FLOODS & SUDS
Monitoring underpins investment in Riverlands NFM project
OTT Hydromet is working with the National Trust to implement a monitoring programme to provide robust data on the efficacy of Natural Flood Management (NFM) projects in the UK’s Lake District. Working with partners, the National Trust has established the Cumbria Riverlands Project, which stretches from Keswick in the north to Kendal in the south. It encompasses the rivers themselves, the land which drains into them, and a rich array of wildlife and plants. The project is funded by a grant from the Environment Agency’s Natural Flood Management Programme.
Two of the key locations in the project are Windermere, and further north in Coledale. Given the scale of the proposed works, the National Trust has taken steps to ensure that decisions are data-driven. For example, rain gauges and a network of surface and groundwater monitors have been installed by the instrumentation company OTT HydroMet, to establish baseline conditions, and to later measure the effects of the NFM initiatives.
Background
In December 2015 Storm Desmond inflicted major disruption, flooding and damage to the northwest of England. This included the flooding of 40 properties in Windermere following intense rainfall and the rapid rise of two becks (small streams) that pass from higher ground through the town and into Lake Windermere.
Flash flooding was also experienced in areas surrounding Coledale beck, downstream of the Force Crag Minewater
34 | May 2025 |
draintraderltd.com
Treatment Scheme, where the beck runs through the village of Braithwaite to the west of Keswick.
Natural Flood Management (NFM)
Natural Flood Management is generally regarded as a more sustainable alternative to traditional methods involving engineered flood defence infrastructure. A core feature of NFM is that it addresses flood risk on a catchment scale so that upstream initiatives do not create negative impacts further downstream. This catchment-based approach requires flood management solutions that employ techniques which work with natural hydrological and morphological processes, rather than artificial structures that generally increase flowrates. NFM techniques therefore include the restoration, enhancement and alteration of natural features such as flood plains, which can help to lower peak flow and decrease flood risk.
Cumbria Riverlands Project
A strategic plan has been developed to implement a range of NFM measures at both Windermere and Coledale. Working with local landowners and partners such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, the West Cumbrian Rivers Trust and others, the National Trust has submitted ambitious planning proposals for the catchments around Coledale and Windermere. Coledale is owned and managed by the National Trust, and the fells above Windermere include two farms, High Lickbarrow Farm and Common Farm, both of which are managed by the National Trust.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
