marshman

There was certainly one this last weekend, or an expected one as they closed the barrier at Potter - how bad or otherwise it is depends entirely on how high it was on the coast. On the Bure they are now, at the worst, getting up to Horning for example but I guess, as I have not seen reports of dead fish, that this particular one did not get up as far as expected. Anyone seen reports of dead fish up North??

PW - I agree but they are dredging now, and that at least is an improvement! Figures are meaningless really but the target for 2015/2016 was 50000 cubic metres - that is 50k more than nothing and the costs are not just those of the dredging crews but everyone who has to fill in a silly form and answer a stupid question from another body!! And as you are well aware, any additional cost has to come from somewhere and you and I know what pot that is! The fact is they are doing a lot more than they did a few years ago when they seemed to do none at all and those about on the rivers etc can tell you quite a lot of places that have seen activity on that front recently. Its always nice to see more being done but sometimes we have to take on board a dose of realism!

Of course I do realise it was not meant but what does slightly hack me off, and I don't even work for them, is that STILL people even with all that in mind, repeat statements they believe to be true, such as "...the BA do hardly any dredging..". If you had bothered to check this out, you would see , and perhaps understand, that this is just not true!! Actually it doesn't really bother me simply because I realise that that is just a throw away line made in ignorance seeing as it is just not true, but that is read by others who will pick up on this, and believe it to be so!! Its a classic example of "fake news"!!! Even PW has admitted that dredging is being carried out and if you could find their dredging schedule, ( it no longer seems to be available for some reason ) you will see that they are moving annually a big amount and indeed more than they have made provision before - their report would show that they have annual dredging targets and currently this is being exceeded. In many cases it is not especially their fault that people think this. Hickling more example is a case in point - they cannot dump spoil anywhere and I suspect the number of permissions required to actually dredge is huge, and then another lot to decide where to dump it. A similar instance to this is the riverside cutting back of trees - how many of you realise that you actually require permission from the Forestry Commission first of all and then everyone else in the world wishes to stick their nose in the Civil Service trough and get involved to justify their jobs!! The Forestry Commision I ask you - the damned things are weeds!! Don't ask me how I know - I just do!! Sadly life has moved on these days and everyone wants a share of the action and I would hate to work in that environment where I need a six inch file of permissions just to do a straight forward job - see the constraints under which the BA are forced to operate and you begin to get some idea of the problems facing the NHS. But that sadly seems to be the way of the world and I guess it will just get worse....!!

I may well be but to me doesn't look like a bit of BA kit. Bit unfair to label it as a BA farce if its nothing to do with them......!

What I seem to have missed somewhere is to how grow wood slowly? Now call me lacking in understanding, but surely wood grows according to the weather - warmer wetter weather I would guess makes trees grow more quickly whilst a colder, shorter growing season, will slow growth? I was always led to understand that the colder climes grew larch with closer ring spacing thereby giving greater strength? Wherry masts used to be grown in Costessey Park outside Norwich and they had someone whose job it was to cut off the branches as they grew so as to reduce the number of knots - I guess thats a bit intensive for forest management these days but logic would suggest a faster growing tree would grow more branches and thereby produce more knots? I clearly need to increase my knowledge.....!!

The worst thing about wasting water is that its drinking water we are wasting!! What a huge proportion of the world would give to have that available to drink, let alone waste!!!

So no mobile signal? Try broadband next! Even 5 miles from Norwich I cannot easily use Iplayer!!

John K - two things about the blooms. A bl***y good storm with a lot of rain really does help and nearly always ( always? ) in the Upper Thurne these outbreaks coincide with low water caused primarily by lack of rainfall but also the increase in salinity. Hickling and Horsey are affected by salt water incursions through the water table being so close to the sea and this and other factors usually have some part to play. The UEA have done a lot of work on this and it seems hydrogen peroxide will help - what will the Essex girls do?? Overall whenever the next outbreak occurs expect to see a lot of "white" fish!!

Timbo - good post! Thank goodness I now have an excuse (nearly ) to stink a bit!! But two things - partially connected! Of course you have just justified the pumping of Gt Hoveton Broad - actually I do realise its not just the pumping that has caused the furore but the public access issue quite rightly so! And This is an argument / discussion I am not going to get into, but I am not totally convinced by all these statements about dredging the Lower Bure as being a cureall! I am well aware that over the years the salt incursions into Broadland have continued to advance up the rivers and although on the Yare and Waveney, they must be getting further and further, there is some evidence that the constriction right at the bottom of the Bure , prevents to some small extent these damaging incursions - recently these have come up as far as Horning although not too bad as yet. Remove this further and i am sure we would see more. Salt will damage the precariously balanced eco system to some extent and that is why the RSPB and others havetaking steps to keep it out of the marshes around Acle /S Walsham - is this not an example of the law of unintended circumstances operating. I wonder?? The Broads rivers do also suffer as they do have large catchment areas upstream of the navigations,and it is good to see the BA do now operate a whole river policy and together with Anglian Water do visit farms right upstream to offer advice - ultimately the message will begin to catch on but there is a lot of work to do!!!

Whisper is following the new trend in water systems and that is that they have a grey water tank - this means that they can use ordinary toilets and domestic style showers BUT the downside must be as stated! Our profligacy with water here in the UK is renowned and if you spend too long in the shower it will do two things - empty your water tank and here, fill up your grey tank!! I don't suppose many people care but one of the worst things that is happening to Broads river water is the need to tackle phosphates - Anglian Water are doing their bit ( just) by putting in scrubbers to reduce the phosphates being discharged but Broads boats are not helping. Or should I say the occupants by insisting that showers need to be taken 1,2, or even 3 times a day!! Using shower gel presumably contributes to the problem, hence the trend for new boats to see grey water tanks. Incidentally this is one of the reasons that engine running is becoming the norm on moorings as people cannot do without their daily shower, perhaps in triplicate! I actually think this grey water tank trend may well become a requirement for new builds but why on earth do we need to empty it so often? Does everyone have to shower at least once a day and I would bet that if you have a normal domestic toilet, people will flush it every time they sit on it, or stand over it, not realising that they are not connected to main sewers!! There is something to be said for having limited water - I rarely fill my tank if out for a week more than once and I am sure my BO is not that bad!!

