Report on fisheries invertebrate survey of the Groove Beck,Thornsgill Beck,Troutbeck system

This is the Report on fisheries invertebrate survey of the Groove Beck, Thornsgill Beck and Troutbeck system produced by the Environment Agency North West in 1997. In 1996 the National Rivers Authority (NRA) report on the 1992 strategic stock assessment for the Upper Derwent catchment Jane Atkins recommended that should subsequent electrofishing show continued low densities, a survey of the invertebrate fauna should be undertaken to assess the food availability for salmonids, in order that lack of food could be ruled out as a contributory factor in their poor breeding success. Additionally the survey looked at the substrate to try to determine whether the bed type might actually be unsuitable for spawning, especially in view of the previously mentioned silt inputs.

River Camel SAP Consultation

This is the River Camel Salmon Action Plan produced by the Environment Agency in 2002. The report focuses on the River Camel Salmon Action Plan (SAP). The River Camel SAP follows the format of those completed for the Rivers Tamar, Lynher and Tavy. It is the 4th of 7 action plans that will be produced for salmon rivers managed by the Cornwall Area Fisheries, Recreation and Biodiversity Team. This strategy represents an entirely new approach to salmon management within the UK and introduces the concept of river-specific salmon spawning targets as a salmon management tool. In addition, for the first time, Salmon Action Plans have attempted to evaluate in economic terms, all of the contributory components of the salmon fishery. The River Camel Salmon Action Plan contains a description of the river catchment and highlights particular features that are relevant to the salmon population and associated fishery.

River Tavy SAP Consultation

This is the River Tavy Salmon Action Plan Consultation document produced by the Environment Agency in 1999. The report pays attention on the external consultation of the River Tavy Salmon Action Plan (SAP). This strategy represents an entirely new approach to salmon management within the UK and introduces the concept of river-specific salmon spawning targets as a salmon management tool. In addition, salmon action plans have for the first time, attempted to evaluate in economic terms, all of the contributory components of the salmon fishery. The River Tavy Salmon Action Plan follows that for the River Tamar and River Lynher and is the third of seven action plans that will be produced for salmon rivers managed by the Cornwall Area FER department. The River Tavy SAP contains a description of the river catchment and highlights particular features that are relevant to the salmon population and the associated fishery.

The River Taw SAP Consultation Document

This is the River Taw Salmon Action Plan Consultation document produced by the Environment Agency in 2000. The report pays attention on the external consultation of the River Taw Salmon Action Plan (SAP). This approach to salmon management within the England and Wales introduces the concept of river-specific Conservation Limits as a method of assessing the status of the salmon stock. The River Taw Salmon Action Plan (SAP) includes a description of the current status of the rod and net fisheries and historical trends. The Taw salmon stock has declined since the 1960s and is currently failing to meet the spawning target. The decline in the spring fish component has accounted largely for the overall decrease in stocks. The reasons for the decline are unclear, but the spring fish problem is recognised as a national issue. The rate of survival over the marine phase has reduced in recent years for both the grilse and MSW components. This is undoubtedly a contributory factor, which may now constrain stocks to lower levels than have existed historically.

The River Torridge SAP Final Plan

This is the River Torridge Salmon Action Plan Final document produced by the Environment Agency in 2000. This final Salmon Action Plan (SAP) for the River Torridge catchment has been produced after consideration of feedback from external consultation. The SAP provides a list of the issues and actions which were agreed for a five-year programme to maintain and improve the River Torridge salmon stock. Some of these actions have already been delivered before finalising the SAP, but others have yet to be addressed. An attempt has been made to estimate the cost of the actions, identify possible sources of funding and the timescale under which they will be dealt with. The Torridge salmon stock has declined dramatically since the 1960s and is currently failing to meet the spawning target. The decline in the spring fish component has accounted largely for the overall decrease in stocks. The reasons for the decline are not fully understood, but the spring fish problem is recognised as a national issue. The rate of survival over the marine phase has reduced in recent years for both the grilse and multi-sea winter (MSW) components. This is undoubtedly a contributory factor, which may now constrain stocks to lower levels than have existed historically. Agricultural pollution is recognised as one of the main factors limiting freshwater production. This SAP aims to promote long term collaboration between the Agency and other interested parties in managing the River Torridge salmon stock and fisheries.

Extreme tides and sea levels in California [abstract]

During the winter of 1982-1983, a combination of high tides, higher than normal sea level and storm-induced waves were devastating to the coast of California. Damage estimates for public and private property destruction in the coastal counties of California totaled over $100,000,000. Much higher than average sea levels played a very important contributory role in the flooding damage. These unusually high sea levels were due to a combination of higher than normal mixed layer temperature associated with a strong, 2-year El Nino, storm surge due to low atmospheric pressure and persistent winds, and the cumulative effect of steady, "global" rise in relative sea level. Higher than average high tides coincided to an unusual extent with the peak sea levels reached during the numerous storms between November 1982 and March 1983. Important cyclical variations occur in California's mixed tide regime and the consequences of these on extreme tides have not been properly considered previously. In fact, erroneous "predictions" of much higher tides in the 1990's appearing in the popular press during the 1982-83 flooding, caused much public apprehension.

1988 summer drought over the Great Plains: some causes and predictions

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): The 1988 summer drought over much of the United States is described in terms of hemispheric mid-tropospheric flow patterns, temperature and precipitation anomalies, and sea surface temperature patterns. This drought was similar to earlier Great Plains droughts, although spatially more extensive than most. Three attempts to predict this drought from antecedent spring were moderately successful, though no one anticipated its severity and extent. ... A modified barotropic model iterating from a mean summer estimate of seasonal forcing from the May mid-tropospheric height pattern was reasonably successful in forecasting the drought. Sea surface temperature indications show that cold water (La Niña) along the equator subsequent to the 1987 El Niño, while contributory, cannot be considered a principal cause of the drought, since earlier cold water episodes did not produce drought, and other drought episodes occurred in the absence of cold equatorial waters.