I WOULD like to support the views of Mr Derek Colley (Hereford Times, January 15).

There are serious flooding risks not only at Hereford, butmany places downstream and it is vital to seek a solution.

Measures to keep the flood water in the river or bypass channels may solve local difficulties but will increase the peak height downstream.

The best solution could be to create a boating lake, by the river but separated from it by an embankment.

From April to October this would be a valuable leisure amenity and a tourist attraction. In October it should be almost drained, with just enough water to hide the muddy bottom and kept like this until the river reaches a highest tolerable level and still rising, when it should flow over a weir to fill the lake.

A lake of perhaps two km long and half a km wide which could fill to two or three metres deep, should be capable of containing all the water which might otherwise form serious floods. A small pumping station could return water to the river and regain capacity in the lake for any subsequent crisis.

From April to October the lake could be kept about 1.5metres deep for use by canoes, kayaks and small sailing boats and it would be a venue for triathlon contests with a cycle track round the top of the embankment and a pedestrian path just above the summer level of the lake.

The inner slope of the embankment should be a grassed picnic and spectator area, with the outer slope planted with native trees and shrubs, as a haven for wildlife and to screen the development.

A caf, toilets, boat hire shop and car parking could all screened by native trees and shrubs so views of the valley would not be altered.

This may seem a large project, but it has advantages, which could make it cost effective.

There are at least four possible sites between Letton and Rhydspence 12 to 15 miles west of Hereford.

As a project with both summer and winter uses and benefiting people over a considerable area it should probably qualify for various sources of funding, but it would need collaboration from many different agencies. It should be worth a more detailed study.

W J GUNNING,

Kingswood Road, Monmouth.