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Hydropower application for the Swale at Topcliffe.

There may be fun ahead with the game fishermen if/when some lesser known/understood results of flow alteration caused by these schemes takes effect during the course of time. It has been suggested (I can't use the exact texts here) that migratory fish respond to 'hydraulic cues in the near field', using the lateral line system to detect when conditions are right, the cues seeming to trigger their upstream migratory urges. Consequently, any modifications of natural flow regimes could result in resident and migratory species being denied these key environmental cues...with easily imagined consequences :eek:

My oh my, the tangled web we humans weave...when in pursuit of the big buck.

Cheers, Dave.
 
As a member of the club I am against this proposal. Apparently part of the plans is to install 2 screws and a state of the art fish pass aswell. The club will recieve 10k per year from UK Hydro Power. Needless to say many members of the club are spitting feathers, not only due to the actual development itself but the fact the powers within the club agreed to it in principal months ago and never thought to mention it or consult it's members.

I appreciate times are hard for the club and 10k isn't to be sniffed at, but as already mentioned the damage it could cause to the lower Swale and the impact on other club's waters really does frighten me.

As a side note there are a few issues members have with the club at present. In my opinion i'm not sure the club will exist in 5 - 10 years time if things don't change. I've already lodged my objections with the EA. Let's hope they listen to us all.
 
David Gauntlett said:
There may be fun ahead with the game fishermen if/when some lesser known/understood results of flow alteration caused by these schemes takes effect during the course of time. It has been suggested (I can't use the exact texts here) that migratory fish respond to 'hydraulic cues in the near field', using the lateral line system to detect when conditions are right, the cues seeming to trigger their upstream migratory urges. Consequently, any modifications of natural flow regimes could result in resident and migratory species being denied these key environmental cues...with easily imagined consequences :eek:

My oh my, the tangled web we humans weave...when in pursuit of the big buck.

Cheers, Dave.
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Brilliant just Brilliant Dave, I will write that down that bit about ''Hydraulic cues in the near field'' and regurgitate to my Worcester 'Green' group who are pushing hard to install the 'schemes' down here.
They will take a different view of Anglers, I am sure, self serving smug lental eating hippies they are.:)
 
Stuart Brookes said:
There are normally plenty of otter prints on the bank in the area and I had one session ruined by an otter pup that obviously got separated from it's mother in the dark and did 400 metres of river like a speed boat. The guy running my section regularly observes lamprey from the bridge at Topcliffe during the closed season.
I haven't seen the plans for this proposal but was wondering if the fee Leeds are getting is 30 pieces of silver? From the Leeds forum it is clear that their own members are unhappy, does any one know if the other clubs such as Bradford have been informed?
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I'm one of those unhappy members. Wish I'd known about the scheme on January 1st prior to my subscription.
 
I'll be concentrating upstream on the Swale with the Northallerton waters I think....
 
Morning Gents. I received a reply from Will last night (below). As i am not a member of the WRA or Helperby & Brafferton, is there a member who would like to take up the baton from me? I'll contact Bingley today.

Dear Graham,



I have spoken to my colleague in Fish Legal and he has confirmed that as discussed earlier, we cannot get involved with the decisions made by your club’s committee so it would be up to your members to object to their decision to allow the hydro installation on their waters. However, he also confirmed that if other clubs on the river were affected by the installation and were members of Fish Legal then these clubs could contact us for legal advice. The three clubs below are Fish Legal members so you might like to contact them and make them aware of the situation in case they do want to speak to the legal team.



Bingley AC

Angling Trust and Fish Legal members



West Riding Anglers

Angling Trust and Fish Legal members



Helperby & Brafferton

Angling Trust and Fish Legal members



Thirsk AC

Not Angling Trust and Fish Legal members



Topcliffe Angling

Not Angling Trust and Fish Legal members
 
Hi Graham,

I've just seen your post - anyone on here who is members of those clubs I mentioned in my email to you needs to get onto their committee and ask them to contact the legal arm of the Angling Trust, Fish Legal on 01568 620 447 or by email at admin@fishlegal.net

Will
 
Just spoken to a lady who lives at the flats at the weir who has only just become aware of this development along with a lot of people in the village. They are organising a meeting amongst themselves to discuss an opposition plan and will also be holding a meeting to which other interested parties such as ourselves would be welcome to attend.
It appears the company who designed the scheme also had a similiar project in the Ripon area which did not deliver the amount of energy predicted in the plans, no surprise there.
I'll post the details regarding the public meeting when they are avaliable if any one would be interested in attending.
 
Stuart Brookes said:
Just spoken to a lady who lives at the flats at the weir who has only just become aware of this development along with a lot of people in the village. They are organising a meeting amongst themselves to discuss an opposition plan and will also be holding a meeting to which other interested parties such as ourselves would be welcome to attend.
It appears the company who designed the scheme also had a similiar project in the Ripon area which did not deliver the amount of energy predicted in the plans, no surprise there.
I'll post the details regarding the public meeting when they are avaliable if any one would be interested in attending.
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I've been up that way today and the locals were walking the bank handing out information.

Stuart hope you don't mind me posting deatils of the meeting, but they are as follows.

Topcliffe Village Hall Monday 18th March 7pm.

As already mentioned the residents only found out about the venture on the 5th March. Their concerns are as follows:

1) Implications for future flood risk.
2) Noise impact.
3) Size and Scale of the project.
4) Impact upon the river bed and river envirnoment.
5) Alteration to fishing conditions.
6) Commerical venture with no community involvement.

Only 6 days to go for objections. Hope this info is useful.

Regards.
 
Just to bump this back up. The meeting above is planned for the 18th March and all are welcome to attend.
 
Stuart Brookes said:
Just to bump this back up. The meeting above is planned for the 18th March and all are welcome to attend.
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Stuart, I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but...Investigations have shown that the amount of power these thing generate is pitifully small. It has also been pointed out (I wish I could remember where I read all this ages ago) that the returns from the tiny amount of power generated would take many years to cover just the initial outlay of the unit and the instillation, let alone be a useful or significant addition to the nations 'green energy' needs. It has been said that it is well known (but not openly admitted to) that these things are doomed to failure, as has been proven in other countries where they have already been tried. Apparently they are only being built as a sop to the E.U. demands for more green energy production, a feeble attempt to be politically correct and 'be seen to be trying'...even though it is inevitable that this particular venture will be abandoned as a failure at some stage down the line. That would be after the damage has been done to our rivers of course!

It does seem that the winners in all of this will be the companies manufacturing and installing these white elephants (and no doubt the powers that be who took the back-handers to allow it) because their money will all be in the bank and long gone when that failure is announced. The losers will be taxpayers (local and national taxes), licence payers...and our rivers.

Does any of that last bit sound familiar? An uneasy, sickening feeling of Deja vu perhaps? I can't help wondering how long the patience of us lot on the bottom of the pile, those who invariably pay the price for all this nonsense, will last....before it is stretched too far and finally snaps.

Cheers, Dave.
 
Is this something the River Swale Preservation Society should have an interest in? Have to confess I don't know much about them, other than they seem to have an annual match on the Swale, but their name sounds like they ought to have an opinion.
 
I got the response from the EA - its going ahead!
 
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