Leven

[ned]

jack reports Leven to be clear except from pipebridge below backbarrow which is now wrapped round and under the pipe.
Given the state of backbarrow they didnt go near the bridge so portaged from there past the weirs to the pipebridge along the road.

[242]

Is the left side of fishermans island still blocked ?

[jsimo]

river left of island the tree has moved making it passible just, approach with care was high water still so dunno what will happen when levels drop.

[ned]

Pipe/footbridge is now a river wide strainer. Mandatory portage

[Jon]

Spotted a silage bail in the weir above Backbarrow Bridge, on the line usually run. Looks pretty obvious from the road and I'm sure easy to avoid.

There where about 8 in the field just below Fell Foot before the flooding. Now there isn't any, so they must all be down the river somewhere, unless they have broken up.

[ned]

backbarrow bridge looks stable and the rapid unchanged. The eddy on river right above it (behind the rock) has a couple of branches down but is usuable. The wall between it and the road has collapsed. There is pedestrian access past the bridge on the right bank, but the bridge itself is closed and cordoned off.

Personally I would still like to see it when it has dropped before running the bridge as those walls must be somewhere! But it looks like it used too.

Work has begun on the footbridge below the weirs at backbarrow, but is a death trap at the moment

[Atti]

I had a low level trip down the leven today! I ran backbarrow, went fine, no change on the usual, the bottom one of the 3 fish steps below the dual carrageway bridge has gone - the second step seemed like it would be very grippy.

Some photos of the pipebridge here:

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs091.snc3/15849_245085884391_670049391_4404717_4877858_n.jpg
Portage is easy river left.

And the fish steps:

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs091.snc3/15849_245085949391_670049391_4404723_6995973_n.jpg


Play safe!

[Jon]

Looks like there will be some major works happening in the river at Backbarrow...

Backbarrow Bridge just off the A590 was damaged beyond repair when the floods hit - Tim Farron's now calling on more to be done to get it replaced.

Source: Lakeland Radio (http://www.lakelandradio.co.uk/goto.php?ref=y&sess=+A5E5140191D51+F18435A54+9+B581D1058+E+357+9+ 25953+F+C42&id=16297)

[Atti]

I am also reasonably sure that the rock in backbarrow is now covered at lower flows, I paddled it with robin a few days ago, and the water was lower than I have paddled it before, and the rock was still covered. However, this also might be me seeing/thinking things.