Hope our River is no Drying Up

[Gonzo the Face]

I have never seen the river this low in the past 20 + years. The Narawat reading station is reporting a level of 1.0 .... Usually the standard was approx. 1.35 & we haven't hit the real dry season yet. Couple more months before the rainy period. Think we are in for some difficulty.

[masuk]

I have read of warnings to go easy on the use of water, but I noticed sprinklers watering lawns just a day after the heavy rain we had last week.

Maybe soon we might experience what the average Aussie city has to put up with in the warmer months; no sprinklers, watering by hand only; hosing of driveways and paths not permitted, temperatures over 40C. Washing of cars with a bucket only.

Anyway, if we believe the journalists, a change of seasons and an increase in summer temperatures and record levels of CO2 is only fiction and what do scientists and meteorologists know?

[dave2]

re

Posted Today, 17:18

I have never seen the river this low in the past 20 + years.

according to the three stakes / poles in the river on the right of these two

pics the river level by wararot market between 12 dec 14 and 14 jan 15

( a month ) is about the same !

pic 1 .. 12 dec 14

pic 2 .. 14 jan 15

dave2

[Konini]

Odd, but having lived through a 15 year drought in Melbourne (I think 12 of those years were officially government declared drought, something they don't like to do), I've been watching the water level since October and wondering why nobody seems to be concerned about it.

Scare tactic people in Melbourne were shouting 'Drought' for a couple of years before it was obvious, and it was by noticing the level of river that I crossed twice every day that I could see for myself that there was going to be a problem. I'd say that here in CM we're definitely in for a problem, but it's the rural districts that usually suffer a lot more as major towns were always sited where there was a constant and reliable source of water, smaller towns and villages built on not so much constant year in, year out water supply.

[Thailand]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/792757-phitsanulok-phichit-hit-hard-as-yom-river-almost-dries-up/

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Replying essentially the same thing every time the river is the topic (low or high) may become tedious, but between the dams and the new Pa Daed gates, there is just about full control over the water level. (when it's not the height of the rainy season.)

They can set pretty much any water level, and river water level should not be seen as an indication of anything. If you want to assess drought potential, look at the water level in the main reservoirs. It may very well be low, but that's where to look.

[Konini]

I didn't realise that Winnie, thanks for the info. I well remember the dam levels being given at the weather section of the evening news, and it getting really scary when Thompson Dam was down to below 13% of capacity - that's when they commissioned a desalination plant, and the drought broke at about the time the earth breaking ceremony to start building took place.

Horrible, horrible waste of money for a drought worse than anything in recorded history for Melbourne; who knows if or when such a situation will reoccur and anyway, what is the lifespan of an unused desal plant?

[Chiengmaijoe]

Replying essentially the same thing every time the river is the topic (low or high) may become tedious, but between the dams and the new Pa Daed gates, there is just about full control over the water level. (when it's not the height of the rainy season.)

They can set pretty much any water level, and river water level should not be seen as an indication of anything. If you want to assess drought potential, look at the water level in the main reservoirs. It may very well be low, but that's where to look.

Without the dams you'd be able to walk acroos the river in a month or so's time. I saw food carts in the river during Songkran 30 years ago. Here is a photo from a little while before that. The bridge is the Nawarat bridge, not the new iron bridge near Rimping, which was built as a replica of the old one about 20 years ago.

[Gonzo the Face]

Replying essentially the same thing every time the river is the topic (low or high) may become tedious, but between the dams and the new Pa Daed gates, there is just about full control over the water level. (when it's not the height of the rainy season.)

They can set pretty much any water level, and river water level should not be seen as an indication of anything. If you want to assess drought potential, look at the water level in the main reservoirs. It may very well be low, but that's where to look.

Without the dams you'd be able to walk acroos the river in a month or so's time. I saw food carts in the river during Songkran 30 years ago. Here is a photo from a little while before that. The bridge is the Nawarat bridge, not the new iron bridge near Rimping, which was built as a replica of the old one about 20 years ago.

Very interesting photo CMJ.

We have a flood chart which gives the readings for various locations in the area. Here is the link for the chart covering the Narawat Bridge. I usually check it very closely during flood threatening times. But is it possible and if so does anyone know how to go back and get historical readings from this chart. I would like to see the reported river levels as of 18 Jan, in the years 2014, 2013, 2012 .....

Anyone know how or if that can be done ?

http://hydro-1.net/08HYDRO/HD-06/HOURLY.html?id=61

G

[Chiengmaijoe]

The Ping river near Nawarat bridge Songkran 1985.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Some interesting photos of chiang Mai from reviewchiangmai.com/1277 including some from a fire in Warrorot market in 1968 and shopkeepers taking their stock to the river for safety. Also Nawarat bridge songkran 1968.

[northernjohn]

re

Posted Today, 17:18

I have never seen the river this low in the past 20 + years.

according to the three stakes / poles in the river on the right of these two

pics the river level by wararot market between 12 dec 14 and 14 jan 15

( a month ) is about the same !

pic 1 .. 12 dec 14

pic 2 .. 14 jan 15

dave2

Didn't we have a massive amount of rain just prior to the Jan.15 picture?

[Chiengmaijoe]

Okay, the last one, I promise. One of the vendors in the middle of the river from Songkran 1985. 10 out of 10 to her for getting out to where the customers are.

[Chicog]

I wouldn't worry about the river too much, have a look at the reservoirs first.

[dave2]

re

I have never seen the river this low in the past 20 + years. The Narawat reading station is reporting a level of 1.0

and its right !

i went to get some cheese at rimping today and poped over to see the marker post and ive never seen it this low in the few years ive been keeping tabs of the the levels as i check it more when its coming up rather than going down

re

I would like to see the reported river levels as of 18 Jan, in the years 2014, 2013, 2012

ill see if ive got any pics of these years but dont hold your breath !

dave2

[Gonzo the Face]

Dave 2.... with regard to the on line flood measurement chart I mentioned earlier, do you , or anyone else for that matter, know how to get the past data from this charting group for the past months and years? There has got to be a way to call that infor up , but I just don't know how to do it.

G

[Chiengmaijoe]

Dave 2.... with regard to the on line flood measurement chart I mentioned earlier, do you , or anyone else for that matter, know how to get the past data from this charting group for the past months and years? There has got to be a way to call that infor up , but I just don't know how to do it.

G

If the level of the river is determined by the release from the dams, what will these figures prove? The level of the reservoirs is the truer measure, but even then that will fall and rise as they release water. Some years, such as this, they tell the farmers not to plant a third crop as they don't have enough water in the reservoirs. Sometimes during the rainy season the river rises very quickly a week or so after a big storm as they release water to prepare for the next big storm. You must have seen that , considering your location.

Most floods in Chiang Mai come with a 12 hour or more warning because the river is high and the dams are full and there is a new storm coming, so they have to release water into an already swollen river. Without the dams the river would normally be low now, and very low come April. I was at the Bumiphol Dam in about July and had never seen that reservoir so low. It does seem that the reservoirs up north are low this year because it was a pretty dry wet season. Not so down South!

I suppose the only true measures of where we're at might be the rainfall charts.

[dave2]

re

I would like to see the reported river levels as of 18 Jan, in the years 2014, 2013, 2012

here ya go ... well as near as ive got !

pic 1 .. 21 december 12

pic 2 .. 10 january 13

december / january 14 none

re

how to get the past data from this charting group for the past months and years? There has got to be a way to call that infor up , but I just don't know how to do it.

nor do i .. sorry !

dave2