Success for natural flood defence pilot
A trial as part of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, to help test how nature based solutions such as creating wetlands can be used to help reduce the risk of flooding has been successfully completed.
It is one of a series of pilot projects which are part of scheme which aims to use natural flood management (NFM) techniques to help protect the people living near the River Aire from the risk of flooding.
A team from the Environment Agency has been working with the River Stewardship Company and landowners at Marlfield Farm, which is on the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire, since last September to slow the flow of rainwater and provide better habitat for local wildlife. Works have included wetland creation, hedge and tree planting, leaky barrier installation and fencing off corners of fields from grazing so that more vegetation can grow which helps to store and slow the flow of water across land.
Leader of Leeds City Council councillor Judith Blake said: “Natural flood management techniques are a very interesting and clever way of using the environment to help reduce the risk and impact of flooding.
“The fact these measures will be in place so far upstream of Leeds shows how committed we are to a whole catchment approach to protect all our communities at risk of flooding from the River Aire.
“Recent storm events have highlighted once again how we need to get this work done as quickly as possible so we would call on the government again to work with us to complete phase two in full so all our communities can have the best level of resilience possible.”
The wider Leeds NFM programme includes tree and hedge planting, re-channelling rivers to their natural courses, soil aeration, wetland creation and moorland restoration all of which have lots of benefits for people and wildlife.
