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Totally Frustrated By Lack Of Information by BW.


alan_fincher

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Letter to Jeff Whyatt, Manager, British Waterways South East

 

I don't know if this will help, but I feel better letting off some steam......

 

Jeff Whyatt'semail is jeff.whyatt@britishwaterways.co.uk, for anybody else who feels they have unanswered questions....

 

Jeff,

 

It is now well over 2 weeks since the meeting you held in Tring to discuss the water situation in the South East, (not just for Tring summit, but the whole of your “patch”).

 

At that meeting you got us to supply email addresses, and undertook to keep us informed.

 

To date, I have received nothing by that route, and, other than a “Waterscape” stoppage list update in respect of Tring summit, I can find no good communication that actually confirms anything about the months ahead. I have also tried raising through the "Waterscape - Official" Facebook group, without success.

 

Specifically at that Tring meeting it was indicated that you are likely to lock out a number of the key locations, (flights mostly, it was suggested), possibly from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, but not finalised.

 

Other than Tring summit, no further information has emerged on this, not the times, the start date, or the locations likely to be involved.

 

Nor can I find anything on the idea that you would classify as “green, amber and red” the waterways you would prefer us to try and go boating on.

 

You acknowledge that a “season” tends to start at Easter, but with this just two weeks away, I, and other boaters, still do not have the information required to decide what may be possible, and what may not. I, for example, was hoping to travel from just North of Tring Summit up to the Birmingham environs at Easter if this could still be managed, but simply don’t have the info on lock openings to know if it is – if all the major flights are subject to 10:00 to 3:00 by then, it probably will not be.

 

Could you please look at urgently putting as much information as possible into the public domain.

 

Thank you,

 

Alan Fincher

 

EDITED: To correct email address.

Edited by alan_fincher
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We had exactly the same situation in the north west in 2010 when of course the L&L was closed from wigan to Gargrave for several months.

 

Trying to get accurate and timely information out of BW was very hard indeed. (for ordinary boaters). Glad to say last year the situation was handled much better and the closure was not repeated.

 

Waterscrape was next to useless and the information appeared to take a long time to appear and then wasn't very informative.

 

I hope BW might have learnt something from the L&L experience, but perhpas not... Perhaps Jeff should contact his equivalent Debbie Lumb in the North West (to find out what not to do..)

 

good luck !

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The other day a blogger took a photo of a map at Stoke Bruerne Locks showing red, blue, and green cruising areas. It's a bit difficult to see, but the red areas seem to be Leicester, Foxton Locks, Watford Locks, Hillmorton Locks, Calcutt, and the Oxford summit. Green areas include the GU through Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard. The rest, including the remainder of the south Oxford, the North Oxford, and the remainder of the Leicester line, are marked blue.

 

The post is here, for those who think it won't be too boring.

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The other day a blogger took a photo of a map at Stoke Bruerne Locks showing red, blue, and green cruising areas. It's a bit difficult to see, but the red areas seem to be Leicester, Foxton Locks, Watford Locks, Hillmorton Locks, Calcutt, and the Oxford summit. Green areas include the GU through Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard. The rest, including the remainder of the south Oxford, the North Oxford, and the remainder of the Leicester line, are marked blue.

 

The post is here, for those who think it won't be too boring.

 

That looks to be a notice left over from last August when those restrictions were in place to me.

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The other day a blogger took a photo of a map at Stoke Bruerne Locks showing red, blue, and green cruising areas. It's a bit difficult to see, but the red areas seem to be Leicester, Foxton Locks, Watford Locks, Hillmorton Locks, Calcutt, and the Oxford summit. Green areas include the GU through Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard. The rest, including the remainder of the south Oxford, the North Oxford, and the remainder of the Leicester line, are marked blue.

 

The post is here, for those who think it won't be too boring.

Yes is kind of helpful, though it would be better if BW had it very publicly online.

 

.........Except nothing is marked Red around the Tring summit area - somewhere they have indicated they want as little boat movement as possible!

 

But a start, I guess!

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Yes is kind of helpful, though it would be better if BW had it very publicly online.

 

.........Except nothing is marked Red around the Tring summit area - somewhere they have indicated they want as little boat movement as possible!

 

But a start, I guess!

