I have been invited to talk to the Cam Valley Forum on the 25th March about all things chalk stream but particularly about the chalk stream restoration strategy I have been helping to develop with our CaBA Chalk Streams Restoration Group. The talk is an open forum and you can book your ‘virtual’ place by following the link in the invitation below from Alan Woods the Forum Hon secretary.
(The picture above is of the Mel, one of a chain of lovely little chalk streams that rise along the edge of the chalk downs between Cambridge and Royston.)
“Dear friend
Please find attached an invitation to our Annual Talk, which will follow the Cam Valley Forum’s AGM on Thursday 25 March.
This year’s talk is being given by Charles Rangeley-Wilson, Chairman of the National Chalk Stream Restoration Group. Charles is a leading environmentalist and advocate for Chalk streams. This meeting will provide an early opportunity to hear about his expert Group’s draft national plan to restore Chalk streams.
His Group’s proposals are expected to be ambitious and far-reaching and will be highly relevant to our own Chalk streams in the Cam Valley.
Bookings can be made via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cam-valley-forum-agm-annual-talk-national-chalk-stream-restoration-plan-tickets-144011509301. Zoom invitations will follow a few days beforehand.
We hope that you will be able to attend.”
Chalk-Streams 
Superb presentation! Just one question; my river is ABS2 and I am trying to work out Q95 etc, how do I calculate ‘natural flow’ if it was never measured before abstraction began? Do i look at average rainfall and catchment area or something?
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Hi Nick, (if you get this), I’m so sorry I missed your comment. I’m not a master blogger and have only just found it! Calculating natural flow is very difficult and involves complex modelling. A major issue is that we have no records of flows before abstraction. A simpler model that I like is to look at abstraction as a % of catchment recharge (we’re calling it A%R) and someone has started doing that for us on a number of chalk streams. You could try writing to the EA and ask very specifically for the EFI (Environmental Flow Indicator) calculations for your stream. There’s also good flow data at https://nrfa.ceh.ac.uk
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Thank you. We are in dialog with the EA and the local water company so hopefully we will get further with this. The river is the Ems, you can our copy/version/whatever of your presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqxpjfW40gA Nick
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