August 3, 2007
Wales
Wales
Wind farm opponents are calling for an independent flood risk evaluation to assess the impact of turbine development in North Wales.
Proposed sites at Llyn Brenig and Clocaenog forest would, if approved, involve large-scale tree felling. Hiraethog Alliance believes this will lead to an increased risk of flooding from soil displacement and run-off.
“We feel it is madness to be felling so many trees at a time when we are already seeing dangerously high river levels across North Wales,” said group secretary Michael Williams.
The Flood Risk Management Research Consortium claimed in recent Mid Wales trials that tree cover led to a sixty-fold increase in the land’s water absorption capacity.
Proposals have yet to be submitted for Clocaenog but it is expect to lose a third of its trees to accommodate up to 100 mega turbines.
Group member Judy Welford added: “Tampering with this very fragile ecological resource will only lead to problems in the future.
“Run-off at Llyn Brenig can go into the reservoir but at Clocaenog it will have nowhere to go.”
by Andrew Forgrave
2 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/03/turbine-work-flood-threat/