On 08/01/2014 19:04, David Hill wrote:
On 08/01/2014 18:59, Spider wrote:
On 08/01/2014 08:58, David Hill wrote:
That house build stirs a memory with me. I was suggesting handing
money
to the locals in the hope that allhad now learned that building on
flood
plains and concreting over the land, is not an entirely desirable
solution. I don't pretend to have a solution and I don't think there's
an easy one. But I don't think some MP/Minister from Yorkshire can
truly know the problems around e.g. Taunton or Salcombe, Lynmouth,
Boscastle or Looe.


When I was looking into the grade of Water retaining polymer I needed
for my compost I was talking to one of the technical bods from one firm,
he said work is going on to incorporate the polymer into grass verges
etc. to absorb the rain and slow down run off. and so reduce the sudden
rush of flood water.




If this is the same as the water retaining granules sold to gardeners,
it will be lethal. Once wetted, the granules are intensely slippery.
Not ideal for roadside verges, surely.

The key word is Incorporated, by mixing it into the soil in the top 9 to
12 inches it will absorb a lot of water that would otherwise run
straight off.



Well, I hope it works. It won't be easy to extract if it fails. In my
experience, it never fully incorporates into the soil and remains intact
as tiny lumps of dangerously slimey jelly. Time will tell. I hope it's
just a pilot scheme.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay