Little Stour
&
Nailbourne River Group
From November 1999 for 2½ years there appeared to be a big change in the weather. Larger quantities of rain fell, half an inch of rain could fall in a day. From then on, half an inch in an hour or an inch in a day was happening and that Winter we had 6½ inches in a week. Serious floods started: the Nailbourne and the Great Stour Valley overflowed. Serious flooding happened for two winters and villages and towns were flooded which started the big change from once in 100 years to once in 5 years.
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The map above shows the areas that may be at risk from flooding.
(click and drag your mouse on the map to navigate along the river)
Since the beginning of 2000, we have seen 4 major floods with houses, land and many properties under threat. This also caused issues with the sewer system, a major problem in the Nailbourne Valley with subsidence in the underground springs and subsequently the sewer system. The overflowing of the two major reservoirs in the Ashford area caused the Great Stour to overtop in many places, 2 major full floods of the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve and, since then, major housing development in the Ashford and Canterbury areas have taken place, with run offs into the Valley. The maintenance by the EA and Southern Water has not kept pace and in the Great Stour, the outfall from Canterbury to Sandwich has deteriorated in volume by 20-50%.
…since 2014, we have just missed serious flooding – but it will happen, like other parts of the country.
Maintenance in the way of funding and staff has declined and, since 2014, we have just missed serious flooding – but it will happen, like other parts of the country. We have to push the Government, Defra and the EA for more investment into regular maintenance to cope with future threats.
The Great Stour from Fordwich to Sandwich is in a terrible state of flow in high flows and many major trees want serious work carried out as silt banks have built up and reed banks narrow the river and depth. This river drains all the water from West Kent through the developed areas of Ashford and Canterbury and takes the Nailbourne Little Stour water into the outflow.
The weather pattern now gets more regular heavy periods of rain, especially in winter months with 100ml per month from October to March and hourly extremes of 30ml even in the summer but with the same annual volumes.
Climate change is here and we have to act to cope with these changing times. We, the Nailbourne Little Stour Management Group of 12 Parish Councils within the catchment area of both the Nailbourne and Little Stour, ie stretching from Lymninge right through to Stourmouth, are deeply worried as residents and landowners.
We are therefore trying to work with the authorities to get them to understand the experience of the wealth and knowledge of living within and understanding the area as well as looking after our two lovely rivers.