River Access Map

[quicky]

From SOTP - Please help as much aas you can

The latest upgrade of the Access Map package is now complete and I'm pleased to announce a number of changes and new introductions.

1. All background maps now default to a terrain map so that river courses are not obscured by or confused with the road network

Image: http://www.canoedaysout.com/trip/1613/album/image10.jpg

2. Rivers in Scotland have been added to provide a contrast with the situation in England and wales and hopefully a useful service to those north of the border who, whilst enjoying much greater access rights, nevertheless still experience access issues and spurious attempts to restrict access.

Image: http://www.canoedaysout.com/trip/1614/album/image10.jpg

3. The information on the maps now comes in three levels.

a. The basic U.K. map and colour coded tracks of rivers.
b. You can click on an individual river for more detail but the best route is to access details of an individual river from an alphabetical list of rivers/sections. This will highlight the selected river within the context of its catchment area with an ?info box? indicating the selected river/ section. This contains a summary comment, a graph showing users feedback on the access situation and pins indicating reported incidents.

Image: http://www.canoedaysout.com/trip/1613/album/image20.jpg

c. There are also links to the detailed comments of users, the full details of incident reports with photos and video where available and input forms to enable further access comments and incident reports to be submitted.

Image: http://www.canoedaysout.com/trip/1613/album/image30.jpg


4. To speed up displaying of the maps, the UK maps are compiled off-line in advance.


5. When you select a particular river from the list, it and the other rivers in the catchment are displayed in full colour. All other rivers are displayed in a subdued form so that, whilst they are still visible and accessible, attention is focused on your selected river within the context of its catchment.


6. When submitting new rivers you can choose to use the password (for those that know it) which will immediately recompile the UK maps to include the data you have just added (causing an apparent delay in making your submission) or not use the password which will complete your submission much faster but not display the new data until your submission has been authorised and the UK map recompiled (usually overnight).

I believe we have now achieved two of our key objectives;-

1. The creation of the facility to record and access relevant information on access in a convenient form
2. The entry of basic information on river locations/tracks and the generally accepted situation on your rights of access.

The next objective is to populate the map with relevant information from users on how access actually works in practice, what the real situation actually is on the water, and document all incidents so that anyone interested can see the reality of the threats and intimidation that paddlers are subjected to in particular situations and the relative harmony experienced elsewhere.

This is where YOU come in. Please enter an access rating for the rivers you paddle. Please document all incidents where your rights to responsible access are challenged in an inappropriate way with threats of (or actual) violence, vandalism or intimidation.

[Jim Pullen]

The link to the actual website is here.

[quicky]

Cheers Jim, Forgot to add it. IF everyone can help with adding any icidents they have had it would be a great help.

[quicky]

Little bump for the map

http://access.canoedaysout.com/

Can you please help out as much as you can and make a note of any incidents you have haad now or in the past as soon as possible (there is a reason we need it filled as soon as possible)
Please make a note, whether it be verbal or physically abuse.

[callwild]

Not sure how it could be worded but the red rivers are currently called
"red means you have no generally accepted right to paddle".
I personally dont like the description as it could be read as you shouldn't be there whereas we all know many think that we do have a generally accepted right to paddle but that in some quarters such as landowners and angling clubs this right is not recognised.
Any suggestions for a different wording?

[SimonMW]

One of the purposes of the map is to show to people like politicians the extent of the problem. I think the wording is fine. Changing it to something wishy washy that implies we are okay to go on the water, when the politicians and many others disagree, will make it seem like "what's the problem?"

The red colour coding indicates disputed water. Which it is.

[peakfreak]

I'm with callwild on this. Whilst I can see what the site is trying to do. To the casual site user or newbie to paddling will just see it as they would be breaking some law if they go on the red river. For the rivers that are red, green, red, green etc the less astute paddler will just give it a miss so those that are trying to get us banned will have won another small victory.
I can see this turning into yet another Access debate thread and the access map site will just add to the issue that has rumbled for years.
We believe we aren't doing anything wrong so why waste any more time trying to prove it, let those that think we are doing wrong prove that we are, until that point get out there and paddle. As long as we are polite and considerate then the powers that be will see where the issue originates from.

[enjoyer]

I'm with callwild on this.

+1

We believe we aren't doing anything wrong so why waste any more time trying to prove it

-1
Thank you Quicky (and others).

get out there and paddle. As long as we are polite and considerate then the powers that be will see where the issue originates from.

+1

[Keith Day]

A couple of the comments posted so far

Between Chippenham and Staverton including Semington Brook,there is a great understanding between land owners and all other river users.
Canoe Clubs avoid using the river during fishing matches and fishing clubs are aware when canoe events take place. Including joint river clean ups, litter picking & the removal of tree branches from within the river. Any problems from either side are fed back to the Club Commitees & have been dealt with to ensure the continued co operation at all levels. In short it all works well.

Used to be an access agreement for some sections during the winter months. Unclear if this still exists, but river is now regularly paddled year-round when water permits with no hassle.

Thanks for the input, guys!

The red line means there is no universally recognised right to paddle (YET!). It doesn't mean we can't paddle and I'll change the wording to make this ultra clear. Sharing the information we have can't discourage people from paddling wherever they believe they have the right. In fact comments such as those above may well give hope to those that have not yet ventured beyond the major rivers and canals.

