Iain Smith. The Middle Level Commission and its work

The Middle Level Commissioners must be a name familiar to most residents in
this area, but what exactly do they do?. Keep our feet dry.

They are responsible for flood defences, and water level management, also
120 miles of major watercourses, which are mostly statutory navigational.

This vital work, which began in it's official role as long ago as 1862, was
the subject of a very informative and entertaining talk given by Mr Iain
Smith - Chief Executive & Clerk of the Middle Level Offices, at the regular
Monday Meeting of March Rotary Club on the 28th November.

It was in 1604 the idea that land could be reclaimed was mooted, but another
40 years past before things really got under way, with the involvement of
Earl of Bedford, the Dutch engineer Vermuyden, and King Charles,1st backing.
Opposed at the time, by Oliver Cromwell, after King Charles execution,
Cromwell was then active in his support !. We can see the result to this day
in the many drains and dikes, 20 foot , 40 foot etc., that make The Fens the
unique area they are.

Using Windmills, Donkey powered pumps, later steam and combustion engines,
the plan succeeded, but unforeseen results were river levels rising, or so
it was though, but further investigation proved it was the land falling.
Between 1848 and 1900, this was as much as twelve and a half feet, due to
the drying out of the peat based land. This still continues, to a degree,
but not at the alarming rate as in the 19th Century.

By the early 20th Century, gravity would no longer assist as in the past, to
move the water, and so in 1934 a huge pumping station was built at St
Germans, serving this area well for some 75 years. With an eye to the
future, sea levels rising, global warming, a new pumping station was built
at a cost of