EA has updated their web site with the plans for this winter. You can see the details here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/river-thames-conditions-closures-restrictions-and-lock-closures

The River Thames Alliance has recently issued their second annual report. This is important reading for all Thames users.

You can find it here

Another ‘Disastrous’ EA Report

Louis Jankel reports on the ongoing saga of Thames lock-keepers

Since 2008, the Environment Agency has been toying with the concept of replacing River Thames residential lock- and weir-keepers with ‘runners’. The justification is that the EA thinks it can save lots of money by letting out the cottages. After much to-ing and fro-ing, with almost unanimous objection from users, a study group was instituted to justify the policy, using the four (out of 45) lock cottages already having non-waterway tenants. After two years, the EA report was published with ridiculous figures. Sadly, the remaining two of the original four users, who were participants on the study group, inexplicitly agreed with the report and its content.

Northmoor Weir

Dennis Hill gives abrief summary of the battle to save the last Paddle and Rymer weir on the Thames.

Back in 2010, the EA proposed to replace the Paddle and Rymer weir, which has been manned by professional lock staff since 1896, with motorised gates. The Agency was worried that their lock-keepers risked straining themselves to remove the paddles that allow water through the weir, and it had tests carried out to establish whether their staff were being exposed to health risks when using this type of weir. These results suggested that lock-keepers had to lift weights that were too heavy, so they decided to replace the complete weir with a modern concrete structure at a cost of £2.6 million of public money.