Water levels Nidderdale

Goydenman

Well-known member
As requested a 'stuck topic' giving information on water levels in Nidderdale.
At present water levels are low (we are taking advantage of it and getting in some serious digging). Will be able to provide better data after tomorrow's trip EG Actual water level below top of reservoir
Chris
 

george

Member
Hi,

    Thanks for getting this sorted - a great idea! I was there today and, yes, the levels are very low; my colleague went up to check the dam and tells me it was about 3m below the overflow channels. There was hardly anything in the cave in the morning and no rain put down all day.
  To respond to (and elaborate on) the original post, I work at a nearby centre and use the valley frequently so I wil post here whenever I can; also this could be useful for me for work purposes. I know how some of you on here feel about caving as an instructed activity, however it does mean that we have risk assessments and operating procedures for Manchester and Goyden and a document specific to checking the water levels prior to caving. I can't see any problem with sharing this information so I'll see if I can post a copy here when I next have a spare moment at work.
  I know this will open me up to the usual barrage of criticism but I may learn a thing or two myself!! We are signed up to the scour test alerts from yorkshire water but I've been told that not much comes down that far.

George
 

Goydenman

Well-known member
That's great George your Centre reports will be welcome no criticism from me.

Other information pertinent is the boulders washed through from Eternal Optimist through to and lodged at the downstream end of Manchester sump 2/ start of Lesser Stream are at present forming a dam and keeping water levels high in the end of Manchester until someone goes down with a crowbar! Once they are cleared this should not be a problem in the future as we have now sealed up the flood entrance by Goyden main entrance that caused all the problem in the first place.
 

Goydenman

Well-known member
June 1st pm water level 2.5m-3m below Scarhouse dam overflow. Was a bit hard to be accurate as wind was causing waves.
 

george

Member
I've got a spare moment and have dug out the above mentioned document!
Before I post it, I should point out that it is not a 'stand alone' piece; It is to be used in conjunction with our operating procedures, risk assesments and call-out procedures as well as the fact that the people who lead these trips are at least LCMLA Level 1.
Having read through it in a non-work situation it seems a little simple and even condescending, it is not meant this way, it is a checklist so that we don't get complacent. I'm sure that most of the time we do all the things mentioned without even thinking about it, this is just a reminder.

Hope it makes sense.

George
 

george

Member
Caving

Information Gathering Before Leaving Centre


1. Has it rained in the last few days / weeks?

YES - Likely high water levels

NO - Indicates low water levels

2. Is it raining now?

YES - Water is probably still rising

NO - No more water is being added to system

3. Has a previous group reported high water levels?

YES - Confirms that we can expect high water

NO - Confirms that the water levels were already low

4. Is it forecast to continue raining?

YES - The water is likely to continue rising

NO - The water level is unlikely to rise any further

5. Is a westerly wind forecast?

YES - The water in Scar House reservoir will be being blown towards the dam

NO - Water levels at the dam shouldn?t be affected by the wind

6. If the wind is westerly is it forecast to be stronger than 20mph?

YES - Winds of 20mph could create a wave/surge of water around 1.2meters high.

NO - Water levels at the dam shouldn?t be affected by the wind

7. Were there any signs of high water levels on the journey?

YES - Indicates that ground may be saturated

NO - Good indicator that water levels are low


Answering these questions should enable you to build up a mental picture of the conditions you are likely to encounter.

You should prepare the group and leaders for the expected worst case scenario (i.e. cancelled session) before leaving the centre and offer them an alternative to consider. 

Arrival at location and decision-making

1.Is there water running into Goydens entrance?

YES - Water is being added to the system (this could be a problem if a period of rainfall has preceded this)

NO - Good sign now go check Scar House reservoir

2. Is there a westerly wind? (wind blowing across the reservoir towards the dam)

YES - The water in Scar House reservoir will be being blown towards the dam.

NO - The water isn?t being blown towards the dam

3. Using the Beaufort scale would you estimate the wind to be above 20 mph?

YES - Winds of 20mph could create a wave/surge of water around 1.2meters high.

NO - The water is unlikely to be being moved around significantly

4. Is the water level of Scar House reservoir less than 1.5 meters below the overflow channels in the middle of the dam?

YES - In conjunction with winds above 20mph water could start to overflow

NO - Water levels are low




 

george

Member
21st June.
Just got back, water was about 3m below the overflows.
Light rain all day and noticably more water in the bottom of the cave, but nothing to write home about!

George
 

george

Member
22nd June
Dispite all the rain, the same as yesterday - 3m below the overflows in the res and nothing much down the bottom of Goyden.
 

JasonC

Well-known member
Anyone got a recent update on water levels ?  I'm planning on Goyden on Sunday - and yes, I will go through the usual checks on the day...
 

langcliffe

Well-known member
Should be very low - there's been no measurably rain this week and there is none forecast before Tuesday. I went through the Manchester Hole - Goyden connection two weeks ago, and the BSD seem to have done a good job of unblocking the second sump, as water levels were low through the Manchester Hole duck as well as the crawl out of Diver's Chamber, despite there being a reasonable flow.
 

george

Member
June 30th

The reservoir is still around 3m below the overflows. Very little down both Manchester and Goyden.
 

Fulk

Well-known member
That's interesting; we were in Swaledale over the weekend and there had been heavy showers with thunder that had brought up all the streams and rivers we encountered on our way there from the Kendal area. The Ure in particular was very high on Friday night (9th July), while the Buttertubs Pass road was covered in rubble washed off the hillside, and there was a fine waterfall cascading into the first Buttertub, with water spewing out of the hillside below from Cliff Force Cave.
 

Goydenman

Well-known member
Yes I was expecting levels to be up but they were wel down. I guess the showers did not hit that area.
See comment on Eternal optimist though for changes due to last floods
 
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