038001 Lee at Feildes Weir 1953
Measuring authority: EA Grid reference: 52 (TL) 390 092 Catchment area (sq km): 1036.0
First year: 1879 Level stn. (m OD): 27.70 Max alt. (m OD): 229
Daily mean naturalised discharges (cubic metres per second)
DAY JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
1 11.600 6.310 6.260 5.530 13.300 3.890 3.370 4.370 2.950 2.580 11.600 2.530
2 9.370 5.470 6.160 5.470 9.730 3.840 3.160 3.160 2.950 2.470 14.900 2.260
3 8.370 5.470 5.950 5.470 6.790 4.160 3.000 3.000 2.840 2.470 4.950 2.260
4 7.260 5.630 5.790 5.050 5.630 4.050 3.050 2.890 2.790 2.420 3.680 2.260
5 6.370 5.740 5.630 5.100 4.580 3.950 2.890 3.000 2.530 1.530 3.680 2.320
6 9.160 5.680 5.740 5.370 4.890 3.950 3.160 2.950 2.210 2.840 4.100 2.160
7 6.740 5.530 5.580 5.210 5.050 3.680 2.950 3.100 2.580 2.630 2.890 2.110
8 6.210 5.580 5.420 4.950 4.840 3.580 2.680 2.950 2.470 2.680 2.740 2.000
9 7.950 7.680 5.420 4.790 4.580 3.680 2.950 2.630 2.530 2.740 3.370 1.840
10 17.500 31.300 5.420 5.370 4.000 3.890 2.950 2.790 2.630 2.630 3.840 1.790
11 13.900 39.800 5.470 5.000 4.100 4.210 2.840 2.680 2.630 2.680 3.370 1.790
12 9.420 29.500 5.420 5.370 4.000 4.160 3.210 2.530 2.680 1.680 3.370 1.790
13 8.210 17.900 5.370 4.950 3.950 3.840 3.470 2.530 2.680 4.050 2.890 1.790
14 7.470 14.200 5.310 4.950 4.100 3.890 3.370 2.790 2.470 3.790 2.840 1.790
15 7.210 9.730 5.310 4.740 5.160 3.740 3.260 2.680 2.470 2.260 2.630 2.050
16 6.680 9.210 5.310 4.950 4.530 4.100 3.210 2.680 2.580 2.110 2.420 2.110
17 6.530 10.300 5.420 5.050 4.740 4.100 3.000 2.630 2.630 2.050 2.420 2.000
18 6.260 14.200 5.580 4.950 4.320 4.000 2.790 2.740 2.680 2.000 2.580 2.110
19 6.310 10.100 5.370 4.580 4.160 3.630 3.050 2.790 2.950 1.840 2.580 2.260
20 6.050 8.680 5.420 4.320 4.160 3.320 3.000 2.630 3.000 1.950 2.530 2.000
21 6.260 7.790 5.470 4.210 4.210 3.100 3.420 3.370 3.100 1.950 2.470 2.210
22 5.680 7.580 5.470 3.790 4.260 3.100 3.000 3.100 3.260 2.050 2.420 1.890
23 5.740 7.310 5.260 4.100 4.100 3.050 2.950 3.000 2.950 2.050 2.260 1.890
24 5.630 6.890 5.160 4.100 3.950 3.160 2.890 3.530 3.260 1.530 2.470 2.110
25 5.420 6.790 5.470 3.950 3.630 3.100 2.840 3.000 2.950 2.000 2.470 2.050
26 5.310 6.740 5.530 3.790 3.420 2.890 2.840 2.790 3.160 2.210 2.470 2.000
27 5.470 6.740 5.420 4.420 3.580 3.210 2.950 2.890 2.320 3.470 2.630 1.840
28 5.530 6.260 5.370 4.470 4.100 3.260 3.050 2.530 2.680 3.470 2.420 2.000
29 5.420 5.370 4.210 3.840 3.320 3.050 3.160 2.680 2.630 2.370 2.000
30 5.470 5.370 7.840 3.630 3.100 2.840 3.370 2.630 3.530 2.370 2.110
31 8.370 5.470 3.680 4.100 3.100 3.530 2.370
Average 7.512 10.860 5.507 4.868 4.807 3.632 3.074 2.947 2.741 2.510 3.591 2.055
Lowest 5.310 5.470 5.160 3.790 3.420 2.890 2.680 2.530 2.210 1.530 2.260 1.790
Highest 17.500 39.800 6.260 7.840 13.300 4.210 4.100 4.370 3.260 4.050 14.900 2.530
Monthly total
(million cu m) 20.12 26.28 14.75 12.62 12.87 9.41 8.23 7.89 7.11 6.72 9.31 5.50
Nat'ised
