The bad one
Well-known member
Alan rivers did have and do have balancing lakes, they ae called Flood Plains.Probably the best fix is to build balancing lakes,that lie relatively low during summer but fill during times of high water,possibly pumping water to reservoirs at times of need,lets not forget we were in a situation of severe water shortage before last October,maybe 14 months or more with hardly a drop here....
There is work being done in Wales, Cumbria, etc with leaky log dams in the uplands. It also needs in my view supplementing with reforestation of large parts of the uplands with deciduous native trees, not coniferous ones. The rootstock acts as one great sponge, storing and releasing water very slowly back into the streams and rills that run down the hills.
Whilst it's true to say peat has the same and possibly more storage capacity, but it's more fragile, easily damaged and prone to run-a-way in heavy rains. Fire is also it's worst enemy burning for weeks underground.
I note the Head of the EA was on R4 this morning stressing the point and other things that we have to stop building on flood plains.....Doh! Stating the bloody obvious there mate!