It’s been good to have clean water flowing along the watercourse again and work parties have been making the most of it through the Chalfonts, bringing many appreciative comments from passers-by.
Behind the scenes, lots of energy is going into various initiatives, with Imminent meetings of:-
- Bucks CC Transport, Environment & Climate Change Select Committee Scrutiny Group
- Chalfonts Parish Councils Flood Liaison Group
- Chiltern Chalkstreams Project – “Mending the Misbourne” workshop
- Bucks CC Project Groundwater
- Chilterns Conservation Board Position Statement on Chalk Streams
- Colne Valley Catchment Action Network
I’m sure that anyone with appropriate knowledge and ability make a regular commitment would be welcome to work on some of these groups and a wider MRA view might be beneficial.
And, behind those scenes, engineers and designers are working on possible schemes to alleviate the problems of both sewage and stormwater flooding experienced earlier this year and thinking about other sustainable improvements.
More broadly, of course, the media and press continue to devote lots of attention to the state of our rivers and sewage infrastructure, both nationall and locally.
During a good, wide ranging, discussion at our “not-a-meeting” last week, we were particularly pleased to welcome John Thurlow from the Environment Agency and to see some new faces.
Looking ahead we resolved to try to be more “structured” and agreed that, at least for a trial, we would plan on:
- “Not-a-meetings” will be evenings of the last Wednesday of every month – viz 25th September (Greyhound); 30th October (location TBA) and 27th November (TBA).
- Work parties will be 2nd and last Saturdays of every month (am or pm or both depending on sign-ups) viz: – 31st August; 14th September; 28th September; 12th October; 26th October; 9th November.
- And, say, 1st Tuesdays viz:- 3rd September; 1st October; 5th November.
However, that plan didn’t last very long and, due to various commitments, holidays etc, there will NOT be a work party on Saturday 14th September BUT on Thursday 19th September instead – otherwise, so far, as schedule.
The idea is that volunteers will make a pencil note in their diaries now and we firm up nearer the actual date. So, for now, if you are ready, willing and able to join us on 19th September, 28th September or 1st October, please let me know specifying am or pm or both. The WhatsApp group is continuing to flourish and offers news, banter, progress photos and detail of small ad hoc additional work groups to tackle special hot-spots. Let me know if you would like to join.
Rainfall in the (somewhat disappointing) summer has been about normal but totals for the last 6 and 12 months are among the highest in the past 35 years. Not surprisingly therefore, and following the remarkable winter/spring, groundwater levels measured at the beginning of the month were near enough as high as any September – on average more than a metre above same time last year and, for example more than two metres at Chalfont St Giles where it is over four metres above the 30 year average. Hence we can expect continued good flows for the remainder of the year and it will very much depend on rainfall in the next 3 months as to how how much inundation of the floodplains we will see early next year. Let’s hope that measures will be in place to ensure sewage is kept where it should be a lot better than this year.
Hoping to see you by or in the river soon,
Looking good at Little Missenden
