Volatile riverine levels on the Kennet

It's somewhat of an increasingly historic generality, but the River Kennet is supposed to rise in belated reaction to rain permeating the aquifer, and slowly release gin-clear water a few days later.  Or at least so far as the Upper Reach and some of the Middle Reach is concerned, but the Lower Reach is heavily influenced by the Kennet Navigation and urban run-off, as well as the Lambourn and Enbourne tributaries.

I've therefore been waiting for the rain to produce the right levels of flow to explore some obscure branches of the lower River Kennet, and a recce on the way home from the office on Monday night (09.07.12) looked promising, but just a three nights later (12.07.12) it looks like I might have missed the window of opportunity...  or maybe not!

Sunday 08.07.12 provoked interest...   but by 18:00 on Monday 09.07.12 the EA gauge showed levels were falling, despite the River's appearance at a number of marker sites...

The flow and water level at Barbel Bar is determined by the weir at Sheffield (Shenfield) Mill (next to Kate Bush's former island house) which feeds from the Kennet Navigation, and the less controlled weir at the head of Draper's Osier Bed Stream which falls from the Sulhampstead loop.  Although it serves as a guide to potential levels at other local locations, the varying degrees of artificial control over the lower reach's riverine channels mean that inspection and adherence to the Scout motto to "Be Prepared" can offer often short-lived windows for unusual canoeing and kayaking opportunities on the River Kennet.

Despite looking nearly washed out on Monday the river level at Barbel Bar was already falling...

...whilst further upstream at Padworth Bridge the brown waters were also paddleable, but closer to recent lows than highs (click on the image to enlarge it).

Still further upstream, Aldershot Water near Thatcham, looked to be an entirely different prospect from it's normal appearance.  It's just a short (approx. 265m) run from the Navigation down to the riverine section that runs between Chamberhouse Mill and Brimpton Mill, and probably of little interest in it's own right, but it offers access to a section of the Kennet that may be one of the least paddled sections of the river despite it's proximity to Thatcham.  

Aldershot Water typically displays very low water levels despite being a direct run-off (river right) from the Navigation and an overflow from surrounding (and ever expanding) gravel pits (that have now irretrievably removed any remnants of a Roman road).

At normal flows the river level at the head of Aldersot Weir can be photographed simply by wading out just below the weir pool, from where it's clear that the weir cannot be run directly from the navigation due to headspace under the towpath bridge...

...and the crenalated ledge below the weir.

Monday night showed that the rainfall was producing some somewhat higher levels, and whilst it subsequently petered out for a couple of days (and the weir still requires a portage), it's raining again now, so the downstream run could be on...