WATER LEVEL, ACCESS AND HAZARD UPDATES: English Midlands

[Mark R]

This area is for posting useful info to quickly update and complement the river guides; e.g. water levels, access hassles and new hazards.

Please refrain from creating new threads unless absolutely necessary - there is a thread for each riverguide on the site, use these wherever possible.

If you wish to submit a correction to an existing riverguide, or photos, or a new riverguide, you are welcome to submit it here ... but please first consider using the Contribute page.

The Regional Editor for the Midlands is Chris Eastabrook.

Best wishes,

[clarky999]

Just to let you know, there has been a case of leptospirosis on the Leam. The recent high water seems to have brought nastiness down the canal overflow and into the Leam. This could potentially affect people paddling the Avon - Rock Mill Weir and so on. Take precautions such as washing hands afterwards, covering open cuts before, not swallowing water, etc.

[neilos]

I have been told to avoid kayaking on canals because of possible leptospirosis infection. However I reguarly see organised groups kayaking on canals in Coventry and warwickshire. Should I heed the advice or is it ok to kayak on the canal without open cuts etc. Also I asume the case of leptospirosis contamination in the leam has gone by now?
Neilos

[ol]

Leamington canoe club are generally out every Tuesday on the leam, I have heard of no cases of Lepto...

[Twix]

I wouldn't let it stop me. The main thing in my opinion avoid eating without washing / using alcohol gel on your hands. If you do happen to fall in try to keep your mouth shut to avoid swallowing water. If you have cuts then cover them. Have a shower when you get home. Make sure you know the symptoms and tell your doc that you have been paddling if you get them.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Leptospirosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx?url=Pages/What-is-it.aspx

[Pete K]

DERWENT, Derbyshire. Ladybower Reservoir outflow @ Yorkshire Bridge

06/02/2011

This stretch is seldom paddled due to lack of water. I know of a few descents to Chatsworth Estate but I am yet to be free at a time with enough water myself (today included). A run takes you through popular fishing grounds above Bamford Mill and to a small but technical looking weir at Bamford Mill itself (portage right).
Levels can be checked at the bridge onthe road to Thornhill from Yorkshire Bridge. Today looking upstream the level was one course of stones below the ledge at the base of the arch. The EA gauge at the outflow just upstream was reading 1.74 metres.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/120755.aspx?stationId=2097
This is the highest I've seen it. The river was out of its banks in places and running through wooded areas at a very fast pace. It did not look too technical but the speed and strainers make this a tricky looking run in this water level.
unfortunatly I'm away for a bit but it looks like this is on as the water level drops over the next 24 hours. I'd guess about 1 metre would be good.

The Derwent is joined by the river Noe at Mytham Bridge. The Noe reacts faster to rainfall so a run of the Derwent could be started from the Noe when the top section is not running from Ladybower.

Hope someone finds this useful, I'll get round to paddling it eventually. Probably best done out of fishing season and I was eyed up by some locals as I checked the level today.

[Pete K]

DERWENT, Derbyshire. Ladybower Reservoir outflow @ Yorkshire Bridge

In reply to my own post above. I passed by today and the drop was looking good. River levels high but in the banks and it looked like the ideal level to run at. Same EA gauge as above showed about 0.75 metres today.

[Pete K]

DERWENT - Bamford to Froggatt Weir

Reading 1.5m on the Chatsworth EA gauge. If it looks deep enough at Mytham Bridge near Hitch N Hike then its on.

Got on at Bamford Park and scraped to the Noe confluence after which it was a nice low level trip. No major hazards to report and all the weirs including the monster were fine.
If you have not done Froggatt Weir go and do it, it's mental. You fire off the wave at the bottom nearly getting air in a kayak!

My Derwent ramblings are all being collected together into a document with all the access points, rapids and hassle spots which I'll make freely available when complete. I hope to see this paddled more, it is the major river in national park for goodness sake!

If anyone has any info on gauge readings and what they really equate to that would be really helpful.

[Pete K]

DERWENT - Yorkshire Bridge to Bamford
Don't bother if it is releasing any less than 0.70m from Ladybower dam. Top drop is great! Bamford weir is still very rocky at this level and there is only one clean route through.
Had no access issues but we were very quick and discrete. May have had Severn Trent Water write our number plates down but don't care, not breaking any laws.
There were no wires across the river on this day.

[bigbadbob12345]

Derwent- Yorkshire bridge to Hathersage

Paddled this section today ( EA gauge 0.97 ), the fall was flowing river wide, ran it a couple of times and got a small crowd lol.
Bimbled down to bamford mill, the weir had enough water to run most lines- submerged rocks being the problem.
Rest of the trip is a steady bimble with some nice surf waves. The confluence with the River Noe looked weird with the dark brown peaty water of the Derwent mixing with the much lighter gray/brown water of the Noe.