve.

Our thoughts are with those less fortunate and have seen the flood enter their property 3 or 4 times in a month. Told Mrs Macca that we will not be a flood statistic.

Once again many thanks for your thoughts n kind messages, will post pics of the work as we start.

[matelot]

U are right althou they reckon forestry and the drainage that comes with it is often blamed for the increase in flooding dure to rapid runoff.

 

The only way i can see it working is paying farmers to flood there land upstream. I know in my area during the 50-60's they straightened and build floodbanks along most of the middle streches of local river so they can use the decent farmland.

 

I understand forestry reduces flooding as forest soils are "spongier" and hold water. I think anyone digging a hole beneath a larch tree will testify that this is true. However I agree that digging drainage, for forestry, in peat soils will increase runoff

 

I'm a fan of dams to reduce flooding as there are other benefits to the dams - they can provide a source of hydro electric power and they provide a source of water in summer (global warming is meant to increase droughts as well).