Somerset rivers being made BIGGER to help prevent flooding

The first phase of the River Sowy-King Sedgemoor Drain Enhancements Scheme is being carried out by the Environment Agency, for the Somerset Rivers Authority and will see the rivers’ capacity to carry flood water increased by techniques such as creating new banks, raising low spots and reshaping existing banks, as well as making a new backwater.

The scheme is being partly funded by Growth Deal money from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, as part of a wide-ranging programme of works spread over several years costing £7.2 million.

Cllr David Hall, chair of Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), said: “The aim of enhancing the capacity of the River Sowy-King’s Sedgemoor Drain system is to give people greater protection against flooding while also preserving the special nature and history of the Somerset Levels and Moors.

“Our efforts are focused on improvements that will give flood risk management authorities more flexibility in dealing with the challenges of controlling excess water – which is vital, because nobody can know what surprises the weather will throw at us all.

“A huge amount of work has gone into preparing for this latest phase of works and I thank all SRA partners and contractors for their efforts so far.”

The River Sowy – also known as the Parrett Flood Relief Channel – is used by the Environment Agency to take excess water away from the River Parrett near Aller.

Water flows into the Sowy through Monk’s Leaze Clyse sluice. It goes under the A372 at Beer Wall and down to King’s Sedgemoor Drain (KSD) near Greylake, then it re-joins the Parrett at Dunball, north of Bridgwater.

From Beer Wall down to the KSD an increase in the Sowy’s capacity of just over 40% is being targeted, for the KSD down to Parchey Bridge the target is just under 60%.

Six structures through which water flows into the KSD are also going to be raised and reinforced, to match the river’s increased capacity.

Dr Rachel Burden, of the Environment Agency, said: “Doing this kind of work on the Somerset Levels and Moors is incredibly complex, because there are so many different factors that must be taken into account and they are all interlinked.

“The project team have shown exceptional determination.

“They’ve used their local knowledge and experience to design improvements that will help to protect people, homes, farms, businesses, land and infrastructure from flooding – and that will tie in with a major plan to keep the Levels as one of the most important places for wildlife in England.”

The Sowy-KSD project team is also working on SRA-funded plans for further smoothing at Dunball, where the KSD joins the River Parrett through Dunball Sluice.

The aim is to increase the maximum flow of water that can be discharged from the KSD to the Parrett estuary, and so reduce flood risks to homes, land and roads.

And the Environment Agency is working on plans to refurbish Dunball Sluice itself.

Beyond these two Dunball activities, further phases of the full River Sowy-KSD Enhancements Scheme will be designed and delivered when funding is available, with the aim of further increasing the system’s capacity and thereby further reducing flood risks for local communities.