SEA-LEVEL MEASUREMENTS IN THE WASH BAY

Abstract

A report (Binnie and Partners, 1965) on the water resources of the Great Ouse Basin put forward proposals for storage in the Wash of fresh water from the four rivers draining into the bay. The scheme suggested was to take the form of a barrage, enclosing about a third of the area of the bay, behind which fresh water would be stored in raised impoundments. Four years later (Binnie and Partners, 1970) this proposal was superseded by a scheme for storage in bunded reservoirs built on the foreshore at the head of the bay. The current Wash Feasibility Study (commenced in 1971) is expected to highlight the most suitable scheme of this sort following a programme which includes field data collection, hydraulic and mathematical model testing and site investigations. The scheme as currently envisaged would take the form of bunded reservoirs built (largely from dredged sea bed material) on the foreshore close to the outfall of the river Great Ouse and connected by tunnel to intakes on that river, and later on the river Nene. To meet increasing demand further impoundments could be built along the foreshore to store water drawn from the other rivers draining into the Wash. Figure 1 shows a possible reservoir scheme which is among those being considered. Continuous sea level observations have been made at 4 points in the Wash bay (figure l) using automatic level recorders. The purpose was to provide information on tides and surges in connection with the feasibility study.