Various bits and pieces for your perusal:

1) Funding for training of volunteers for invertebrate surveys has been agreed by Chiltern Society and Chiltern Conservation Board.  The training day is being organised and I hope I have contacted everyone who expressed an interest in this: if you did and I haven’t, please call me urgently.

2) Thanks to those who have offered to assist with the topographical surveys on 22 and 23 February.  Since scoping this for construction purposes, the requirements have expanded to meet new information on what is needed by the consultants for their flood risk assessments.  This, in turn, gives further issues with gaining permissions for access to more properties and, indirectly may lead to a change of survey company. If the dates have to change – (quite likely) – I will let you know asap.

3)  MRA is not and will not become a political or campaigning body.  However, if you are interested in the river, you may be interested in this paper http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/hs2/dloads/HS_routes_geological_paper.pdf by the Chiltern Society geologist, Haydon Bailey.  It gives an interesting overview of the area’s geology as well as drawing some alarming conclusions regarding the possible effect of HS2 upon our river.

4) If you regularly walk in the fields between the Chalfonts, can you help explain the following?  
    …… on Saturday morning (29^th January), …….there was flow to The Greyhound.  At about 2.00 p.m., there was none at the Vic Wotton Bridge, none at the Community Centre Bridge and none at the little brick bridge! but plenty of ice  remnants confirmed the water had been there.   A mini “wall” of muddy  water appeared from the North and, within minutes it was past the Community  Centre Bridge heading for the village.  An hour or so later, there was  strong flow past the Greyhound, past the precinct slip road, under the  Chiltern Hill Bridge and into the new industrial estate.  Alas, we  waited in vain for it to emerge at Woodside Close and, by late  evening, it had regressed again to the Vic Wotton Bridge area.

Theory 1 = some human intervention e.g. abstraction fluctuation or  operation of sluices or farm work.

Theory 2 = The river froze solid at some point upstream of CStP and  blocked itself.  The water under the ice seeped away, depositing the  ice remnants onto the bed.  Then the freeze thawed, releasing the  dammed waters in a rush which I witnessed entering the village.  I  think I favour  this theory for this particular happening.

5) Thanks to those who responded to the query regarding visibility of graphs on our website.  This should be OK now – please let me know if not.

6) A welcome number have confirmed your availability for this Saturday’s work party but I’m sure lots more of you will be letting me know soon that you intend to join us!   We have lots of big and small jobs lined up and it really does help organise for best results if you can let me know well in advance.  As usual, a detailed e-mail will be sent on Thursday/Friday with rendezvous arrangements.  For the heavy gang, there is plenty of debris causing backing up just upstream of CStG village as this picture – who can bring some waders?  Fear not – there are plenty of opportunities for lighter engagement as well!




7) Bitter -sweet.  And finally, this picture shows the perched flow currently frustratingly disappearing just upstream of Chalfont St Peter Village Centre.  The good news is that, only last year, it was doing just this in the first field down from CStG.