|
|
| Haworth Flood 2004 - update |
|
|
4th February 2005: The Environment Agency have sent the following information regarding the floods in Haworth last August 2004:
Update of current Environment Agency Works concerning Haworth
31/01/05 Flood Risk Management, Ridings.
Leeming Water / Bridgehouse Beck through Oxenhope and Haworth had been assessed by the Environment Agency and Bradford City Council as a Critical Ordinary Watercourse, namely a watercourse with the potential to cause significant flooding to property, prior to last summer's flooding. This resulted in the watercourse becoming Main River in November 2004. This passes the permissive powers regarding watercourse issues from the local authority over to the Environment Agency.
The flooding in August of 2004 confirmed our fears that a significant flooding event could occur on this watercourse. Some investigation works into the watercourse had already been planned prior to August, and the flooding reinforced the importance of these works.
JBA consulting carried out an initial hydraulic assessment of the watercourse to assess capacity of bridges and culverts and to provide estimates of flows for a range of flood events. This work is still in draft form and not yet available. Early indications from this work suggest that the flows experienced in August 2004 were exceptional and likely to be in excess of the 100-year estimate (i.e. less than a 1% likelihood of occurring in any one year). This work will be used to prioritise works in our Long Term Plan which uses a risk based approach to compare proposed works throughout the area.
In parallel with this work Atkins are undertaking a Flood Warning investigation for the area. This report is due in March 2005 and will be followed by the planned implementation of a Flood Warning plan in winter 2005/6. Two level recorders are being installed: one upstream and one downstream. The one upstream will be in Oxenhope and is in the planning stages, while the downstream one has planning permission but not yet installed. These will be up and running later in the year and used for flood warning.
Pictures of the flood here...
Picture comparing the 1946 and 2004 flood here...
Thanks to Bob Armstrong for the 1946 photo
News story here...
|
|
|
