Environment agency cancels the environment?
Discussion
Apparently a scorched earth policy to avoid flooding and remove habitat for kingfishers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-602...
Wild flower planting will take place soon.
Elsewhere theyre creating leaky dams to try to hold back peak floods and give homes to otters
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-602...
Wild flower planting will take place soon.
Elsewhere theyre creating leaky dams to try to hold back peak floods and give homes to otters
saaby93 said:
Apparently a scorched earth policy to avoid flooding and remove habitat for kingfishers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-602...
Wild flower planting will take place soon.
Elsewhere theyre creating leaky dams to try to hold back peak floods and give homes to otters
It also states that they are going to replant with native trees, not just flowers. The trees that have been cut look like they might crack willow and will push out plenty of new growth in a very short period of time. Be interesting to see how it looks in a few years, as it does look pretty bleak at the moment https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-602...
Wild flower planting will take place soon.
Elsewhere theyre creating leaky dams to try to hold back peak floods and give homes to otters
It is sad, when the EA did not manage the Somerset levels by dredging we had a lot of flooding, now they are doing something, negative comments
After getting a kicking they went back to doing what the public wanted and the environmentalists didn't and since then no floods.
Here it looks like the trees were probably damaging the banks so had to go. The replanting will soon establish the area again
Outside our house is a fishing lake, some anglers are never happy, cut trees back some hate it, do not trim so when casting lines get caught others moan.
After getting a kicking they went back to doing what the public wanted and the environmentalists didn't and since then no floods.
Here it looks like the trees were probably damaging the banks so had to go. The replanting will soon establish the area again
Outside our house is a fishing lake, some anglers are never happy, cut trees back some hate it, do not trim so when casting lines get caught others moan.
I believe I have fished that spot pictured. Very nice it was too. I dare say that the cormorants will be in to mop up the fish now they’ve nowhere to hide.
spaximus said:
Outside our house is a fishing lake, some anglers are never happy, cut trees back some hate it, do not trim so when casting lines get caught others moan.
The ones who can’t cope with a natural environment are morons. Sadly I have seen them control fishing club committees and absolutely ruin waters. I would like to expect better from the Environment Agency, but I have seen them do this before. Vidarr said:
...crack willow.....
Now that sounds like just the thing which some lazy landcaper/arborist/council manager would find mightily addictive when "greenifying" areas.....crack willow addict said:
I thought I'd try it just once in a small green-spaces project..... It can really sneak up on you until someone tells you that you're completely hooked...... Within two years I was planting dozens per week..... It just felt so good.....
Edited by rodericb on Monday 7th February 07:30
rodericb said:
Vidarr said:
...crack willow.....
Now that sounds like just the thing which some lazy landcaper/arborist/council manager would find mightily addictive when "greenifying" areas.....crack willow addict said:
I thought I'd try it just once in a small green-spaces project..... It can really sneak up on you until someone tells you that you're completely hooked...... Within two years I was planting dozens per week..... It just felt so good.....
Edited by rodericb on Monday 7th February 07:30
saaby93 said:
Apparently a scorched earth policy to avoid flooding and remove habitat for kingfishers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-602...
Wild flower planting will take place soon.
Elsewhere theyre creating leaky dams to try to hold back peak floods and give homes to otters
Firstly the loss of kingfisher habitat was a consequence of removing the trees. It was only over a relitevily small area and all the kingfishers will do is move to somewhere near by. You also choose not to mention that they were planting trees in the area as well. Anything else you care to mention to make this appear worse than it actually is?https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-602...
Wild flower planting will take place soon.
Elsewhere theyre creating leaky dams to try to hold back peak floods and give homes to otters
Whatever the EA do will affect some natural resource, dredging has an effect on wildlife. It is always a balancing act.
Edited by Drumroll on Monday 7th February 08:46
Edited by Drumroll on Monday 7th February 08:50
We live in France in a marsh. Back in 1200 odd the monks started to recover land from the marsh and that continued into the 19th century. The entire area is a haven for wildlife and hugely popular with tourists, both native and foreign.
The entire eco-system is essentially manmade. The river and canal levels all have to be controlled and the hundred of kms of canals maintained. Otherwise the people who live here would be flooded out and the place return to an impassable marsh, certainly losing a lot of the natural diversity it currently has (deer and wild boar do not thrive in marshes!).
