37 replies to this topic

[Sebastian-Smythe]

blunt pencil, on 25 June 2011 - 07:09 PM, said:

Absolutely superb work. Slide show is fantastic

Give whoever 5 stars for it.

[Harveybos]

More Pics added to the gallery - new link here
http://www.burley-in...lbum/index.html

[ex-user]

The site of the 'Old Mills' Was any archaeology found?

[Sebastian-Smythe]

Have you any news about how well the new Hydro is working? I have a reason for asking. The wish for Yorkshire Water to replace four wind turbines with two massive towers just to pump water from the river to Chelker can't have been missed by many in the valley. And I got to thinking about the Burley system and why the same wasn't being used up river. It also made me think of the places along the Wharfe where once had been water driven mills and why they too had not been converted to do the same as the one in your village.

[ex-user]

The infrastructure was in place
to feed the turbines
making it a perfect site.
I agree it seems a better solution
than ugly wind turbines.

[Sebastian-Smythe]

We should press for hydro power where ever possible. Like powering those pumps for Chelker. Far better to use that which is flowing 24/7, doesn't impede anything, is eco friendly, and costs little by comparison to manage. Btw hydro does not become a 20yr old white elephant..

[weirdmusic]

Anyone know if the Hydro developers considered re-installing the weir boards?

[Sebastian-Smythe]

Any advance on the above post?

[sutters]

As far as i know no boards will be put on the weir.

There has to be a minimum flow over the weir at all times.

[weirdmusic]

sutters, on 07 May 2012 - 01:21 PM, said:

........ There has to be a minimum flow over the weir at all times.

Why? What reason is given for this?
How is "minimum flow" measured or defined?
&
Who says so - West Riding Anglers, the Environment Agency, Natural England or someone else?

[Kingfisher]

The Environment Agency imposed a condition that the river level immediately upstream of the weir should not fall below 50mm above the weir crest.

[weirdmusic]

Do you know if this condition, from the EA, pre-dates the hydro project?
(I believe that Yorkshire Water have limitations placed on them as to how much water can be abstracted from the river at Addingham).

If the level drops below 50mm, would the hydro plant be required to switch itself off & close the sluices?

Is there a fear that the stilling pool would empty & that the river would dry out from the weir down to the outfall from the hydro plant?

[Kingfisher]

As far as I know there was no location specific condition in place prior to the hydro project. It may have been that there were general abstraction conditions in place. Presumably when the mill was operating they made up their own rules!

Yes, if the level drops below the minimum the main sluice gates would be closed. In severe drought conditions I would be interested to see how much seepage there is through the weir structure.

Downstream of the weir and upstream of the mill there are stretches of deep water separated by shallow white water, it would take some time for these deeper stretches to drain off, however the stilling pool would be likely to loose water through evaporation rather than seepage.

I wonder if anyone here can remember, when the mill was operating fully using their turbines, how long the stored water behind the weir boards lasted during a working day?

[weirdmusic]

Kingfisher, on 09 May 2012 - 09:43 AM, said:

............ In severe drought conditions I would be interested to see how much seepage there is through the weir structure. ..........

Are there any photographs of the river in drought conditions - particularly at the weir & stones?

[Sebastian-Smythe]

Just found my file with some of the Damstone pics in. You asked the date of the one showing the near empty swirl pool. Nearest I can get is pre 1932.

Just put up another photograph looking down river while the dam boards are up. Circa 1910.

Edited by Sebastian-Smythe, 10 May 2012 - 08:51 PM.

[weirdmusic]

Sebastian-Smythe, on 10 May 2012 - 08:37 PM, said:

Just put up another photograph looking down river while the dam boards are up. Circa 1910.

I can't quite work out what it is I'm seeing with this one - is the weir & stones and even the island (if it was there in 1910), behind the photographer?

[Sebastian-Smythe]

I think it's taken from the island. Look at the wall on the right hand side. Should be able to get a line from there. What it does show is the extent to which the river level dropped when the boards were up.

[Kingfisher]

I feel this might be of the stretch downstream from the mill, the wooded bank on the right could be Wood Bottom and the masonry embankment that which separated the river from the tail race. The river turns to the left as it moves away but from the island it turns to the right. From the amount of water in the photo the tail race wasn't discharging, the boards were up and storing water between the weir and Ben Rhydding.