 

 

At the meeting a couple of weeks ago between users and BW, a map was passed around showing the red routes. It was emphasized that these restrictions were provisional and that the final decision would be taken on 26th March. Jeff Whyatt said he didn't want to announce restrictions early and then have to change plans if the water situation improved.

The map showed a red route all the way from lock 58(Bourne End) to lock 28 (Grove) and included all of the Aylesbury Arm.

The rubric on the hand drawn plan said: "Red routes: water supply at/near critical level. Risk of major restrictions or full closure. Keep boat movements to absolute minimum."

 

I can't see this changing in the next two weeks. We've already decided to write 2012 off and will just potter up and down the summit, water level permitting and have lots of barbecues on the mooring!

Edited by koukouvagia
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"Red routes: water supply at/near critical level. Risk of major restrictions or full closure. Keep boat movements to absolute minimum."

 

Surely, absolute minimum for a leisure boater is zero - you don't have to cruise (other than to justify owning a boat).

 

I am a leisure boater and I moor in the effected area and it is impractical to change my home mooring. For numerous reasons (specific to this year when longer trips are unlikely to be possible) my normal boating range is totally confined within the affected area.

 

I totally understand why the restrictions are necessary so it looks as though I shan't be cruising in 2012. Is that what BW intend?

 

BTW, I mailed Jeff over a week ago and he advised he was meeting local staff last week to discuss the situation and would get back to me. He hasn't as yet.

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Surely the absolute minimum for ANY boat movement is zero, leisure or otherwise? Or wouldn't it be more reasonable to accept that a boat making a single journey through a lock on its way to spending a significant time elsewhere, as opposed to repeated passage back and forth on days or weekends out, is within the "minimum".

 

If these are all red areas, then with Watford, Hillmorton and Calcutt all closed there is NO route from here in Milton Keynes through to the north, where we had planned to go so as to do our summer cruising in areas where the water is not so scarce.

Edited by Keeping Up
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At the meeting a couple of weeks ago between users and BW, a map was passed around showing the red routes. It was emphasized that these restrictions were provisional and that the final decision would be taken on 26th March. Jeff Whyatt said he didn't want to announce restrictions early and then have to change plans if the water situation improved.

Fair enough - I didn't take notes, because he implied that stuff would get circulated soon by email, (I've had nowt).

 

I didn't really hear that there was no intention to restrict until the 26th. Actually this seems bonkers - nobody is currently being told to avoid trips, nor even to wait for another boat. So we use more water than we need to now, and have less for the start of Mt Whyatt's "boating season" ?

 

Why, for goodness sake - save all you can, surely, starting right now ? :banghead:

 

If these are all red areas, then with Watford, Hillmorton and Calcutt all closed there is NO route from here in Milton Keynes through to the north, where we had planned to go so as to do our summer cruising in areas where the water is not so scarce.

 

Red doesn't mean "no go" yet,it means "in severe danger of becoming".

 

I am 100% confident on the version of the map that Mr Whyatt passed around that Calcutt was shown as "green". I couldn't work that one out, as it was one of the places they imposed restrictions (eventually) last summer, and this year they say they are starting with about half as much water. Must surely turn "red" before long ? Or perhaps Whyatt's draft map was just wrong ?

 

So last year they restricted Calcutt - they didn't restrict Marsworth, even by late season. That bit seems "Upminster" to me - anybody could surely have worked out that things had very little chance of recovering over the winter - surely they should have been restricting then ?

 

Sorry, I'll stop ranting. BW can't make it rain, I know, or improve the water table in drought conditions, but equally I don't think they have excelled themselves so far, and I really still think they could be doing more.

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Jeff Whyatt'semail is jeff.whyatt@british.waterways.co.uk, for anybody else who feels they have unanswered questions....

Address is jeff.whyatt@britishwaterways.co.uk (one dot less)

I have generally had replies - eventually.

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The lack of information is causing everyone a lot of problems. I find the best information available (and the easiest to find) is what Alan posts on this forum and I have found myself relying on what I read here for information.

 

Our own boat is happily in an area with water but we are involved with Chesterfield Canal Trust boat Python which was supposed to be going to Braunston. The organisers of that show are unsure yet whether they can go ahead as planned, reduce the number of boats or will have to cancel altogether. Needless to say trying to sort out the logistics of a summer tour of a deep draughted old boat which relies on volunteers to crew it when there is no possible way of knowing what the restrictions will be or even if there will be enough water let alone if Braunstone is going to happen or not has been a total nightmare for the guys on the team. They are currently working on plan C I think - not the best year for a new logistics manager to try and slip into the role! I don't envy him!