Ever year during the winter, the river engineers renovate sections of the canals, usually just a couple of kilometres (out of the several hundred), so maybe every 15 to 20 years, depending on the silting, vegetation growth etc sections will be sorted.
What do they do - pretty much what is reported in these articles. How long does it take for the canal to 'recover'. Well it was finished in December, the fish are back, the coypus are back, the banks are still very bare but by the end of the summer the only noticeable things will be the lack of overhanging branches from the severely pollarded trees.
The river engineers have been doing this for centuries (albeit it is much easier and quicker now!). It is how you retain the natural diversity and livelihoods of the people living here. Shame there is so little knowledge and rationality in the reporting.
The entire eco-system is essentially manmade. The river and canal levels all have to be controlled and the hundred of kms of canals maintained. Otherwise the people who live here would be flooded out and the place return to an impassable marsh, certainly losing a lot of the natural diversity it currently has (deer and wild boar do not thrive in marshes!).
Ever year during the winter, the river engineers renovate sections of the canals, usually just a couple of kilometres (out of the several hundred), so maybe every 15 to 20 years, depending on the silting, vegetation growth etc sections will be sorted.
What do they do - pretty much what is reported in these articles. How long does it take for the canal to 'recover'. Well it was finished in December, the fish are back, the coypus are back, the banks are still very bare but by the end of the summer the only noticeable things will be the lack of overhanging branches from the severely pollarded trees.
The river engineers have been doing this for centuries (albeit it is much easier and quicker now!). It is how you retain the natural diversity and livelihoods of the people living here. Shame there is so little knowledge and rationality in the reporting.
Pete54 said:
The river engineers have been doing this for centuries (albeit it is much easier and quicker now!). It is how you retain the natural diversity and livelihoods of the people living here. Shame there is so little knowledge and rationality in the reporting.
Rationality doesn't make good headlines unfortunately.otolith said:
They haven't been doing this for centuries in Taunton, this is to protect new developments on marshland in the 90's.
no one has said they have been doing it for centuries in that little bit of Taunton, they said these practices have generally been carried out for centuries. As an expert in flood management and environmental impact, what would you suggest is done to prevent flooding in this area?Vidarr said:
o one has said they have been doing it for centuries in that little bit of Taunton, they said these practices have generally been carried out for centuries. As an expert in flood management and environmental impact, what would you suggest is done to prevent flooding in this area?
My first degree was aquatic biology, not civil engineering, so that side of the problem is not my expertise. "Stop building where you are going to have to destroy riverine habitats to push the flooding problem further downstream" would be my unhelpful contribution here - having failed to do that, there are more and less environmentally sympathetic ways of managing these problems, and ripping out trees and dredging is at the less sympathetic end of it. There are issues beyond the "building in stupid places" problem which can be dealt with - modifying farming practices, planning practices and drainage systems to avoid rapid run-off of surface water, for example.
otolith said:
Vidarr said:
o one has said they have been doing it for centuries in that little bit of Taunton, they said these practices have generally been carried out for centuries. As an expert in flood management and environmental impact, what would you suggest is done to prevent flooding in this area?
My first degree was aquatic biology, not civil engineering, so that side of the problem is not my expertise. "Stop building where you are going to have to destroy riverine habitats to push the flooding problem further downstream" would be my unhelpful contribution here - having failed to do that, there are more and less environmentally sympathetic ways of managing these problems, and ripping out trees and dredging is at the less sympathetic end of it. There are issues beyond the "building in stupid places" problem which can be dealt with - modifying farming practices, planning practices and drainage systems to avoid rapid run-off of surface water, for example.
From what I can see, no trees have been 'ripped' out, only pollarded/coppiced, these will most like grow back very vigorously as they appear to be willows, it also mentions the planting of native plants and trees, which will potentially improve this riparian habitat.
As for dredging, on natural water courses I'm not a fan at all, but unfortunately its a necessary part of dykes, drains and canals.
Its an emotive subject and one thats very close to my heart, I personally and through work, get involved with projects linked to things like this and it can be very difficult to get the right balance and please the needs of everyone.
Natural flood management is currently all the rage. It is central to flood management policy in England mainly because it is more sustainable than concrete walls.
