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> Topic Dangerously low water levels on Lough Erne. Posted by ROBERT McCLEAN
As the days quickly disappear towards the start of the boating season, be it St Patricks or Easter holidays; unless there is very significant rainfall in the interim, then carnage will ensue as the season gets underway. It is as we all know, a complete mystery as to who or which government department is responsible for the adequate management of the Erne levels, and we have seen some spectacular faux-pax in recent years, and I fear we are in for punishment once again, as the "powers that be" whoever they are, have once again got their predictions a mile out, and the entire Erne system is now severely depleted, and even more worringly, falling faster day by day.
Richard, Hi, I was told a wee while back that the lock gates at Portora were closed but the barrage/dam was open!, supposedly because the operation mechanism was kaput. I am unable to verify if this is actual fact, but it is what I have heard. Perhaps others will provide further detail in due course. Robbie McC
Im afraid this year water levels are going to become a hot topic, The Erne system has been the brunt of a sustained campaign to ensure water levels are held as low as possible. The same campaign is also underway in Lough Ree. The recent mismanagement and flooding has put the level control authorities on the back foot, susceptible to such lobbying. Im afraid, its going to be a hot and ongoing issue. Navigation priorities are being forced down the list. Dave
Hi Folks, The soultion to this problem is already available. It's called "Shallow Draft Boats". All you need to do is very carefully pick a suitable boat for the area that you plan to cruise. If you are planning to wander all over the navigation - steer clear of the places where we are already aware of annual issues with low water levels. No major research needed. Just common sense. Safe cruising. Regards Kieran
Quote: WI's navigational criterial for the Erne system is draft 1.2m.... ( typing error corrected ) [www.waterwaysireland.org] and our boat is 0.76 ( 2' 6" ).....( ish ) so hope we are ok...... Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 14/03/2012 16:14 by Pas Vite / T 15.
I was out on Upper L-Erne on Sunday doing a bit of fishing and noticed that the stalks on the reeds were discoloured from being submerged and were now clear-at this time of year they should still be mostly submerged.My boat has only a 0.7mtr draught so it should be alright most anywhere but the depth finder was showing near summer levels of water depth and if we get little rain in the coming months a hover craft may be the only thing that will be able to move on the Lough.Also the Lough being so shallow will let more sun light penetrate the water encouraging the weed to grow earlier and bigger which will add to our problems.Mick
Quote: I dont think its as simple as that Kieran. The precribed depth is 4 feet . Thats not present in many cases. The vast majority of cruisers are about 3'8" and under with a large proportion under 3'2". There are still having problems. Dave
I suspect but I may be wrong that many skippers/owners assume (quite wrongly) that if the water depth is four feet, then a craft with a draft of 3 - 3.5 feet can pass safely without contact with the ground. In fact due to a phenomenon termed "compression" the craft will ground and ground hard in a stern down attitude wreaking havoc to the sterngear. Many owners will have first hand experience in the next few weeks. Incidentally, I agree generally with what Kieran says regarding boat suitability, but the levels are heading in the direction of suitability equalling "canoe".
water level at 45.88m......... I think the min level is 45.72m calling Alun
Hi Folks, hadn't been looking at this channel much recently as I prefer the email system which we have on the new channel and sadly no longer here. Austin, the minimum level of ULE is as you say 45.72m AOD Poolbeg, which equates to 150 feet Poolbeg. I'm now gone from my old job a year and a bit, severe spinal spondylosis leading to other complications and pains everywhere, so they paid me off on the sick but of course I would have been retired by now anyway. The charts published as and on the Activity Map show the depth of water available below 45.72 Poolbeg in the Upper Lough. As can be seen by studying that chart, there are large areas where there isn't 1.2m of depth particularly around Shanaghy Bay and downstream of same, although doubtless the passenger steamer will be out over St Pats and Easter despite there being insufficient water to float a vessel of that size! I have safety fears about that, always have had, and trust that any groundings won't result in holings or capsize or loss of life. Someone put a number of water level marker posts in round ULE last Summer. These appear to relate to nothing at all, not even to each other. They're not to Poolbeg, Malin or Belfast datum. Ignore them would be my advice. Dave, where do you get the prescribed depth of 4 feet? Not published anywhere unless WI made an assumption somewhere along the line, certainly never in my 40 years was a depth of 4 feet thought universally attainable. Robbie, I think we discussed over a pint the other night but the entire switchgear, control panels, wiring, in fact a full refurb, including new drop gates, was carried out at Portora Barrage before I retired. Everything was working perfectly then, but I suppose a bit like the Titanic, she was all right when she left us! If theres a problem with the sensors, all they have to do is wind up an inch before going down again. The hand winding facility still exists too. Being obnoxious, I suppose I could suggest that current management don't know what they're at. Michael, I agree entirely about both the hovercraft and the weed growth. Likely to be spectacular this year! Dave 'the recent mismanagement and flooding has put the level control authorities on the back foot' is a stunning statement indicating a severe lack of knowledge of rainfall patterns and climate in general, never mind how our big river systems behave. Robbie, reponse time is measured in weeks, sadly not days. The forecaster who can accurately, every time, definitely tell me how much rain is going to fall over the next month will make a fortune. We can only work on past data, which at this point in time we now have good records, which prove conclusively that you can never tell when we're going to have a wet spell, or a dry period for that matter, but it takes weeks for the Erne and Shannon systems to fall after a very wet spell. We must always be prepared for the wet spell because we don't know when it will come. Alun Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 16/03/2012 22:13 by Alun Goodall.
