Oh dear! Here we are, one month into the annual recharge season with groundwater levels still falling and, as gardeners will know, a high “soil moisture deficit” – i.e. the ground is very dry. The Environment Agency report for Hertfordshire and North London states “Groundwater levels continued to fall at all of our groundwater sites...
Category: From the Riverbank
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2017 – September Surprises
At the time of the last bulletin the rains at the beginning of August were lashing down and many disappointed holidaymakers have tales of wet days in the month. I was therefore surprised to receive the monthly groundwater levels for 1st September from David Anderson with a note to say that there had been a...
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2017 – August Arrived
So, August arrived together with copious rain to start the summer holidays; letters from Affinity Water advised of their concerns with regard to aquifer levels; and, of course, the river Misbourne dry from the lake in Chalfont Park to nearly as far as Quarrendon Mill. Rainfall in recent weeks has brought a little recovery and...
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2017 – June Jumble
“Nothing has changed; nothing has changed”: We still have a little bit of a stream, though it did dry up twice in Chalfont St Peter for a day or two in the last month. Groundwater levels dipped on 1st June are still very low, though not quite as low as those of 2012 when the...
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2017 – May Memo
Rather than chuntering on about how little rain there has been in recent months, perhaps for a change we might look at how much worse it might be. The graph below shows how groundwater dip levels were even lower in dry spells in 1991, 1997, 2006 and 2012. In the 1991/92 episode, Shardeloes Lake...
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2017 – April Approaches
Its been a good few weeks for welcoming new supporters, of whom one has already enjoyed a work day, another is brimming with enthusiasm for doing good things in the Missenden area, and another is joining use this coming Saturday. Yes, indeed, this is “2nd bell” for work parties this Saturday 1st April at 09.30...
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2017 – March Mixture
The day of our first work party of the year found several of us low with the bug. As it was snowing, others understandably decided against a paddle in freezing water, but not everyone and, amazingly, the village centre section of Chalfont St Peter and St Giles were cleared of winter debris. Now that’s dedication...
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2017 – January Jubilation
In December, we were surprised and disappointed that the Misbourne, having reached the beginning of November flowing all the way to the Colne, suddenly ceased in Chalfont St Peter. Well, it appears that the problem was most likely not down to the supernatural but a blockage upstream of Quarrendon Mill leading to much of the...
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2016 – December Disappointment
Well, having reached the beginning of November with flow all the way through the Chalfonts, we were really confident that it would continue for the full year despite another year of below average rainfall and groundwater levels. Alas, it was not to be and on 14th November flow ceased in Chalfont St Peter and has...
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2016 – November Nagging
“And so today to the House of Lords”, as Samuel Pepys might have said. Yes, indeed, the group “SaveStGiles” presented to the HS2 Select Committee our concerns that HS2 construction may risk the fragile river that we cherish through the Chalfonts. Part of the pitch was an appeal for the tunnel to run deeper, below...