NFM can be as good as concrete in terms of reducing flood risk but NFM tends to be small scale so you need a lot of it to match the benefits of a concrete wall. Options are limited in urban areas but this is definitely the way to go out in the sticks (which can then reduce flooding downstream in urban areas).
NFM can be as good as concrete in terms of reducing flood risk but NFM tends to be small scale so you need a lot of it to match the benefits of a concrete wall. Options are limited in urban areas but this is definitely the way to go out in the sticks (which can then reduce flooding downstream in urban areas).
xx99xx said:
NFM can be as good as concrete in terms of reducing flood risk but NFM tends to be small scale so you need a lot of it to match the benefits of a concrete wall. Options are limited in urban areas but this is definitely the way to go out in the sticks (which can then reduce flooding downstream in urban areas).
Living roofs, soakaways and even rainwater butts are great ways to manage water in urban areas.People often don't seem to understand that not everything green is natural or necessary good.
This is a great quote from a recent BBC Wales article on farm land being converted to woodland by carbon offset investments.
This is a great quote from a recent BBC Wales article on farm land being converted to woodland by carbon offset investments.
BBC said:
The 83-year-old is worried the nature of Wales could change forever if productive farm land is converted to forests.
"If we do go along those lines of covering our uplands with trees, the nature of Wales would change irrevocably," said Mrs Somerfield.
"Once land goes from productive agriculture into forestry, it will never return. The potential would be an upland clearance of Wales."
It's almost as if nothing existed before farmers..."If we do go along those lines of covering our uplands with trees, the nature of Wales would change irrevocably," said Mrs Somerfield.
"Once land goes from productive agriculture into forestry, it will never return. The potential would be an upland clearance of Wales."
Evanivitch said:
xx99xx said:
NFM can be as good as concrete in terms of reducing flood risk but NFM tends to be small scale so you need a lot of it to match the benefits of a concrete wall. Options are limited in urban areas but this is definitely the way to go out in the sticks (which can then reduce flooding downstream in urban areas).
Living roofs, soakaways and even rainwater butts are great ways to manage water in urban areas.I would assume an EIA was done which specified that the habitat to be put back has actually increased compared to the existing situation.
At the end of the day though, we just need to stop building on floodpains (but not until I've retired, thank you).
Edit: I don't work for the EA or public sector.
Edited by vonuber on Tuesday 8th February 01:22
Evanivitch said:
People often don't seem to understand that not everything green is natural or necessary good.
This is a great quote from a recent BBC Wales article on farm land being converted to woodland by carbon offset investments.
uplands in UK need to change, upland farming has caused serious environmental damage in this country, intact farming full stop needs to change. British people suffer a massive case of baseline syndromeThis is a great quote from a recent BBC Wales article on farm land being converted to woodland by carbon offset investments.
BBC said:
The 83-year-old is worried the nature of Wales could change forever if productive farm land is converted to forests.
"If we do go along those lines of covering our uplands with trees, the nature of Wales would change irrevocably," said Mrs Somerfield.
"Once land goes from productive agriculture into forestry, it will never return. The potential would be an upland clearance of Wales."
It's almost as if nothing existed before farmers..."If we do go along those lines of covering our uplands with trees, the nature of Wales would change irrevocably," said Mrs Somerfield.
"Once land goes from productive agriculture into forestry, it will never return. The potential would be an upland clearance of Wales."
Vidarr said:
Evanivitch said:
People often don't seem to understand that not everything green is natural or necessary good.
This is a great quote from a recent BBC Wales article on farm land being converted to woodland by carbon offset investments.
uplands in UK need to change, upland farming has caused serious environmental damage in this country, intact farming full stop needs to change. British people suffer a massive case of baseline syndromeThis is a great quote from a recent BBC Wales article on farm land being converted to woodland by carbon offset investments.
BBC said:
The 83-year-old is worried the nature of Wales could change forever if productive farm land is converted to forests.
"If we do go along those lines of covering our uplands with trees, the nature of Wales would change irrevocably," said Mrs Somerfield.
"Once land goes from productive agriculture into forestry, it will never return. The potential would be an upland clearance of Wales."
It's almost as if nothing existed before farmers..."If we do go along those lines of covering our uplands with trees, the nature of Wales would change irrevocably," said Mrs Somerfield.
"Once land goes from productive agriculture into forestry, it will never return. The potential would be an upland clearance of Wales."
Where is the base line?
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