The River Tone Floods
The Tone Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy
The environment agency has also released a publicationg on The Tone Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy produced in 2004.
Creech St Michael has two waterways running through the parish - the River Tone and the Bridgwater to Taunton Canal. The River is a very pleasant feature most of the year, but can reek devastating results when in flood.
These were installed in December 2001. Residents Groups in Mill Lane and Ham were formed last year and joint funding from the Parish Council and the Environment Agency has provided two emergency pumps for use in these areas.
Somerset County Council had secured additional funding from the Goverment to carry out major flood defence work along the Rivers Tone and Parrett in 2002/3 to bring the defences up to a 1 in 100 year standard. This hopefully will protect homes and businesses in our villages from flooding for the foreseable future.
The Environment Agency has completed its work behind the cottages in Mill Lane by removing the trees from the river and clearing the vegetation along the banks which will be built up to provide protection to the houses. Last year the EA dredged the river from the Five Arch Bridge, past the cottages on Mill Lane to the Old Tone Bridge, and along the new cut to the New Tone Bridge and then along to where the cut rejoins the main river just beyond Hopkins Abattoir. Work to reinstate the ring bank, to a 100 year standard, where is crosses Ham Road is still to be done.
October 30th, 2000 will go down in history! We saw the worst flooding in the country since 1947 and Creech and Ham were no exceptions. Unfortunately on December 7th the village was flooded again. This time other parts of the parish were flooded too including cottages at North End and homes at Charlton. People living in Ham have endured flooding in the hamlet for many years and still do. On Christmas Day 1997, the main road through the village was flooded from Knapp to Creech, as well as parts of Mill Lane. The road betweens Creech St Michael and Ruishton, and Ham flood almost every year. The flooding of the River Tone has caused disruption over many years in both Creech St Michael and Ham
October 30th & December 7th 2000
On October 30th we were the victims of severe flooding like many others all over England, from the far North to the extreme South. On December 7th the weather again dealt its unwelcome hand. Creech St Michael and Ham were badly flooded for a second time. Many people were again caught unawares when water levels rose to flood their homes. Since these floods the Parish Council and residents have been working closely with the Environment Agency, Wessex Water, Taunton Deane Borough Council, WS Atkins and the Internal Drainage Boards to ensure that emergency action has been taken.
In Mill Lane, Wessex Water installed 3 non return valves on the sewerage system. WS Atkins have cleared out the culverts at North End.
This photo (below) shows the extent of the flooding in 1999. Creech St Michael is to the left of the picture and the paper mill is clearly visible, the village of Ruishton is to the lower right. This is a large picture so please be patient as it may take a few seconds longer to open and download.