The Uplands and Flooding

Amy Parrott: Policy Advisor, Flood and Coastal Risk Management

Karen Eynon: Moors for the Future Project Manager, Making Space for Water Project

Policy Background

State of Science

Policy Future

RECOMMENDATION 27:

Defra, the Environment Agency and Natural England should work with partners to establish a programme through Catchment Flood Management Plans and Shoreline Management Plans to achieve greater working with natural processes.

Pitt & land use

• Rural Land Management can help

• retain water in soil

• slow down water flow

• reduce run-off

• Wider scale benefits remain unproven

• Recognises local scale benefits of better land use

• Further studies needed

Uplands and flooding

Restoration of degraded blanket bogs

Grip blocking

Changes of management

Reforestation

SC00692- SCaMP

Defra multi-objective projectsMoors for the Future Holnicote

Slowing the Flow in Pickering

Karen EynonMaking Space for Water Project Manager

Making Space for Water in the Upper Derwent

Making Space for Water in the Upper Derwent

Environment Agency working in partnership with Natural

England and the National Trust –building on Moors for the

Future

Making Space for Water in the Upper Derwent

Demonstration project to show how land management changes (specifically moorland restoration) can contribute to reducing flood risk at the local scale

Kinder Scout – The Edge

Restoring the Edge site

Large size

Soil chemistry intervention (lime and fertiliser)

Nurse grass crop

Physical works

Heather brash

Access difficulties

Much winter work!

Importance of the Bill

Strategic Flood Risk• Main rivers• Sea• Reservoirs

Local Flood Risk• Surface runoff• Groundwater• Ordinary watercourses

Strategic Overview

Coastal erosion

Upland work: Key Points

Have an open mind!

Understand the catchment

Monitor the impacts

Don’t dismiss the wider benefits

Make sure you have a good monitoring strategy

Environment AgencyFRM GIACatchment Scale ResearchPrioritise ResearchCatchment Sensitive Farming objective

Natural EnglandMaximise FRM benefitsDeliver Flood storageCFMP targeting

Key messages

Small scale changes work locally Large scale impacts need more

investigation We will continue to prioritise catchment

scale research