runoff (mm) 19 25 14 12 12 9 8 8 7 6 9 5
Rainfall (mm) 28 48 13 61 38 53 81 48 46 76 36 15
STATISTICS OF MONTHLY DATA FOR Oct 1883 TO Feb 2010 EXCLUDING 1953 (Incomplete or missing months total 1.9 years)
Mean Avg. 8.531 8.437 7.455 6.016 4.959 3.827 3.166 2.941 2.900 3.981 5.508 7.043
nat'ised Low 1.718 1.525 1.607 1.567 1.139 1.072 1.019 0.801 0.840 1.074 1.369 1.564
flows: (year) 1992 1992 1944 1976 1976 1949 1949 1949 1949 1934 1934 1991
High 22.830 26.200 30.700 19.270 13.810 9.592 7.420 8.707 8.218 17.320 22.190 19.130
(year) 1928 2001 1947 1919 1919 1903 1889 1917 1968 1903 2000 1929
nat'ised Avg. 22 20 19 15 13 10 8 8 7 10 14 18
runoff: Low 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 4
High 59 61 79 48 36 24 19 23 21 45 56 49
Rainfall: Avg. 59 42 46 46 50 50 53 57 55 63 66 58
(1936- Low 10 3 3 2 7 5 8 3 3 4 8 15
2008) High 132 117 135 121 122 137 104 124 129 157 173 129
Summary statistics Factors affecting runoff
(naturalised flows) 1953
For 1953 For record As % of $ Flow influenced by groundwater abstraction
preceding 1953 pre-1953 and/or recharge.
Mean flow 4.465 5.383 83 $ Abstraction for public water supplies.
Lowest yearly mean 1.619 1934 $ Flow reduced by industrial and/or
Highest yearly mean 12.060 2001 agricultural abstractions.
Lowest monthly mean 2.055 Dec 0.801 Aug 1949 $ Augmentation from effluent returns.
Highest monthly mean 10.860 Feb 30.700 Mar 1947
Lowest daily mean 1.530 5 Oct 0.579 4 Sep 1949
Highest daily mean 39.800 11 Feb 119.000 17 Mar 1947
10% exceedance 6.738 9.476 71
50% exceedance 3.513 3.760 93
95% exceedance 2.015 1.586 127
Annual total (million cu m) 140.80 169.90 83
Annual runoff (mm) 136 164 83
Annual rainfall (mm) 543 645 84
{1961-90 rainfall average (mm) 630}
Station and catchment description
From 1/1/97, flows normally sum of 38027 and 38031 (but occasional erratic performance of these US stations can impact on
the precision of Feildes Weir flows; recent flows are under review). Previously: thin-plate weir (insensitive - 29m
wide) and 3 vertical-lift sluices; completed 1978 to improve hydrometric range and precision. Model rated. All flows (bar
lockages) now contained but Ryemeads STW effluent bypasses. Pre-1978: barrage of gates/sluices (operation evident on
hydrographs, pre-1930 especially); no peak flows prior to 1965, low flows probably under-estimated. Station out of
commission in 1976 but late summer flows probably the lowest on record. Mill operation could produce particularly low
flows in the early record (e.g. on Sundays). Gauging instigated by Beardmore in 1850s (flood of Oct. 1857 estimated as
>250 cumecs, greatly exceeding any subsequent event). Significant g/w abstraction; net export from catchment. Naturalised
flows (New River abstraction only) from 1883.
A mainly pervious (Chalk) catchment with extensive Drift cover. Predominantly rural headwaters; significant urban growth
in lower valley.
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