Flood Basin Notice, September 2019

The flood storage basin has been in operation since the 1970s. It is used occasionally in order to prevent the river from flooding thousands of properties further downstream.  A sluice-house was constructed on the right bank of the river near Millgate Fields, East Didsbury, about three-quarters of a mile upstream from Simon’s Bridge. From here sluice gates are electronically operated which allows the river water to surge through into a deep and wide grassy inlet channel which is about 200 yards long. The water continues under Millgate Lane and flows to the right into Stenner Woods and Fletcher Moss Park. It crosses Stenner Lane and inundates Simon Field and its surrounds before crossing over Ford Lane and engulfing the allotments at Bradley Fold. It takes several hours for the water to reach this point. From here the floodwater enters Withington Golf Course (near the 6th tee) and, over a period of several hours, the course may be fully or partially flooded depending on the prevailing conditions. When the golf course is fully inundated, the floodwater reaches a depth just a few feet or so below Palatine Road. Within only a day or so the level of the river may have fallen sufficiently for the floodwater to be released back into the river. This process occurs by the opening of sluice gates situated about 25 yards or so downstream from the weir at Northenden. Several tunnels under the M60 (formerly M63) allow the water to be channelled off the course and gather into a specially constructed concrete basin before discharging through the raised sluice gates and back into the river.

The flooding is controlled. It may be a partial flooding and peter out before reaching the allotments or golf course. Or, it may be a full flooding as described above. Careful monitoring is done before and during such floods. The Environment Agency give ‘flood alert’ notifications to affected parties and properties when the river level is high and the evidence suggests that a threat is posed. This gives people time to make necessary preparations. For instance, Withington Golf Club would remove machinery, equipment, tools, trolleys and other items from the ground-level bays to the safety of higher ground. When the EA decide to open the sluice-gates at East Didsbury, they notify the affected parties accordingly.

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