[Kyle F]

Have not looked at the website in to much detail, but is there anywhere on it about the access agreements on particular rivers? Such as on the dart and other rivers on dartmoor, as this information is surely more important than the negatives? After all some abuse occurs through the braking of such agreements?

Kyle

[Keith Day]

The amber rivers are those with access agreements. The rivers infobox will include a link to the agreement if we have been able to identify an actual document such as the Tyne (http://access.canoedaysout.com/map/showonly/228).

[Keith Day]

To avoid the confusion caused by red being used on the map and being interpreted as indicating a "no go" area, I've changed the colours. For further clarity the text has been amened too. Hopefully all is now clear.

[callwild]

That's great Kieth, a good reference. Thanks

[tape34]

A lot of work has gone into this and it is excellent Keith.

The 'canoe days out' site was interesting to read for canoeing information and I have used it for local knowledge mostly on canals .... but to be able to feed access info back into a detailed map is a real step up and could be a great resource for the access campaign.

As you say it's up to US to use it!

Pete Ball

[tape34]

...... I guess there will be a link from the 'Canoe Days Out' website (I have looked ....)

[Keith Day]

...... I guess there will be a link from the 'Canoe Days Out' website (I have looked ....)

At the moment I'm treating these as two separate projects. I've added a key to the maps this morning.

We still need much more input of access reports and (if you experience bad behaviour) Incident reports

[Adrian Cooper]

I should like to add my thanks to all of those who have helped put this together. Keith and his son started the idea and have received enormous help from members of the SongofthePaddle community to populate it. Special mention to mal Grey who seemed to spend the whole of June on the project when he should have been working. ;-)

[Mark R]

Have just noticed this - not sure I get what it's for (one thing it isn't is an 'Access Map', if you see what I mean) but can I make a constructive suggestion?

In colour-coding the rivers, you repeatedly use the phrase 'conflict'.

I personally am not in conflict with other water-users; I accord them full rights to use the water sensibly alongside me. I should imagine that most paddlers feel the same.

However, there are many who want to paint the Access debate as some kind of anglers vs paddlers conflict.

Can I suggest that you change the word 'conflict' to 'harassment' - i.e. so that the colour code indicates the likelihood/ degree of harassment you might encounter whilst trying to peacefully and appropriately enjoy your river heritage.

[Keith Day]

Thanks for the suggestion Mark. I'll make that change over the next few days!

The project is still very much work in progress. I'm busy adding links from individual rivers to the research by Douglas Caffyn on historic usage of that river. Hopefully as individual paddlers add details to show where they are currently paddling and what level of harassment they experience it can become more and more useful.

[Keith Day]

Thanks for the suggestion Mark. I'll make that change over the next few days!

The suggested changes have now been implemented. Any other constructive suggestions are welcome!.

[ChrisE]

Given the current storm on access I'm going to bump this up.

I've just found this and think it could be very useful, if everyone uses it.

[quicky]

http://access.canoedaysout.com/

Please fill in any incidents you have had as well.

[morsey]

How come the map shows access agreements on the Wye and Usk rivers? There is no agreement, there is presentation of restrictions set out by fisheries but no agreement has been made with paddlers, certainly not with Canoe Wales. I would have thought those rivers should be disputed rights same as the others.

[morsey]

Same for the river Dart.

[morsey]

It might be helpful to have two colours for agreements to indicate if they are NGB endorsed agreements or club negotiated agreements. Where neither clubs or NGB can be shown to have negotiated the agreement then it should fall under disputed rights.

[quicky]

Hi Morsey, Can you pass the suggestion onto Keith please.

[morsey]

Sent an email, identifying the four BCU/CE agreements in England as being the Mersey, Waveney, Mole and Greta. Noting that there are no agreements in Wales. And, pointing out that there is no BCU/CE agreement for the Dart, Teme, Barle, East Lyn and Wear. :-)

[Keith Day]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I'l give them some thought then post on here to advise what I've done.

[Will Mead]

How come the map shows access agreements on the Wye and Usk rivers? There is no agreement, there is presentation of restrictions set out by fisheries but no agreement has been made with paddlers, certainly not with Canoe Wales. I would have thought those rivers should be disputed rights same as the others.

Very good point Morsey. It does wind me up when people say 'But we aren't allowed to paddle past March 15th' etc etc.....
Says who? A bunch of self appointed fishermen and busy bodies. If it's appropriate to paddle, then paddle.

[whosthedaddy]

The map/site is an excellent resource but I wonder whether the orange "access agreement" markings make it seem like these rivers are "shared" with other water users and that reasonable paddling can occur.

I can't speak for the other orange rivers, but the "agreement" for the Blackwater http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/rivers/england/south-east/river-blackwater-greys-mill-to-langford, which is a pleasant flatwater touring river in Essex, is that it can only be paddled once a year by a group of up to 50 paddlers and only then with prior notification. I'm pretty sure no-one "agreed" this, it was a concession from the landowners - take it or leave it.

This, and any other orange rivers with similar pathetic "agreements" ought to be purple. Can/how can these rivers be re-rated?