The River Stour at Bear Mead (made up of the five green fields on the South bank 2 miles West of Wimborne). The East neighbour is Eyemead, owned by The National Trust.

River height is measured using a 4.0 metre pipe-scale. The scale gets corroded by deposits from water plants and creatures, particularly in warmer months when the river is low and stable. The corroded pipescale is replaced regularly by a newly painted pipescale. Care and the correct equipment is needed as the scale is surrounded by deep mud on the bottom. Dates when a replacement was performed are shown by a green triangle on the graphs below. The river needs to be 160 or lower. For high river states, when the wet fields prevent approach to the pipe-scale, the river height is estimated by extrapolation from the Environment Agency heights at Blandford

2016 2016

2015 2015

2014 1234567890123456789012345678901 FLOOD-20 FLOOD-21-22-23-24 0123 Winter storms 2013-14 12345 FLOOD-25-26 12345 -27-28 Rainfall 15dec2013 to 14feb2014:-- 600 mms in 61 days Dryest Sept. since 1910 (9.5mm) 2014

2013 12345678901234567890123456789012345 FLOOD-18 123456789012 FLOOD-19 Change in scales. 1234567890123456789012345678901 St Jude storm 1234567890123456789012345678901 FLOOD-20 FLOOD-21-22-23-24 0123 Winter storms 2013-14 2013

2012 See:Unusual weather 2012 12345678901 FLOOD-12 -13 Rainfall 17apr2012 to 30apr2012:-- 119 mms in 14 days -14 123456789012 FLOOD-15 Rainfall 02jul2012 to 08jul2012:-- 100 mms in 7 days FLOOD-16 Change in scales. Rainfall 20nov2012 to 26nov2012:-- 91 mms in 7 days 12345 FLOOD-17 2012

2011 2011

2010               snow melt snow melt 2010

2009 Snow melt, heavy rain   FLOOD-8 Rainfall 02feb2009 to 10feb2009:-- 86 mms in 9 days 12345678901234567890123FLOOD-9 -10 -11 Rainfall 12nov2009 to 08dec2009:-- 235 mms in 27 days 2009

2008                                                                                         FLOOD-5 Rainfall 04jan2008 to 17jan2008:-- 109 mms in 14 days   FLOOD-6                                        FLOOD-7                    30 day drought 2008

2007                                                                                  FLOOD-3    FLOOD-4 12345678901234567890123456789012345 FLOOD-5 2007

2006 Change in scale Change in scale                                                              FLOOD-2 Rainfall 16nov2006 to 07dec2006:-- 215 mms in 22 days                                                                                  FLOOD-3 2006

2005 Change in scale Change in scale                       FLOOD-1 Rainfall 30nov2005 to 04dec2005:-- 37 mms in 5 days 2005

2004 2004

2003 Records begin 4 Aug 2003 Change in scale 2003

Statistics

Possible water extractions [after x days of drought] 31mar2004[9]... 06feb2006[17]... 01feb2007[11]... 15mar2010[15]... 29feb2012[24]... 06apr2013[14]... 21apr2013[8]... Feb, Mar, Apr.... 9-24 day drought... Level 130-180... Groundwater 85-145 Floods since July 2003: Analysis of Floods 2003 none | 2004 none | 2005 Dec 3 | 2006 Nov 26, Dec 31 | 2007 Mar 6 | 2008 Jan 16, Mar 17, Dec 15 | 2009 Feb 10, Nov 30, Dec 4, Dec 9 | 2010 none | 2011 none | 2012 Apr 27, May 01, May 02, Jul 08, Nov 21,23,25,26 | 2013 Jan 14,29 | Dec 24 | 2014 Jan 2,6,7,9 | Feb 7,8,14,16 | DRY SEASON Groundwater Year START | END | MIN | MAX | 2014 Jun30 | Oct07 | 64 | 240+ | 2013 Jun09 | Oct23 | 60 | 240+ | 2012 - | - | 90 | 240+ | 2011 May18 | Oct31 | 60 | 215 | 2010 Jun18 | Nov08 | 65 | 215 | 2009 May16 | Oct21 | 60 | 240+ | 2008 - | Oct07 | 85 | 240+ | 2007 - | Nov18 | 70 | 240+ | 2006 - | Oct19 | 60 | 240+ | 2005 Jun02 | Oct19 | 50 | 240+ | 2004 Jun17 | Oct01 | 70 | 210 | 2003 - | Oct22 | 40 | 210 |

Well at Woodyates Manor 20kms NNE in chalk, depth 45 metres. Min: 69.42m (26oct2013) Max: 109.23m (09jan2014) Latest: 73.46m (15jul2015)

Well at Ashton Farm 32 kms SW in chalk, depth 12 metres.

Rainfall in Dorset (mms per month) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Av Jan 44 108 98 124 128 55 26 161 133 99 72 106 47 120 292 111 107 Feb 94 83 111 41 50 18 59 105 49 92 89 84 21 48 179 71 Mar 46 146 56 43 51 47 77 75 102 26 80 18 33 100 52 64 Apr 152 88 54 52 80 69 24 4 76 51 34 4 139 58 110 67 May 64 22 107 44 37 31 101 111 91 25 13 32 65 54 81 52 Jun 21 21 35 47 44 33 24 109 51 68 38 98 160 25 16 53 Jul 54 64 49 50 45 60 40 132 82 80 28 33 132 32 41 53 Aug 41 23 36 14 86 59 52 86 119 52 109 123 67 28 91 64 Sep 111 59 49 5 50 26 45 32 75 23 24 58 92 42 9 63 Oct 173 168 167 82 177 129 145 36 100 92 37 58 169 141 145 109 Nov 167 44 220 125 25 81 153 115 82 196 110 49 151 61 182 114 Dec 164 26 139 74 61 89 84 96 22 150 61 92 176 213 39 101 Tot 1131 852 1121 701 834 697 830 1062 982 954 695 755 1252 922 1237 916 (Data derived from that supplied by Environmental Agency for Rivers House, Blandford, 1991-2007, for 2008-2015 from Author's measurements at Broadstone)

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