River Severn - Flood levels?

[Boatgypsy]

Can anyone tell me at what point the red flags go up on the Severn. The EA website says the river is 1.74 metres at Bewdley today - within it's normal range - but what does that mean for navigation?

 

Cheers

[Jim Jam]

From what I know, not a lot as you cant get to Bewdley in a narrow boat, its too shalllow to go much further up the severn than 300 metres past the bridge in Stourport

Edited October 4, 2010 by Jim Jam

[Giggetty]

Can anyone tell me at what point the red flags go up on the Severn. The EA website says the river is 1.74 metres at Bewdley today - within it's normal range - but what does that mean for navigation?

 

Cheers

see http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/120744.aspx?stationId=2039

[magpie patrick]

be warned, the environment agency is concerned with whether the river is at risk of flooding, not whether it is safe to navigate. If You know how to interpret some of their information, the navigation can be inferred, but it is not the purpose of it.

[Boatgypsy]

From what I know, not a lot as you cant get to Bewdley in a narrow boat, its too shalllow to go much further up the severn than 300 metres past the bridge in Stourport

Yes, perhaps I should have been clearer. I mentioned Bewdley because thats where the EA measuring station is - there and then at Diglis. My question should have been, at what water height does the navigation close because of risk to shipping. I'm planning to go from Stourport to Diglis tomorrow, but the river appears to be rising with the weekends rain.

 

Of course, now that it is day time I can ring Diglis lock keeper.

[Neil TNC]

Can anyone tell me at what point the red flags go up on the Severn. The EA website says the river is 1.74 metres at Bewdley today - within it's normal range - but what does that mean for navigation?

 

Cheers

 

With a little bit of fresh in the river it is quite easy to get up to the bend before Bewdley By-Pass Bridge.

The normal limiting factor is a rocky shoal on the river bed, just above Gadder Brook, by the Lickhill Caravan park. After this the depth increases.

TNC Linky

In the past there was documented trips of quite big cruisers getting up to Bewdley, when the river was in mild flood, but the locals and fishermen got peed of with this. ISTR that on one occasion tomatoes were thrown!

[Mac of Cygnet]

Yes, perhaps I should have been clearer. I mentioned Bewdley because thats where the EA measuring station is - there and then at Diglis. My question should have been, at what water height does the navigation close because of risk to shipping. I'm planning to go from Stourport to Diglis tomorrow, but the river appears to be rising with the weekends rain.

 

Of course, now that it is day time I can ring Diglis lock keeper.

 

Is there not a red/yellow/green river level gauge on the bottom Stourport lock, as on almost all river locks? (I came through there this summer, but can't remember.) As both Stourport and Diglis are self-operated, the river is not 'closed to navigation', but as has been stated here before, not only is it unwise to go out on the river in the red, but your insurance would probably be invalid.

[sharpness]

Is there not a red/yellow/green river level gauge on the bottom Stourport lock, as on almost all river locks?

 

Yes, or there was in mid August.

 

Steve