IN response to Peter Lowe of Chester and his comment about the Environment Agency letting rivers 'go natural' ('Why I'm suspicious of global warming theory', Letters, January 18), I make these points.
In 1972 the River Derwent was dammed to provide clean water for the nearby treatment plant. This meant the river is no longer tidal and probably now half its depth because of silting up.
Tidal water which would have gone up the Derwent is now divided in the Ouse, Aire, Don etc. But, most importantly, with the climate change no provision has been made at Naburn locks or the Derwent dam to accommodate the masses of flood water we now get every two or three years.
The river below Naburn lock has a rise and fall of about 12 to 15 feet every 12 hours. So why does it take three to four days for the water level in York to drop?
As for the Derwent, erosion is the major problem today. Every cubic yard displaces about 240 gallons, so we have a global problem.
P Richardson,
York Road,
Haxby, York.
Updated: 10:37 Friday, January 21, 2005
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