Catherine Burbage - 15-Aug-2007
- Despite liberal lashings of rain, swollen
rivers and a soggy festival site, staff
at the Environment Agency are determined
to make this year’s IWA Festival a success.
Some 500 boats and 30,000 visitors are expected
to descend on the Cambridgeshire town of
St Ives over the August bank holiday weekend,
for the largest annual inland waterways
event in the country.
River inspectors have been working extra
hours ferrying water, food and fuel to boaters
who were unable to navigate while Strong
Stream Advice was in place on the Rivers
Nene and Great Ouse and extra staff have
been deployed to locks to help manage the
extra boat traffic and avoid congestion
along the route to the festival. The River
Inspectors have also taken part in a clean
up of the river Great Ouse around Huntingdon
and St Neots and came away with around 40
bags full of rubbish as well as eight shopping
trolleys! A clean up around St Ives is also
planned before the festival.
Meanwhile on the festival site, IWA staff
are busy setting up the site and the various
marquees, including the AINA (Association
of Inland Navigation Authorities) marquee,
where festival visitors can come and learn
about the varied work of the Environment
Agency and other navigation authorities.
Inside the marquee staff from the Environment
Agency’s waterways team will be on hand
to answer questions and give advice, and
boaters can pick up a copy of the brand
new navigation guide for the River Nene.
Visitors will also be able to watch an interactive
story of the River Great Ouse, and children
can make badges and design their own duck
hats under the watchful supervision of the
Environment Agency team.
Outside the marquee fisheries experts will
be showcasing their mobile fishtank – full
of fish that can be found in local waterways
- and answering questions about fishing.
The staff from the Environment Agency’s
Biodiversity team will be bringing along
a selection of ‘bugs and grubs’ along with
their new microscope so that visitors can
take a closer look at some of the creepy
crawlies.
Members of the Environment Agency’s Flood
Risk Management team will be on hand to
answer questions and talk about the new
St Ives and Hemingfords flood alleviation
scheme, which was officially opened in June
2007.
John Adams, regional waterways manager
said: 'Despite some really bad weather we
have been pulling out all the stops to make
sure that the IWA Festival is a success.
Our river inspectors have been constantly
monitoring water levels and keeping boaters
across Anglian region updated with the latest
information. The event staff have also been
working particularly hard to make sure that
there will be plenty of interesting things
to see and do in the Environment Agency
area over the festival weekend.'
Paul Woodcock, Regional Director said:
‘We are delighted to welcome the IWA Festival
onto Environment Agency managed waters for
a second year. Although we have been faced
with some very challenging weather conditions
in recent months we have been working flat
out to make sure that boaters coming to
the festival have an enjoyable trip.'
+ More
Environment Agency holds Scarborough flood
meeting
Francesca Glyn-Jones - 13-Aug-2007 - Staff
from the Environment Agency will be talking
to residents in the Scarborough area later
this month who were affected by the recent
flooding.
The team, based in York, is holding the
meeting at East Ayton Village Hall from
2pm to 8pm on Wednesday, August 22.
The aim is to give residents an opportunity
to learn more about the flooding, and for
officers to gather information about how
the flooding affected specific areas including
East and West Ayton, Scalby and Ruswarp.
The meeting is one of a series of drop-ins
which is being organised by the Environment
Agency across the region.
Area flood risk manager Thomasin Turner
said: “The more that we know about how the
flooding affected different homes and streets
then the more we can do to find ways of
protecting people.
“We are urging people to come along with
photographs, and any other documentation
which we can use to plot the path and the
times of the flooding more specifically.
We will add the data to our own records
and return to the area later in the year
to update residents on the results of our
review.”
Her team is organising around five drop-in
sessions across North Yorkshire and events
have already been held in Pickering and
Ripon. Staff will be letting people know
when and where other drop-in sessions will
be held in the next few weeks.
Heavy rain fell in the Scarborough area
in June. The average rainfall for June in
this area is 73 millimetres but the nearest
rain gauge recorded over three times the
amount of rainfall we would normally expect
to see. Between June 25 - 26, 100mm of rainfall
was recorded.
The Environment Agency is responsible for
flood protection from main rivers and designated
smaller watercourses.
It also issues flood warnings and watches
to people in certain flood risk areas who
have signed up to receive the service.
The Environment Agency has gauges on many
main rivers across Yorkshire which helps
officers to monitor water levels and the
likelihood of flooding.
To find out whether you are eligible for
a flood warning contact our Floodline number
on 0845 988 1188.
