This isn't strictly reservoirs, but I noticed today that the water levels on
my local nature reserve are as high as I can ever remember seeing them. The
reserve sits amid banks of pebbles and cobbles (piled up by longshore drift
as the land has gradually risen over the last 10,000 years or so) which are
easily permeable, so it looks as if groundwater levels must have risen
sharply since the end of October 2003.

Anne

My only concern now is that much more rain will probably cause the stream
next to my house to burst its banks. Last time it flooded, the Warden Bay
community centre was also flooded.

Shaun Pudwell.

"Anne Burgess" wrote in message
...
This isn't strictly reservoirs, but I noticed today that the water levels
on
my local nature reserve are as high as I can ever remember seeing them.
The
reserve sits amid banks of pebbles and cobbles (piled up by longshore
drift
as the land has gradually risen over the last 10,000 years or so) which
are
easily permeable, so it looks as if groundwater levels must have risen
sharply since the end of October 2003.

Anne

In message , rgb-man
writes
A few months ago the doom and gloom merchants were predicting droughts
for Summer 2004 if rainfall totals weren't 20% above average by the
end of January, etc.

Okay, so it's not the end of Janauary yet, but how are we doing now on
a local basis, ie north, south, east, west England, Wales, Scotland,
etc?

Are reservoir levels back up to what they should be, and if so where
are/aren't they?

[cross-posted to uk.rec.birdwatching; I bet there are more reservoir-
visitors there than on the weather group!]


Rutland Water appeared to be nearly full, last Sunday.
--
Andy Mabbett
"The Internet is a reflection of our society[ ...]. If we do not like what we
see in that mirror the problem is not to fix the mirror, we have to fix
society." Vint Cerf

In message , rgb-man
writes
A few months ago the doom and gloom merchants were predicting droughts
for Summer 2004 if rainfall totals weren't 20% above average by the end
of January, etc.

Okay, so it's not the end of Janauary yet, but how are we doing now on
a local basis, ie north, south, east, west England, Wales, Scotland,
etc?

Are reservoir levels back up to what they should be, and if so where
are/aren't they?

[cross-posted to uk.rec.birdwatching; I bet there are more reservoir-
visitors there than on the weather group!]


Rutland Water appeared to be nearly full, last Sunday.
--
Andy Mabbett
"The Internet is a reflection of our society[ ...]. If we do not like what we
see in that mirror the problem is not to fix the mirror, we have to fix
society." Vint Cerf

"Andy Mabbett" wrote in message
...
In message , rgb-man
writes
A few months ago the doom and gloom merchants were predicting droughts
for Summer 2004 if rainfall totals weren't 20% above average by the end
of January, etc.

Okay, so it's not the end of Janauary yet, but how are we doing now on
a local basis, ie north, south, east, west England, Wales, Scotland,
etc?

Are reservoir levels back up to what they should be, and if so where
are/aren't they?

[cross-posted to uk.rec.birdwatching; I bet there are more reservoir-
visitors there than on the weather group!]


Rutland Water appeared to be nearly full, last Sunday.


Did it? That's nice to know, Thanks.

"

Rutland Water appeared to be nearly full, last Sunday.

Check out the difference between reservoirs, which are generally
reasonably full, and aquifers, which aren't full. Much of our water
supplies comes from the latter and we need a wet spring to top them
up.

Alf King

A good test of groundwater levels around here is where the River Ver starts
to have water in it. Last winter it was flowing from Markyate which is close
to the 'official' source. Currently it is dry until it reaches Redbourn golf
course which is about 2 miles to the south so the replenishment of the
groundwater levels has some way to go. I am sure this test could be applied
to many chalk streams.

Alan

"Alan Gardiner" wrote in message
...

"

Rutland Water appeared to be nearly full, last Sunday.

Check out the difference between reservoirs, which are generally
reasonably full, and aquifers, which aren't full. Much of our water
supplies comes from the latter and we need a wet spring to top them
up.

Alf King

A good test of groundwater levels around here is where the River Ver
starts
to have water in it. Last winter it was flowing from Markyate which is
close
to the 'official' source. Currently it is dry until it reaches Redbourn
golf
course which is about 2 miles to the south so the replenishment of the
groundwater levels has some way to go. I am sure this test could be
applied
to many chalk streams.

Alan

This brings back memories of when I taught at Markyate. I went to the
pumping station at the source of the Ver to arrange for a school visit so we
could follow it to the Thames and then the sea. I also remember when there
was too much water in the Ver and the old pipes were too small for the flow
after a storm and some houses had floods of back-washed effluent three feet
up their lounge walls. But I digress!

Dave.

--
Dave & Viv are living happily ever after in Pembrokeshire.
http://www.daviv.com Videos of badgers and foxes on our patio
and bluetits in their nestbox.

"Alan Gardiner"
A good test of groundwater levels around here is where the River Ver
starts to have water in it. Last winter it was flowing from Markyate which
is
close to the 'official' source. Currently it is dry until it reaches
Redbourn
golf course which is about 2 miles to the south so the replenishment of
the
groundwater levels has some way to go. I am sure this test could be
applied to many chalk streams.

How incredibly simple and effective.

In my village of Great Chishill - seemingly the source of most of the water
that subsequently flows into the North Sea - the gauge I use is how much of
the road in the village is covered by the semi-permanent puddle. One
winter, the local wag put up a sign "No Snorkelling". It is interesting
that although this village is the highest in Cambridgeshire, it is
incredibly soggy. My geologist wife tells me that the water table here is
so high as the chalk squeezes the aquifer and forces the water out the top.
I must say (going back to a much fitter youth) when I occasionally climbed
up a mountain in Scotland, I was surprised to find that the ground seemed to
be wetter (more boggy) the higher I went. I naively thought that water
always flowed downhill. I don't understand much about hydrology so I have
doubtless got hold of the wrong end of the stick somewhere.

Jack

"Jack Harrison" wrote in message
...

In my village of Great Chishill - seemingly the source of most of the
water
that subsequently flows into the North Sea - the gauge I use is how much
of
the road in the village is covered by the semi-permanent puddle. One
winter, the local wag put up a sign "No Snorkelling". It is interesting
that although this village is the highest in Cambridgeshire, it is
incredibly soggy. My geologist wife tells me that the water table here is
so high as the chalk squeezes the aquifer and forces the water out the
top.
I must say (going back to a much fitter youth) when I occasionally climbed
up a mountain in Scotland, I was surprised to find that the ground seemed
to
be wetter (more boggy) the higher I went. I naively thought that water
always flowed downhill. I don't understand much about hydrology so I have
doubtless got hold of the wrong end of the stick somewhere.

Have a look at artesian wells, which work on that principle.
--
Terry Harper
http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

Terry Harper wrote:
"Jack Harrison" wrote in message
...

be wetter (more boggy) the higher I went. I naively thought that water
always flowed downhill. I don't understand much about hydrology so I have
doubtless got hold of the wrong end of the stick somewhere.


Have a look at artesian wells, which work on that principle.

Unfortunately they follow the usual rule otherwise springs and artesian
wells might be a hint as to how to get perpetual motion...

Mike.