Dredging the Black Dog Fishery at Clitheroe in 1986 to improve it's capacity.
The old North West Rivers Authority dredging the River Beal at Ellenroad to improve the flow capacity.
Reports this morning of the government's own advisers criticising the wider flood prevention measures which they say are being ignored. They highlight the paving over of gardens thus increasing the speed of run-off. Though not a riparian owner, when the remodelling of East Hill Street took place I refused to have my front garden paved and told them to leave the garden as it was. I pointed out that they should apply this to all the properties as paving had two deleterious effects. It dried out the subsoil and increased the chance of shrinkage and subsidence. Also it increased rainwater run-ff and lost the advantage of the garden acting as a reservoir which lessened such run off. They took no notice and one of the points that the advisers make is that actions like this should not be allowed. This isn't a big problem in Barlick as we have good drainage but even so, the principle should be followed with all developments. As the advisers also said we are building up problems for the future and now is the time to take some sort of legislative action. Contrast this with the knee-jerk decisions being taken today in the Somerset Levels after Chuck's visit yesterday. They are throwing more pumps in which of course can do no good as long as the drainage channels they are pumping into cannot get rid of the water as they are choked with silt that has accumulated since dredging was stopped in 1995 and the equipment sold off. A classic example of short term management leading to long term problems. Exactly what the advisers are saying.
