Flooding forecast Tues/wed

[Pitlamp]

For anyone pining for the Dales, here's a snap of Clapham waterfall this afternoon; as you can see it's not very high at all.

 

[PeteHall]

Does the reservoir act as a buffer for Clapham Beck?

 

[Pitlamp]

Does the reservoir act as a buffer for Clapham Beck?

No, not really. I once witnessed a pulse hit the upstream end of the Lake, then start flowing over the spillway at the downstream end in a matter of minutes. What's flowing over that waterfall is normally a very good indication of what's coming out from the GG system at Clapham Beck Head.

 

[mikem]

The water in the pond doesn't have anywhere else to go except over the fall.

 

[PeteHall]

I wasn't sure if there was a controlled outfall, so the level rises in a rainfall event releasing it more slowly over a period of time. It's a very common feature in stormwater drainage systems to reduce flash-flooding.

 

[Ian P]

I wasn't sure if there was a controlled outfall,

As a Northern caver, I was impressed/ surprised on my first visit to Mendip and a trip down St Cuthberts. ?We will just turn the water off first? 

I presume the same system for Swildons is still been developed 

 

[PeteHall]

Swildon's already has a fairly effective attenuation system. The flow entering the cave is restricted, which is why the water backs up in the pool outside. The attenuation only ceases to function when it spills over the top and into the entrance as happened towards the end of last year. After the rainfall event, the pool drains down again, so the high flow lasts longer, but there is a lower peak flow. Bit like the justification for lockdown, slow the spread, flatten the peak. The event lasts longer, but at a more manageable level.

 

[alanw]

As a Northern caver, I was impressed/ surprised on my first visit to Mendip and a trip down St Cuthberts. ?We will just turn the water off first? 

Come up to Gaping Gill next time a winch meet is running (please may it be May). Fell Beck is dammed and the water (usually) is diverted down the Rathole.

When it's not diverted:

 

[alastairgott]

Do the hydraulic ram pumps outside the ingleborough showcave ever go any faster in high water conditions? 

 

[Pitlamp]

No, the pipes limit the flow through them.

 

[Pitlamp]

Just in case anyone's interested, here's the barograph chart for last week, which I changed this morning. It shows the deep depression which caused all that rain.

 

[Ian Ball]

Off the chart!

 

[Pegasus]

Caused a deep depression in Far Westhouse I can tell you 

 

[bograt]

Thanks for that Pitlamp, I've been trying to set up a digital barograph and I thought it was malfunctioning !! :-[

 

[Pitlamp]

In case you were working on your digital barograph over Christmas TJ, the chart covering Boxing Day (Storm Bella) looked very similar.

My clockwork barograph has great sentimental value because of the old caving friend who left it to me.