Victor believes new flood plain will flood Trent & Mersey

The 'climate' bods have managed to persuade the powers-that-be to create a massive wetlands around the Trent and next to the Trent & Mersey Canal below the Weston narrow lock in Staffordshire.

Work has already started with, we are told, over a mile of the river being worked on, and alarmingly, with its banks being lowered and sections of the river widened to allow water to spread.

And most likely spread into the canal that runs alongside!  As the flood plain is designed to cover the ground towards the canal on the right of the new flood plain, as the picture shows, and in certain danger of being flooded itself.

But this of course, as Trent Rivers Trust explains—would improve important spaces for wildlife and also reconnect the river to its floodplain, creating additional storage for flood water.

It is expected to be completed by the middle of September, as the work was timed to avoid disturbing nesting sand martins on the river banks.

As part of the work, embankments will be lowered and sections of the river widened which will help create breeding spots for wading birds and wildflower grasslands.

For boaters, it is certainly not such a good idea lowering river banks with the canal running alongside—and no need to tell you why!

Daft ideas

Most of last week has been taken up with the cyanide spill at Walsall as you will no doubt be fully aware. But what of the ideas of control from the 'experts'?

One is to pump water into the Walsall Canal to clear the chemicals—that will then make sure it spreads even further! Or what about the other idea of filtering the water?

How is not told, for how on earth do you filter the millions of gallons of water in the canal—perhaps people holding blankets across the locks as water is allowed through! Experts, eh? 

The Environment Agency had a barrier across to stop its flow, knowing that within days it will be dissipated—and forget the 'experts'.

Visitors first

It seems indeed that Canal & River Trust has taken great pleasure in announcing that the towpaths that were closed by the spillage are now open for visitors.

The boaters? It will let us know.

Any-road-up, I shall not bore you with more on that subject, it's been flogged to death.

Against all boats?

I don't understand the fella at Marlow on the Thames who was complaining to all and sundry about the 'eyesore' boats moored by Higginson Park.

For, except for one cruiser half sunk, to me they were just the normal run of moored boats we see on waterways everywhere.

And surely if they had been either moored where they shouldn't or unlicensed, the Environment Agency would have had them shifted somewhat speedily.

Not much hope

I don't see much hope for the Wendover Arm.

For though the two sunken boats blocking its entrance have been moved, our Howard Clarke tells from his walk around the Arm that it is very shallow now with lots of weed in the water and the banks overgrown.

Only really usable by canoeists and paddle boarders, even the anglers have disappeared, he tells, so I can't see many narrowboaters tackling it.

Victor Swift—telling tales for 24 years