Why has everyone got it in for the Jubilee River and the people who created it?
It obviously works - the stretch of the Thames that it protects was the
only section that did not have a severe flood warning in the 2002 floods.
OK it got a bit damaged in that event, but we are talking about a 60-year flood: quite a severe event, and the repairs to the Jubilee River must have cost a
lot less than the repairs that would otherwise have been needed in Windsor and Maidenhead.
Some people seem to have decided that it
caused flooding: I have even heard this from people living ten miles upstream! Crazy!
People living just downstream from the discharge point have a more valid question, but even there the consultant that they engaged eventually agreed that the Environment Agency were right. The Jubilee River had made an insignificant difference to the height of the floodwaters downstream (a few millimetres).
The reality is that a series of weather events happenned in the right order to cause heavy rain onto saturated ground. This will always cause flooding, and the forecast is that it will be worse in the future due to global warming, land drainage, and ever-increasing tarmac/concrete areas.
Rivers need floodplains. They absorb excess flows, and in turn benefit from the alluvial deposition which creates rich farmland.
Building on floodplains should only be done with knowledge of what will happen though: one day the water
will rise, and you will have to live with the consequences.
My parents live on the floodplain at Wargrave. They have always known it would flood, and when they replaced the old house on the site they made sure to build above the level of the highest recorded level (the 1896 flood in that area). Even then, they knew that one day the waters would rise higher. On the flood plain, the river has absolute right of way: the planning consent for the new house stipulated that it
must not impede the flow of the floodwaters. Both parents are now over 70 years old and have witnessed several floods that covered the whole garden and did severe damage to mowers etc in the garage. In the 2002 floods they were cut off and lived for days on stored food before being rescued by the fire service using an inflatable boat. They don't blame the E.A. or the Met Office: they know that these things happen as part of riverside life.
Accept the floods: they are a natural occurrence, but also accept the Jubilee River: it does what it was built for, it has attracted a wonderful range of wildlife, and in 2002 alone it may well have saved the UK economy a large fraction of its construction costs.
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AndrewFindlay 6 Jan 2005
21 Feb 2005 20:24:17 EvaLipman:
The ground in the floodplain acts as a sponge and prevents fast surface run-off into the rivers. Why then have SBDC and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead continued to grant planning permissions near the river in the former floodplain? (i.e. Ellington Road and River Road). This runs contrary to purpose of the Jubilee River which was to alleviate flooding. It is not enough to stipulate that development 'must not impede the flow of the floodwaters' when every bit of tarmac and concrete makes the run-off worse. Eva Lipman
The Jubilee River is a wonderful recreational area as well as (I belive) a successful flood management system, not to mention a substantial wildlife sanctuary. Overall, I think that anyone suggesting that the river is to blame for flooding clearly understands nothing of the situation. I think we provide a perfect example of how other communities can develop their natural environment and reduce flood risk. Also, as you mention, nothing can be done to stop floods completely and we have a great solution, so people should be appreciating it!