In fact Whisper does not have a traditional bowthruster in the bows but achieves its assistance through the 4 nozzles under water powered by water jets. Must have been the generator! Noticeable that Ferry have not ( yet! ) built another "electric" boat!

I don't think the BA wanted Mutford at all - my guess is that AB ports said they were closing it unless the BA funded it or took it over!! Its a bit like some of the "lost" and existing moorings - in the past when the bank has been part of the flood defence the EA were committed to looking after it but now that is no longer the case the EA will not maintain it and they want someone else to do it - either the landowner or the BA. Given the cost of maintaining the moorings, especially the steel ones, its hardly surprising no one wants to do this !!

Dont forget that a lot of boats are actually owned by pensioners, all of whom will be getting a 3% increase!! Indeed I suspect if you were to check, that number is probably significant. Going back to last years increase, I suspect when the figures are announced, you will find that the OVERALL take from tolls will be only marginally higher - it will not be anything like the increases some saw as all those who saw a decrease are keeping a low profile!! ( My dinghy went down!! )

I have just been out too - quite breezy and gusty but nothing exceptional. Plenty of sheltered places even around Wroxham - all the Salhouse moorings offered plenty of shelter for people out and whilst yards are reasonably busy, I doubt they are all fully booked out from the look of it.

Try asking your "reliable" source again as I understand the schedules have now been done!!!! ( subject to change as always! )

I understand it may have been scheduled for 29th October - although I could be very wrong!!!!!!

All the Whitlingham pits permissions must predate the BA surely? And PW - surely navigation / river access is not the only consideration is it? I regard it as part of the BA's remit to help bring the City closer to the whole area given that even some people in the City have no idea what Broadland is all about and as such that area is a resource which should be available and as well used as it is. At least its perhaps better than spending resources on those areas which have no public access!

Of course, part of the problem at Womack is you were emailing the wrong people!!! Try the people who are supposed to collect rubbish and that is North Norfolk District Council!!! The Parish Council has been working hard on this as have others like Horning, and I am pleased to say Womack bins have been restored. Not sure of the exact details but somehow the situation is the PC have leased the bin storage and now the NNDC will collect! Cannot see the difference but that I believe is the case now - until the next round of cuts I guess!

So do you think that that cost Martin, could come out of the Navigation Account?? Whilst I do not dispute, or acknowledge as accurate, what comments have been made to about dredging all the way to Yarmouth, what it would certainly do, is allow salt water surges to come further upstream. Like it or not, they are already advancing upstream relatively quickly and more brackish water further upstream could affect and indeed upset the precariously balanced eco system. Is that what we want? And you will all recall that dredging IS going on - Heigham Sound has been dredged and I believe there will be further dredging of Hickling this year, and indeed, if you care to check, you will also be able to see that substantial dredging has occurred on the Lower Bure and downstream of Thurne Mouth. Now I grant that that may not be enough or to everyones liking but it IS happening. You are never going to see a programme like Barton again - I dread to think how much something like that would cost these days! Perhaps someone would like to do the sums and work it out adjusted for 2017 prices and suggest where the money will come from - I guarantee you can forget the EU as willing to cough up if only out of principle!!

Like many things on this Forum concerning the BA, there may be issues here that perhaps we are overlooking!! The dyke in question is the one I believe, between Granary Staithe and the Hotel Wroxham - its not especially wide and perhaps each own half the width but with Heather moored permanently against the Hotel Wroxham, perhaps someone feels that then prevents others using what is after all, a public amenity for which the residents of Hoveton paid a lot of money!!! The dyke for example is frequently used by Wherry Yacht Charter - presumably they can no longer do so even on an ad hoc basis? Equally in the past I have often seen other boats moored in this dyke when the front moorings are full - does this mean this facility is no longer available?? I doubt very much whether all is necessarily what it appears.....!! And the answer to the spoil problem, I believe, depends on where it comes from - anywhere on the Yare upstream of Brundall creates a real problem, or possibly even further downstream, but there are several places on the Northern Rivers where spoil has been deposited. Even so you do require a lot of different permissions I suspect, from everyone under the sun!!!

I am led to understand that it is scheduled before Christmas but beyond that....!!

P.S. Cantley has recently had considerable investment - not usually a sign of imminent closure!

Vaughan - you should know that you do not have to be a manufacturer of anything, just to be a success. Look at boat hirers! But seriously Norwich even without those names is still a major success story especially now it seems to be following the success of Cambridge as a major and innovative science centre. It is a flourishing City and growing fast - its not just old people and those on benefit who are living in those new housing estates. Whilst it is never pleasant to be made redundant, if that were to happen to me, I would rather it was in Norwich with a low unemployment rate than in other places. This year, now there is no longer, I think, a quota system, the acreage planted of sugar beet is one of the highest seen for some years and I doubt British Sugar is just taking a punt - we shall see.

As you point out, its a commercial enterprise and it should stand on its own! Has nothing to do with the pub , nor Len Funnell. Why on earth should Len contribute - he is not in the habit of distributing largesse to all and sundry and why should he?

Realistically, if anyone thinks this is going to be a public mooring in the middle of Wroxham for less than £10 I think they may have another think coming!!