Dredging - How often

[Allan(nb Albert)]

nb Syrinx ran aground in what should be/used to be the main channel on the GU main line in this area, aproaching a bridge hole. Draught 2'6. Level no more than 2" off the weir. There was extensive offside bank erosion most of the way along here caused my motor boats going to fast etc. This was near Slapton or Church lock.

 

The depth on the Leicester section was probably the best I've experienced in 25 years, between the new marina at Yelvertoft and the big hole in the ground at North Kilworth. The section beyond Husband's Bosworth tunnel remains as shallow as ever as far as about bridge 48.

 

35 years ago the GU main line was lovely and deep, whereas the Leicester line was a shallow ditch. Situation has partly reversed now.

 

Ralph

Some years ago (8-9?), I was in conversation with a retired BW employee who claimed that BW had never dredged in the GU Calcutt/Napton area within living memory.

 

I have this unsubstantiated theory that, being a wide canal, the GU does not have a 'channel' as boats tend to wander, not keeping to the middle of the cut.

 

[Rufford]

It is getting very bad in Milford on the Staffs and Worcs. Has anyone else had problems there?

[Timleech]

Dunno but I had to get dragged round by a hire boat at the winding hole north of Dutton stop lock this morning. That was embarrassing. So that needs bloody dredging, as does the one to the south of the lock which I couldn't even get half the boat in.

 

So it was you making all that noise, I did wonder!

Had I known (didn't get the usual text from Brian/A_M) would have dragged myself out to get a couple of drums of diesel.

 

Tim

[junior]

 

So it was you making all that noise, I did wonder!

Had I known (didn't get the usual text from Brian/A_M) would have dragged myself out to get a couple of drums of diesel.

 

Tim

I was surprised nobody came out telling me to "KEEP THE NOISE DOWN!".

 

Sorry you didn't get a text Tim. I'll be up past you in about 7 days time, do you want me to stop and fill you a drum?

[zenataomm]

From what I remember back in the 70s we often saw dredgers tied up, not doing much but they were out there.

Back filling behind newly installed piling gave farmers back their land as well as shoving the silt where it came from ...Woo Hoo!

 

Then my favourite ignorant bureaucrats in Brussels cleverly decided that it wasn't "eco" to do this as it may be toxic. So at first spoil had to go to licensed treatment centers, I seem to remember there were something like three of these centers in UK.

BWB proudly announced that before dredging started samples would have to be taken on the stretch to be dredged and analised for risk assessment. Then dredgers would dump it in pans so it could be tugged to the nearest road wharf 40 or 50 miles away. There it could be transshipped into lorries and driven the hundreds of miles to the nearest treatment centre.

I was very impressed that at the local meeting I attended to hear this the Area Manager managed to keep a straight face whilst announcing this, especially as within a few months they sold of their dredgers, pan tugs and MCBs. Clearly it relieved BWB of just about all of its dredging due to the cost and logistics.

Whereas I do recall watching with fascination as areas of the BCN bubbled sparkling phosphorous from its depths back in the 60s, this did seem overkill and no way to consider a long term plan for something as critical as dredging is to a navigation.

 

Truth of the matter is dredging was always labour intensive and expensive, it then became non existent for a decade now it's often in the hands of contractors and appears to me to be a token gesture ...... how else would you describe 40 -50 miles in 2014/15?

[valrene9600]

Nah pal it's not. I'm not really interested in the cause, I doin't think there's out I can do that will have an impact on that. Simply interested in the usual dredging frequency.

As folk are saying low water is causing your experiences as when water levels are normal dredging would not be concidered in this area. So to answer your question it would be the same everywhere "as and when needed".

[archie57]

Some years ago (8-9?), I was in conversation with a retired BW employee who claimed that BW had never dredged in the GU Calcutt/Napton area within living memory.

 

I have this unsubstantiated theory that, being a wide canal, the GU does not have a 'channel' as boats tend to wander, not keeping to the middle of the cut.

Not true - the Hillmorton section did some around 30 years ago, discharging crane at one point ISTR being on the outside of the bottom pound at Wigrams/Calcutt, and another time the dredgings were going back to the Puddle Bank at Braunston. I even had a driving lesson on the dredger above the locks at Calcutt, fetching out a sledgehammer in the process! Some was also done round by the brickworks. More recently the straight towards Shuckburgh turn was dredged on to the outside bank.

[mayalld]

On the Macclesfield, it's all moved to bridge 20, it would seem. We draw 2' 10" and had to drag the boat through that one with ropes. (In both directions, three times. Don't ask.)

 

MP.

 

Doesn't help when they keep the summit pound 6 inches below weir level

[MoominPapa]

Doesn't help when they keep the summit pound 6 inches below weir level

Is that because there's no longer a stop lock at Marple?

 

MP.

[matty40s]

Is that because there's no longer a stop lock at Marple?

 

MP.

no, because the leaky tap has been removed from the waterpoint.

[mayalld]

Is that because there's no longer a stop lock at Marple?

 

MP.

No.

 

As far as I can tell (open to correction here) there was never a permanent level difference at Marple, and the stop lock was put in to be used in extremis

 

Basically, over recent years, increasing use of the canal has been putting pressure on water supplies, and to eke out the reservoirs, they start the spring with a full-ish top pound, but don't put in as much as goes down the flights until the long top pound is a fair few inches down.

[cuthound]

no, because the leaky tap has been removed from the waterpoint.

[PeterG]

Just come down the North Stratford and stopped mid channel at the first lift bridge and then struggled past the long line of moored boats near Swallow Cruisers and at the southern end of Lyons boat yard moorings.

 

The Stratford has never been great but getting a struggle now and long overdue some dredging.

[GUMPY]

Maybe my memory is playing up but I seem to remember both the North Oxford and the North Stratford being dredged in the last 25 years.....

[PeterG]

Yes you are right the North Oxford definitely and bits of the Stratford, but I cannot remember the pieces I am talking about being done. The Stratford does suffer from a massive amount of soft edges and hence lots of new silt being added from these.

[cuthound]

Yes the South Oxford was dredged somewhere between 1995 and 2004, when we last visited it.

 

First time was a struggle in a very shallow drafted Pat Buckle boat, second time was easy in a deeper drafted Reeves shell.

 

The Coventry has lost a lot of water in the last week. We were nicely moored alongside and went for a pump out. Came back two hours later and couldn't get within a foot of the side at the back. Now the counter is above the water level.

 

Didn't get this shallow last year despite significantly warmer weather for longer.

 

Maybe the Glascote locks are leaking badly again?

[Chalky]

There was some spot dredging at Fenny Compton Wharf about 8 years ago. I couldn't feel the bottom with the boat pole so I'd guestimate that they'd gone down 7' / 8'. It's now something like 2' to 4'.

[alan_fincher]

nb Syrinx ran aground in what should be/used to be the main channel on the GU main line in this area, aproaching a bridge hole. Draught 2'6. Level no more than 2" off the weir. There was extensive offside bank erosion most of the way along here caused my motor boats going to fast etc. This was near Slapton or Church lock.

 

This section has been this way since the days of regular working boats. It is relatively unusual on the Southern GU for even an offside bank to not be piled, but this is one of the stretches where it is not.

 

Grove to Church does have shallow spots, even when levels are not down, .(particularly on the approaches to Church lock), but I'm not sure it is fair to blame it on boats going too fast

Edited August 13, 2015 by alan_fincher