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That might well be his email address but its a black hole, never seen a reply from it...........

Prepared to be (kind of) impressed.....

 

Email received from Jeff Whyatt.....

 

This information will be made public in the next day

I’m assuming you are registered for Waterscape updates

 

However, I'll only be really impressed if the information is made public in the next day!

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For those that haven't looked at the Waterscape Reservoir Watch it's here. Alan, I think that the details about restrictions were due to be finalised and 'signed off' by BW management this week - there were meetings in other SE locations with users/stakeholders last week.

 

Please remember folks that this is a unique situation. Things haven't been this dry since the mid-1970s and the canals have such high numbers of boat movements now that we must all (private boaters/trade/fishermen/etc) expect to make compromises for the benefit of all, not just to help things this year, but also to stabilise them for next. Also, in a critical year for canal PR, to run around with our arms in the air shouting "canals are closed" (when they are not) does nothing to help the cause in the eyes of the general public. Regional TV networks and newspapers love to sensationalise when they have a quiet news day and what we really want to see this year is lots of positive news stories about canals and boating... Positive Coverage = Awareness = Support = Funding = Better canals for all!

 

The comments below are my own assumptions based upon data presented to me over the last few months by British Waterways. As things stand:

 

Expect everything north of Birmingham to have great reservoir stocks. Peak & Pennines (incl. Caldon) now nearly full and BCN filling extremely fast now boreholes are being tapped.

 

K&A - Aquifer supplying extra water K&A (east) being tapped now, but probably won't be any extra water to take after Easter. Expect restrictions soon but nothing that should hinder casual boating (i.e. 9am-5pm opening hours perhaps). Summit is a much bigger issue, I have no information on water control and potential availability. K&A (west) should have good stocks if back pumps working from Avon to Devizes maintain levels vs usage.

 

Leicester Summit and through Kings Lock - I suspect this area will again struggle to increase and then maintain it stocks. I would expect to see heavy restrictions from the start, perhaps even essential traffic only (i.e. returning to your home mooring) in mid-summer, as it was last year.

 

GU North, Oxford, Cov, etc - I think some new pumps have been installed on GU North which should be more efficient and reliable and help the situation from Calcutt down to Leamington. Some feeders have been cleared in this area to make them more efficient and new SCADA measuring equipment installed in some locations to track and minimise losses link. However, we are starting the year with South Eastern reservoirs at 50-75% of the stocks they had in Feb 2011 (see link at top of post). Therefore the simple projection is that if the weather continues to be dryer than average, for the restrictions to be minimal there would need to be a 50% reduction in boat movements. I would expect to see restrictions throughout this area very soon, along the lines of a daily opening slot at Napton/Claydon (4hrs, like last year?) and Hillmorton (7), Calcutt (7).

 

GU South - Braunston looks like it might get back pumps finally. I would expect to see restrictions of 5-6 hour openings on Braunston, Buckby and Tring summit. Some weir boards have been raised either side of Tring summit and I would be keen to hear if any forum members have noted an improvement. I suspect Aylesbury and Northampton will be restricted to essential traffic (i.e. returning to a home mooring).

 

The restrictions will put a few people off, perhaps weekend trips will be shortened and people will be a bit less ambitious with their cruising routes. After all that is the main aim, to try to encourage people to use less water, which can only be achieved with fewer lock movements overall. However, if you are tackling a cruising ring or boating at a leisurely pace over a longer distance, surely a 9am-5pm or even a 10am-4pm restriction (as most were last year) is unlikely to disrupt your boating day too greatly.

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However, if you are tackling a cruising ring or boating at a leisurely pace over a longer distance, surely a 9am-5pm or even a 10am-4pm restriction (as most were last year) is unlikely to disrupt your boating day too greatly.

They were talking at the Tring meeting of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm restrictions in the South East, but with no guarantee that turning up anywhere near 3:00 pm you would be let into a flight, and emphasising if you arrive somewhere with queues, you might need to be there early in the day to get through.

 

So, depending on when you hit the bits that are going to get locked, some cruising days restricted to get heavily capped, for those of us regularly doing days of (say) 9 or 10 hours, if no restrictions placed.

