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Thames Barrier

Updated: Wikipedia source

Thames Barrier

The Thames Barrier is a retractable barrier system built to protect the floodplain of most of Greater London from exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea. It has been operational since 1982. When needed, it is closed (raised) during high tide; at low tide, it can be opened to restore the river's flow towards the sea. Built about 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) east of the Isle of Dogs, its northern bank is in Silvertown in the London Borough of Newham and its southern bank is in the New Charlton area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Infobox

Country
United Kingdom
Location
London
Coordinates
mw- 51°29′49″N 0°2′12″E / 51.49694°N 0.03667°E / 51.49694; 0.03667
Purpose
Flood control
Status
Operational
Construction began
1974; 51 years ago (1974)
Opening date
8 May 1984; 41 years ago (1984-05-08)
Construction cost
£535 million
Built by
mw- Costain Hollandsche Beton Maatschappij Tarmac Construction Tysons, Liverpool Cleveland Bridge & Engineering
Operator
Environment Agency
Type of dam
Barrage
Impounds
River Thames
Height (thalweg)
20.1 metres
Length
520 metres
Turbines
0

Tables

Closures per season (Sept–May) and flooding source · History › Barrier closures and incidents
1982–83
1982–83
Season
1982–83
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
1
1983–84
1983–84
Season
1983–84
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
0
1984–85
1984–85
Season
1984–85
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
0
1985–86
1985–86
Season
1985–86
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
1
Total
1
1986–87
1986–87
Season
1986–87
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
1
1987–88
1987–88
Season
1987–88
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
0
1988–89
1988–89
Season
1988–89
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
1
1989–90
1989–90
Season
1989–90
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
3
Total
4
1990–91
1990–91
Season
1990–91
Tidal
2
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
2
1991–92
1991–92
Season
1991–92
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
0
1992–93
1992–93
Season
1992–93
Tidal
4
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
4
1993–94
1993–94
Season
1993–94
Tidal
3
Combined tidal/ fluvial
4
Total
7
1994–95
1994–95
Season
1994–95
Tidal
2
Combined tidal/ fluvial
2
Total
4
1995–96
1995–96
Season
1995–96
Tidal
4
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
4
1996–97
1996–97
Season
1996–97
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
1
1997–98
1997–98
Season
1997–98
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
1
1998–99
1998–99
Season
1998–99
Tidal
2
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
2
1999–00
1999–00
Season
1999–00
Tidal
3
Combined tidal/ fluvial
3
Total
6
2000–01
2000–01
Season
2000–01
Tidal
16
Combined tidal/ fluvial
8
Total
24
2001–02
2001–02
Season
2001–02
Tidal
3
Combined tidal/ fluvial
1
Total
4
2002–03
2002–03
Season
2002–03
Tidal
8
Combined tidal/ fluvial
12
Total
20
2003–04
2003–04
Season
2003–04
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
1
2004–05
2004–05
Season
2004–05
Tidal
4
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
4
2005–06
2005–06
Season
2005–06
Tidal
3
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
3
2006–07
2006–07
Season
2006–07
Tidal
8
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
8
2007–08
2007–08
Season
2007–08
Tidal
6
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
6
2008–09
2008–09
Season
2008–09
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
4
Total
5
2009–10
2009–10
Season
2009–10
Tidal
2
Combined tidal/ fluvial
3
Total
5
2010–11
2010–11
Season
2010–11
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
0
2011–12
2011–12
Season
2011–12
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
0
2012–13
2012–13
Season
2012–13
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
5
Total
5
2013–14
2013–14
Season
2013–14
Tidal
9
Combined tidal/ fluvial
41
Total
50
2014–15
2014–15
Season
2014–15
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
1
2015–16
2015–16
Season
2015–16
Tidal
1
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
1
2016–17
2016–17
Season
2016–17
Tidal
2
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
2
2017–18
2017–18
Season
2017–18
Tidal
3
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
3
2018–19
2018–19
Season
2018–19
Tidal
3
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
3
2019–20
2019–20
Season
2019–20
Tidal
9
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
9
2020–21
2020–21
Season
2020–21
Tidal
2
Combined tidal/ fluvial
4
Total
6
2021–22
2021–22
Season
2021–22
Tidal
7
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
7
2022–23
2022–23
Season
2022–23
Tidal
2
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
2
2023–24
2023–24
Season
2023–24
Tidal
2
Combined tidal/ fluvial
11
Total
13
2024–25
2024–25
Season
2024–25
Tidal
0
Combined tidal/ fluvial
0
Total
0
Totals
Totals
Season
Totals
Tidal
119
Combined tidal/ fluvial
102
Total
221
Season
Tidal
Combined tidal/ fluvial
Total
1982–83
1
0
1
1983–84
0
0
0
1984–85
0
0
0
1985–86
0
1
1
1986–87
1
0
1
1987–88
0
0
0
1988–89
1
0
1
1989–90
1
3
4
1990–91
2
0
2
1991–92
0
0
0
1992–93
4
0
4
1993–94
3
4
7
1994–95
2
2
4
1995–96
4
0
4
1996–97
1
0
1
1997–98
1
0
1
1998–99
2
0
2
1999–00
3
3
6
2000–01
16
8
24
2001–02
3
1
4
2002–03
8
12
20
2003–04
1
0
1
2004–05
4
0
4
2005–06
3
0
3
2006–07
8
0
8
2007–08
6
0
6
2008–09
1
4
5
2009–10
2
3
5
2010–11
0
0
0
2011–12
0
0
0
2012–13
0
5
5
2013–14
9
41
50
2014–15
1
0
1
2015–16
1
0
1
2016–17
2
0
2
2017–18
3
0
3
2018–19
3
0
3
2019–20
9
0
9
2020–21
2
4
6
2021–22
7
0
7
2022–23
2
0
2
2023–24
2
11
13
2024–25
0
0
0
Totals
119
102
221

