River Ouse web cam Click to access latest information
A flood warning has been issued by the Environment Agency. River levels are not expected to increase to those encountered in 2012.
Detailed river levels can be found on the EA web site http://tinyurl.com/Ouse-catchment
The best indicator remains the real time CCTV camera which records river levels on Kings Staith.
There is a significant risk If the top of the no entry sign disappears under water!
The devastation caused by flooding in other parts of the country is likely to reopen the debate about whether the river Ouse should be dredged.
Although dredging might increase the river capacity (and speed) where the work could be completed there would be other implications. Not least amongst these are the fact that more water would arrive in greater volumes at vulnerable downstream locations.
Potentially this could mean more, rather than fewer, homes being flooded. There are also concerns about the impact that dredging can have on the foundations of bridges. on river banks and on wildlife habitats.
The policy introduced a few years ago – of planting near the upper reaches of rivers to help control the speed that water runs off the land – has merit, while the York Council is rightly making provision, in its forward budgets, for the improvement and maintenance of water courses.
Nevertheless the dredging arguments do now need to be revisited and we would like to see a committee set up to publicly consider all the issues involved.