OK, note to self, read all and check the links before responding From WI web quote Navigational Criteria Length: 36m Beam: 6m Draft: 1.2m Air draft: 4.2m Draft dimensions are given as a guide only and cannot be guaranteed. unquote I think they should change the 1.2 to 900mm. Don't know where they got the 1.2 from other than wishful thinking. Certainly never was thought of as being possible back in the day. Alun
Quote: makes my 0.76m look good...( ish )
Levels of lough Erne navigation continue to plummet as the start of the season looms. The depth guage at Carrybridge that Alun tells us to ignore is now on the dry land and and not in the water at all, such is the depletion of the water level. The lowest reading available on the Carrybridge depth guage is 45.7 M, with the actual level now well below the "supposed minimum". Everyone knows that this has come about due to an over-reaction by the powers that be, to the "100 year flood" that was experienced in winter 2010, and the fall out that emanated from same. It is abundantly and disgracefully clear that the same blatant disregard shown for Fermanagh in tourism terms, that we see manifested in other government decisions, is now clearly showing the same biased face to the tourist product and provision that relies so heavily on the waterways viability as a safe and useable asset. Make no mistake folks, It is very clear that waterways and boating tourism are currently seen by our "so called" Government as a very low priority indeed, and their fine words referring to enhanced Tourism being one viable strand of emergence from recession, are just that .(fine words). In my book, where a spade is called a "spade", it is actions that count and not statements, however eloquent. Then there's the so called "green agenda" that is so topical in government circles these last number of years . Well, due to the spectacular failure that we have seen occur here, the vast majority of this years crop of native fish spawn has been left high and dry and destroyed throughout the system. I notice abundant numbers of non resident waterfowl now taking full advantage of this unexpected harvest. Nice one Mr Government minister person responsible. Who needs eco vandals when we have this sort of government at work!!. I say "shame on you".
Robbie, I told you to ignore those, they are clearly wrong. I pointed this out to senior management in RA some months ago but they have failed to correct them. I would never have allowed such a potentially life threatening situation to develop, but if by default it had, I would have taken immediate steps to rectify the problem. As to levels, well, the levels you see today are exactly where they were before the catastrophic flood in 09. The problem is you never know when the rainstorm will start. You're welcome to look at my rainfall figures, which I have here for the last 30 odd years. I used to keep Portora only but as thats no longer readily available to me, I keep Derrygonnelly, Kesh, here in Lisbellaw and Ballyhaise instead.The thing you will see by studying them in depth is that you can see that there is no pattern, except to say that the summer months are generally less wet than the winter months, but you can have an August as wet as any December, or a July as wet as any November. And yet in 09 everything was textbook; gates opened as levels rose at the specified points (and literally to the minute) spilling at the specified time, and even spilling way beyond that required. We still had a huge flood. It'll give more ppl than me mental breakdowns over the years, have no fear! It is impossible to control within the remit boating or environmentalists would want. Or do we return to the uncontrolled days before the scheme when it could fall to 131 feet in the Lower Lough and everything became un-navigable and 6 month long winter floods up with us were the norm? I would have to say that I respect your right to call a spade a spade, and know you well enough to know that we could have a ding dong battle about this and come out the end of it no different, but Kierans comment above about shallow draft boats is very pertinent, as is Austins endorsement of same. I think your boats are all OK to, well protected stern gear and drawing little, but there are plenty of ocean going vessels on ULE which are not suitable for the waters they are operating in. But the rain might also start next week and could do so for 40 days and nights and we could have a huge flood again. Plenty of water then to float the boats. Or it might not rain. As to the Government agenda, I would need some convincing that they have one.
I checked the post gauge at Carrybridge beside your place and you're right, goes down to 45.70 and as it's high and dry because it's set around 150mm too high. The water level at 11.55 today was 45.84, so the gauge post needs to go down about 150mm to reflect this. Then it would be correct and may prove to be a useful tool, but as it stands it tells untruths, lies, misinforms, brings those that put it there into question as to their professional ability and may well lead some poor innocent member of the public into a dangerous situation. I'm going up to look at the one at Lady Craigavon bridge now, report later.
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