Is This Sense For Somerset?
It would appear that the report commissioned by the government is going to recommend a barrage of the River Parrett downstream from Bridgwater, according to reports like this one on the BBC.
Over forty years ago, my modelling software Speed was used by the now-superseded Water Resources Board to model water flows in river basins. I’m sure that these days, scientists and engineers could do much better, but then a scientifically correct solution often ignores powerful interests like farmers, the RSPB and politicians, who know a cause to get themselves re-elected.
The only thing I will predict with certainly, is that there will be a large argument over what is to be done.
They should do what Network Rail seem to doing at Dawlish. And that appears to be getting the job done as quick as possible using every possible method. The BBC is now stating that the line will open on April the 4th. So it would appear that the engineers are winning!
My one time neighbour in Suffolk, a past Colonel in an Engineering Regiment in the British Army, said that in case of war, you burn all Rule Books. He did say, that you keep the Instruction Manuals.
It’s certainly a war our there against the floods!
The Anonymous Widower 
[…] I can’t find any reference to how much it would cost to upgrade the line, but it would surely benefit more people than the proposed hundred million pounds, that are being spent according to reports in Somerset. […]
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