Middle Level Transfer Scheme

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Page created May 2011, last edited: 12/12/25, 06:12

Introduction


In 1985 the Nene and Middle Level system experienced low water levels due to drought and a scheme was arranged to bring water in from another catchment, the River Great Ouse (RGO).

This involved abstraction of a measured amount of water from the Bedford Ouse stretch of the RGO at Earith into the Old Bedford River via three pipes said to be 300mm (12 inch?) under the centre sluice gate then draw the same quantity from the Old Bedford downstream at Welches Dam where four 6-inch pumps pumped it under the Counterdrain into the Forty Foot Drain for summer irrigation purposes within the Middle Level area.

London gazette notice A notice in the London Gazette in May 1985 stated that Anglian Water Authority had applied for an abstraction licence under the Water Resources Acts of 1963 and 1971. Abstraction was licenced during the period April-September and when the level in the Bedford Ouse was above 2.13m (7ft) AOD.

Maximum quantities permitted were
  • 2,520 m3 (554,400 galls) per hour
  • 40,000 m3 (8,800,000 galls) per day, but subject to a 30-day and annual cap
That's a collosal volume, in modern measurements 40m l/d. I'm amazed that figure could have been achieved from the size of the plant.

In 2010-11 the EA issued conflicting information (as they so often do) about the scheme's status:

The EA drought plan for Anglian Region Central Area in April 2010 stated:
"transfer is technically feasible, as the equipment including the diversion valve has recently been refurbished. However the licence that authorises the transfer has expired and is due for a review".
Yet the EA's Mr Ryan Ely wrote in a report to Earith Parish Council in 2011:
"the centre gate [at Earith] reinstalled and the damboards removed .... the redundant water transfer system below the centre gate has been removed".