 

A good example would be that we regularly overnight at Stoke Bruerne one night then Braunston the next - if Buckby and Braunston flights are locked, that is highly unlikely to be possible, so we can lose large slices of time if we get somewhere early afternoon, and are then prevented going further.

 

The same (or similar) will happen coming back, so it all mounts up. Original plan was Birmingham and back at Easter - highly likely to be able to do that.

 

I know, and fully accept, it is exceptional circumstances. I know they can't find water they don't have, and I realise miracles can't be worked. I fully accept the restrictions are unavoidable.

 

What I don't understand is.....

 

1) Why these restrictions are not in place already - it must make sense to save water now, to have more for later. No attempt is currently being made to force lock sharing, for instance, AFAIK.

2) They must have a very good idea what they plan to restrict, and must have had for a while. Why could they not have released that, stating clearly it is a draft, and subject to change. That would at least allow people to make sensible plans.

3) Same with the "Red" "Amber" "Green" map. It was shown several weeks ago, and I assumed it would be "released" shortly. Why not try to persuade people to boat now where they will cause less impact? Why wait more weeks to publish? Again they can always say it is "draft", and modify as the situation changes.

 

As it stands, I don't know if I try and move one of my boats at Easter, what my chances are of it returning "home". Loads of people are in the same situation.

 

If they say "we are taking your email address to keep you fully informed", then even if an email said "sorry we still haven't made our minds up yet", at least you would know that. Not even that has occurred.

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I agree, that communication hasn't been great, but at least information was offered at the user meetings - this is an improvement on things previously. I believe that Lapworth, Hatton, Bascote, Braunston, Northampton Arm, Stoke Bruerne, Cosgrove aqueduct and Soulbury have all only had their winter maintenance stoppages removed at various times in the last two weeks, so at least any 'losses' would have only been since then.

 

I see the red/amber/green map more as a publicity piece than a deterrent to boaters. Also, the weather is very unpredictable in March/April compared to May/June, so waterways that are amber/red now might not be next week! Unfortunately in my experience, people tend to ignore advice in these situations and of they want to cruise a waterway a map covered in red or orange isn't going to stop them... they'll go the way they want to go and won't be told what to do. There were still people turning up at the top of Foxton locks last year two weeks after it had been restricted to essential traffic - "They'll bloody well let me down, I'm different." seems to be the assumption. The only way to reduce boat passages is to restrict the time available.

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They were talking at the Tring meeting of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm restrictions in the South East, but with no guarantee that turning up anywhere near 3:00 pm you would be let into a flight, and emphasising if you arrive somewhere with queues, you might need to be there early in the day to get through.

 

So, depending on when you hit the bits that are going to get locked, some cruising days restricted to get heavily capped, for those of us regularly doing days of (say) 9 or 10 hours, if no restrictions placed.

 

A good example would be that we regularly overnight at Stoke Bruerne one night then Braunston the next - if Buckby and Braunston flights are locked, that is highly unlikely to be possible, so we can lose large slices of time if we get somewhere early afternoon, and are then prevented going further.

 

The same (or similar) will happen coming back, so it all mounts up. Original plan was Birmingham and back at Easter - highly likely to be able to do that.

 

I know, and fully accept, it is exceptional circumstances. I know they can't find water they don't have, and I realise miracles can't be worked. I fully accept the restrictions are unavoidable.

 

What I don't understand is.....

 

1) Why these restrictions are not in place already - it must make sense to save water now, to have more for later. No attempt is currently being made to force lock sharing, for instance, AFAIK.

2) They must have a very good idea what they plan to restrict, and must have had for a while. Why could they not have released that, stating clearly it is a draft, and subject to change. That would at least allow people to make sensible plans.

3) Same with the "Red" "Amber" "Green" map. It was shown several weeks ago, and I assumed it would be "released" shortly. Why not try to persuade people to boat now where they will cause less impact? Why wait more weeks to publish? Again they can always say it is "draft", and modify as the situation changes.

 

As it stands, I don't know if I try and move one of my boats at Easter, what my chances are of it returning "home". Loads of people are in the same situation.

 

If they say "we are taking your email address to keep you fully informed", then even if an email said "sorry we still haven't made our minds up yet", at least you would know that. Not even that has occurred.

