Work has started on a £50k scheme to help protect flood-hit Burton Joyce during periods of heavy rainfall.
A team of workers from local rivers charity, Trent Rivers Trust, is beginning works on Crock Dumble, a watercourse that enters the village from the north-west.
The charity is currently working on creating a new wetland area, a bund, the restoration of two defunct ponds, and 20 leaky barriers, all of which will help to store water in the event of heavy rainfall temporarily. The hope is that this will provide residents with vital time to prepare for a potential flood event.
Winter 2024 has brought extreme rainfall, flooding and disruption to Nottinghamshire. To help alleviate the effects of more frequent and extreme weather events, Trent Rivers Trust and Nottinghamshire County Council have joined forces to reduce flood risk in the town.
Using a method called natural flood management, the £50,000 scheme aims to hold water in the landscape by restoring or enhancing natural processes. This will provide additional storage for rainwater, allowing it to percolate into the ground or slowly flow into the watercourse once peak river levels have passed.
In the watercourse, logs mounted above the stream bed will help to slow the flow of water before it reaches the town.
Before the features were created, Trent Rivers Trust monitored the rainfall and the water levels in the Dumble. The data will provide an essential baseline to assess the impact of the scheme.
Nick Wilding, senior catchment restoration officer at Trent Rivers Trust, said “As well as reducing flood-risk by temporarily holding water in and around the woodland, the scheme also provides a vital habitat for freshwater and terrestrial fauna and flora.
“The measures implemented will intercept water that would otherwise directly flow into the brook, resulting in excess nutrients and soil being kept on land, which will improve water quality.”
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “With two significant storms in the last few months, I am sure that the news of these works starting will be very welcome to local residents.
“The scheme will not only help to protect homes and businesses from flooding as it will also create a new enhanced habitat for wildlife, boosting biodiversity and ecology in the area for residents to enjoy.”
Work is taking place for the next couple of weeks. Once completed, water levels will continue to be logged, and measures will be frequently inspected, to ensure the measures are operating effectively.
More information on natural flood management can be found at Natural Flood Management – Trent Rivers Trust
