Bodenham Flood Protection Group Notice
THE BFPG BULLETIN (APRIL 2021)
And the Weather in Wales… Ever wonder why it is that Herefordshire (and therefore Bodenham) seems to be prone to varying degrees of floods when rainfall is particularly bad? For this month's Bulletin, the BFPG thought it might be useful to do a piece on why this is and what, if anything, we as individuals, can do about it.
Everyone knows about climate change and how human activities such as building, development, farming and industry can create changes to the lie of the land and bio-diversity. Although these do play their part in our changing environment, we also have to look at the simple topography of the area and the regional climates that can affect things further afield.
Herefordshire has significant areas of relatively low-lying land which obviously make it particularly suitable for agriculture. Bordered by the Black Mountains to the southwest and the Malvern Hills to the east and with other upland areas within the county itself, such as the Woolhope Dome and Dinmore Hill, it sits neatly in a topographical 'bowl'.
 There are two main rivers in Herefordshire, the Wye and the Lugg, with the Arrow another notable river. All 3 rivers actually rise in Wales. The Wye runs from Plynlimon in mid-Wales to the Severn estuary and on its way, it runs from the west to southeast through the city of Hereford. The Lugg rises near Llangynllo in central Powys, Wales, about 5 miles west of Knighton. It flows through the border town of Presteigne and then to Leominster where it meets a tributary of the Arrow. The Lugg also meets with the Wye at Mordiford. Given that Wales is a mainly mountainous country with much of the land being over 150 metres, if we add this to the topography of Herefordshire, it soon becomes a little clearer why bad weather in Wales is often a precursor for potential flooding in Herefordshire!
So, what can be done at a local level? The BFPG does what it can by clearing brooks and maintaining a programme of working parties around areas in the village known to become an issue in times of heavy rain. However, as residents we can also play a part by taking simple preventative measures. Some suggestions are: keeping any kerbsides and road drains outside your property clear of leaves and debris, not dumping garden waste in the brooks, notifying the BFPG of choke areas in the brooks, having a store of sandbags if you feel you need them.
Similarly, the village's drains and sewerage systems are old and creaking and often overwhelmed, so not adding to the issue by putting wipes etc down toilets is a small way to try and help alleviate the overloading, (not only do sewage blockages cause pollution, they also cause surface water flooding), something none of us want! You can find other useful information and links to websites to access for monitoring rainfall etc at the following link:
http://www.bodenhamparish.org.uk/bfpg-info.asp
Bottom line, like Canute, we cannot stop the water, however every little helps in preventing a repeat of 2007. So, the motto is, be prepared, especially when the forecast for Wales is heavy rain!
Date: 03/04/2021
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