 

Alan,

 

I think that was one of the lessions learnt from the leeds liverpool closure in 2010, last year BW implemented water saving measures (sharing locks, setting locks ahead etc) from early in the season and avoided the closure of the year before. (coupled with some more rain) I think they BW got so much stick for closing the L&L (unnecessarily in many peoples eyes) that they really didn't want a repeat...

 

so you would reasonably expect water saving measures/restructions to be in place sooner rather than later as thats in everyones interest.

 

hope you get some rain - but even when it was tipping down in the pennines BW claimed the feeder reservoirs weren't filling up fast enough, you need the right sort of rain it seems....

 

good luck from the wet north !

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I agree, that communication hasn't been great, but at least information was offered at the user meetings - this is an improvement on things previously. I believe that Lapworth, Hatton, Bascote, Braunston, Northampton Arm, Stoke Bruerne, Cosgrove aqueduct and Soulbury have all only had their winter maintenance stoppages removed at various times in the last two weeks, so at least any 'losses' would have only been since then.

At no point, as I understand it have they actually de-watered or closed Wolverton aqueduct, (no idea why it seems to be getting renamed as Cosgrove aqueduct, either :rolleyes: ). Passage has always been possible, I'm told, despite the stoppage notice.

 

They have this morning got their act together, and restriction notices are being issued in bulk, to include Marsworth, Stoke Bruerne, Braunston, Claydon/Marston Doles, Calcutt, Hillmorton. Watford, Foxton, and further up the Leicester. (May well be more by now, they have been flooding in!....)

 

As Calcutt is included, (I'm not surprised!), putting that as a "green" on the red/amber/green map I saw seems to have been an error.

 

The problem with anyone with boats homed between Marsworth and Stoke Bruerne, (and both mine are), it means that there is nowhere you can go without ploughing through these restrictions. If I go North, I have to do Stoke/Buckby/Braunston and at least "A.N.Other", and they don't want me on Tring summit either......

 

Still, at least it is now becoming clearer what lock flights will be shut, and for how long - a huge step forward from where we were when I started this thread!

 

EDITED: Because I realise I had left out Hillmorton.

Edited by alan_fincher
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For those that haven't looked at the Waterscape Reservoir Watch it's here. Please remember folks that this is a unique situation. Things haven't been this dry since the mid-1970s and the canals have such high numbers of boat movements now that we must all (private boaters/trade/fishermen/etc) expect to make compromises for the benefit of all, not just to help things this year, but also to stabilise them for next.

 

not sure thats entirely accurate -it was only 2010 that sixty odd miles of the L&L were closed due to exactly the same situation.... no need to go back to the 70's

 

many people beleive that BW sleep walked into the closure in 2010 and it saw off at least one hire company and affected several canal businesses...

  • Greenie 1
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The only way to reduce boat passages is to restrict the time available.

 

I agree. BW reckons that by restricting the lock opening to 5 hours a day at key sites across the southern region lockage is reduced, thereby saving 45% of the water. This, together with back pumping, helps but as has been pointed out many times on CWDF, leakage and even lock usage are not the main problems: it's the lowered water table that'scausing most of the trouble.

 

Figures for the Tring area are asfollows:

 

2011

 

Supply from all sources: 2900 Mls

 

Loss 2170 Mls (mostly from the unlined summit)

 

Lockage 730Mls

 

 

2012

 

Supply from all sources: 2500 Mls(includes boreholes, feeders etc.)

 

loss 1770 Mls (after lowering the summit to level of water table)

 

Lockage 730 Mls

 

So even with restrictions, the water reserves at the end of 2012 will be very depleted unless the water table rises and the 1770 Ml loss is thereby reduced.

 

 

 

 

 

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not sure thats entirely accurate -it was only 2010 that sixty odd miles of the L&L were closed due to exactly the same situation.... no need to go back to the 70's

many people beleive that BW sleep walked into the closure in 2010 and it saw off at least one hire company and affected several canal businesses...

 

I don't have any reservoir data for the L&L at the start of 2010 to contradict what you say, but I should point out that BW did some excellent maintenance work on the canal when they closed it that summer. Gates were ordered early, others were relined and generally the track was left in a much much better state for the beginning of the 2011 season. It might be possible that you've had similar (or less) rainfall this winter compared to 2010, but the state of the structures mean less is lost?

 

As I am sure you are actually aware, my summary on rainfall was a national one. National rainfall averages are much lower now.

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