Groundwater flooding in the Lavant valley

DEW
Advanced Member Topic Starter

17 January 2023 08:43:47

#1

Taken at sunset because of commitments earlier - more atmospheric or more obscure? You decide.

West Dean Gardens

https://imgur.com/WQcTWdH

The following are/were all paths in the gardens:

https://imgur.com/jhSSF4r

https://imgur.com/wD2LZbJ

https://imgur.com/hpVLjMC

From Lavant village itself:

https://imgur.com/wsnSWGy

Sheepwash Lane - river on the left (it was dry at the start of December), road closed on right

https://imgur.com/vITAEFf

The village green - village hall on the far side, the floodwater last reached it in 2014

Edited by user 17 January 2023 08:52:19 | Reason: Not specified

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

four
Advanced Member

17 January 2023 10:38:18

#2

There clearly has been a remarkable lot of rain since it broke further south, considering how dry it was until October.

Though drought not a concern here, it is still below average even since November and various areas which often pond in winter (and sometimes in wet summers) are still dry.

Note high levels in York for example are from Pennine rain.

North York Moors weather

DEW
Advanced Member Topic Starter

17 January 2023 22:21:52

#3

The aerial photo in this link gives a much better feel for the situation

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/environment/river-lavant-bursts-its-banks-leaving-fields-flooded-and-roads-closed-at-east-lavant-near-chichester-flood-alerts-still-in-place-across-west-sussex-3988787

Edited by user 17 January 2023 22:28:02 | Reason: Not specified

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

NMA
Advanced Member

19 January 2023 07:57:23

#4

Indeed Four it seems to have been wetter further south in the UK. It took a long time though to fill the chalk aquifers here. It was the end of November before that happened. Which shows how depleted the underground reserves were. As Bledur mentions elsewhere it's good to see this copious water bubbling up which helps the summer supplies. It might also flush out the underground water of contaminants though I think that's not scientifically proven.

And David the aerial photo is a classic because it shows the almost gin clear water unlike many floods that carry large amounts of agricultural soil to the sea. But that's another topic.

Vale of the Great Dairies

South Dorset

Elevation 60m 197ft

Retron
Advanced Member

26 January 2023 17:54:53

#5

There clearly has been a remarkable lot of rain since it broke further south, considering how dry it was until October.

Though drought not a concern here, it is still below average even since November and various areas which often pond in winter (and sometimes in wet summers) are still dry.

Note high levels in York for example are from Pennine rain.

Originally Posted by: four

The groundwater charts haven't been updated since September, but the reservoir levels down here tell a tale!

https://www.southernwater.co.uk/water-for-life/reservoir-levels

Bewl, the largest reservoir in the south east, went from 40% to 95% in two and a half months... from just above the minimum between 2000-13, to well above average. That's over 15 billion litres added - good news for the upcoming summer, anyway!

Leysdown, north Kent

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