References

  1. Landscape and Urban Planning
    https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1988LUrbP..16...57K
  2. Written Answers (Hansard)
    https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1954/jun/03/coastal-flooding-committees-report
  3. The Thames Barrier
    https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/11594001
  4. The Thames Barrier: The Background and Basic Engineering Requirements. D Ayres Director of Public Health Engineering, GL
  5. Grace's Guide
    https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Davy_Cleveland_Barrier_Consortium
  6. "Engineers and main contractors for the building of the Thames Barrier"
    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090205134525/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/38355.aspx
  7. The Geographical Journal
    https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1979GeogJ.145..242H
  8. Manufacture and Installation of the Barrier Gates and Operating Machinery – P F Harvey, Davy Cleveland Barrier Consortiu
  9. The Times
    https://www.thetimes.com/tto/archive/frame/article/1982-11-04/3/1.html
  10. The Guardian
    https://www.newspapers.com/image/259609689/
  11. MeasuringWorth
    http://www.measuringworth.com/datasets/ukgdp/
  12. GOV.UK
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-thames-barrier-protecting-london-and-the-thames-estuary-for-40-years
  13. "The Thames Barrier Project Pack 2010"
    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101216014218/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Leisure/Thames_Barrier_2010_project_pack.pdf
  14. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26133660
  15. GOV.UK
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thames-barrier
  16. BBC News
    https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7086175.stm
  17. "Surge of 9 November 2007-11-09"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120221223805/http://www.pol.ac.uk/home/news/2007-11stormsurge.html
  18. Marchioness
    https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/collision-between-aggregates-dredger-bowbelle-and-passenger-vessel-marchioness-on-the-river-thames-england-resulting-in-marchioness-sinking-with-loss-of-51-lives
  19. The Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/10646439/The-Thames-Barrier-has-saved-London-but-is-it-time-for-TB2.html
  20. Sand Kite
    https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/contact-made-by-dredger-sand-carrier-sand-kite-with-the-thames-flood-barrier-river-thames-england-resulting-in-flooding-and-partial-sinking-of-vessel
  21. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-17266139
  22. "Managing flood water: The future"
    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090606062958/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/105205.aspx
  23. "Predicting and Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage"
    https://whc.unesco.org/en/series/22/
  24. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-26453484
  25. ThamesWEB
    https://web.archive.org/web/20081223120826/http://www.thamesweb.com/news_story.php?news_id=144
  26. The Sunday Times
    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/ten-mile-barrier-to-stop-london-flood-svs2r99x8xq
  27. "Thames Hub: An Integrated Vision for Britain"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20111110074451/http://www.halcrow.com/Thames-Hub/PDF/Thames_Hub_vision.pdf
  28. New Civil Engineer
    https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/thames-barrier-bridge-proposal-revealed-03-06-2019/
  29. Architects' Journal
    https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/lifschutz-davidson-sandilands-reveals-thames-barrier-bridge-plans
  30. "Thames Barrier Bridge"
    https://www.thamesbarrierbridge.com/
  31. The Times
    https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/north-america-travel/us-travel/new-york-city/thames-barrier-q3t8rr9r8hz
  32. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-20904885
  33. New Civil Engineer
    https://www.newcivilengineer.com/archive/environment-agency-rejects-calls-for-new-thames-barrier-10-01-2013/
  34. "Thames Barrier Project Pack 2012"
    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121206074724/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Leisure/Thames_Barrier_Project_pack_2012.pdf
  35. GOV.UK
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thames-estuary-2100-time-to-plan-and-time-to-act
  36. www.ft.com
    https://www.ft.com/content/027a0d94-90f6-4841-94c1-b974ac895adb
  37. GOV.UK
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/managing-future-flood-risk-and-thames-barrier-thames-estuary-2100
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