River Derwent will never be the same after Cumbria's November floods
Last updated at 06:53, Friday, 05 February 2010
WEST Cumbria’s November floods have changed the course of the River Derwent.
David Smith, manager of Castle Fisheries in Cockermouth, said: “The flood has had quite a colossal effect on the river. Pools that held fish have been filled in.
“Whether it will affect the salmon fishing we don’t know until next year.
“The flood has done a lot of damage, fields have been covered with stones and debris, which all parties are looking to put right, but it’s a bit of a fight getting on to the land for repairs.
“In some areas the river has changed its course completely. At one area in Great Clifton the river has come right out of its bed, creating a different course at Camerton church.”
Castle Fisheries owns a substantial part of the River Derwent and it will be working with Natural England and the Environment Agency to repair it.
Mr Smith said: “It is a colossal job. We have to look at the cost of repair and the environmental cost of leaving it as it is.
“It is our responsibility to work with the river to get the best from it and to work in a conservation-sensitive way.”
He added that it was not just the river that had changed but the whole infrastructure of fishing and working on the river.
Mr Smith said: “Because of the change in shape of the river, we will have to learn to fish it again. Historically you had pools where you knew the fish would be but these have changed.”
Jonathan Shatwell, a manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We are assessing information on how the river has changed as a consequence of the floods. This includes identifying areas where the river has changed course, and where significant levels of gravel have been deposited.
“Once we have a full understanding of how the changes have impacted locally, we will make an assessment on any work which may be needed.
“At this stage it is difficult to assess the impact the flood has had on wildlife, but it is clear that river life will have been displaced because of the flood.
“We have held meetings with two farmers’ groups, and are currently visiting around 150 individual farms to fully understand the situation, and the challenges which they face, as well as giving advice on the action they can take.”
First published at 19:28, Thursday, 04 February 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk
why does it have to be put back !!!
this is nature dictating how it should be,
if the river has altered course, then thats where it should go, its been going on for aeons, before man started fiddling with it,
if man had not fiddled with it, built on its flood plains, narrowed it down in places,
then there would have been no floods,
Have your say
The comment above are made by someone who has obviously very little knowledge of the river and the land ajoining it. The Derwent has run in the course prior to the flooding for centuries. The damage and erosion is on such a scale that the only option is to attempt some form of structural engineering to repair and salvge land and riverbank lost to the flood water.
It has nothing to do with people trying to find jobs for themselves it is about ordinary people trying to get their lives back to normal.
I suppose you think mr Bewley that the working people of cockermouth and workington should just put up with driving around the massive detour and move main street higher up the valley just in case in happens again?
I suggest you take a walk along the river and see for yourself.
Posted by phill walker on 10 February 2010 at 11:35