LONG EATON VICTORIA ANGLING SOCIETY

Update on Issues at Grange Pond

Following over two years of frustration trying to get some help and advice from the various agencies involved we believe, at long last, that we can report some encouraging progress.

Flooding  

The Society has been on the Grange site since 1980. Because of its location i.e. in the catchment of the Golden Brook and Rivers Erewash and Trent, it has always been prone to periods of flooding. However, this has never exceeded 15 -20 days a year when fishing was impossible.   Then in 2022, we were forced to close for over 100 days and a similar period in 2023. The impact of climate change with bigger and more frequent weather events has been the key reason but also a noticeable difference has been the massive increase in the length of time it has been taking for the water to drain completely.  Despite asking why this is happening and what has been changed in the system to cause this, no reasonable explanation has been given.  Without these answers and/or any undertaking that the problem would be addressed our hands have been pretty much tied, until now.  

In the past three weeks, the following issues have been addressed

1 Culvert. It has been malfunctioning for a long time now. The valve device has been repaired by a drainage expert who is confident that it is fully functional. That said we would not know for certain until we saw the first serious rise in water levels

This occurred over the last weekend and it seems that the repaired valve device stood up pretty well

2 The land drain etc.  Over time this has become silted up to the brim and so has become another cause of water ingress when levels rise. Two weeks ago, Paul Wheeldon dug out spoil from the land drain and built up the eroded bank with it, in sandbags, back to its original height.

This proved to be not quite high enough last weekend.  More importantly, it confirmed our view that this work should be extended down to the confluence with the Golden Brook. This we now have permission to do.

3. Platforms. As we know some are in need of attention especially those which dip towards the water at the front end. Therefore, as a means of future-proofing things we are going to carry out remedial work on those platforms most in need but also construct a “second -tier” on certain platforms to ensure that, except in the immediate aftermath of a “Babet” around half the pegs should remain fishable or, at worst, become fishable much sooner.

Pike     

In the coming weeks, a specialist fisheries contractor will be coming to remove as many pike as possible

Stocking

Some new silverfish (e.g. chub) will be introduced very soon and additional new carp have been ordered which will be introduced in 2025.

Facebook

Richard Lyon has kindly volunteered to take over the administration of a new Grange Facebook group – “Official Grange Pond”.  This will be the official Long Eaton Victoria (Grange Pond) page and will be used ONLY for information exchange.

A Society Facebook page embracing all the other members/waters will also be up and running very soon.  

As you see the Officers and Committee have been working tirelessly on your behalf throughout the past two years.  Please give them your full support

Thank you   

The Committee      26.11.2024