Lower Witham Flood Resilience Project - Information Page
Overview
Welcome to the Lower Witham Flood Resilience Project!
This project information page is for all stakeholders with an interest in the future flood resilience of the Lower Witham.
Here you will find information about the Lower Witham Flood Resilience Project led by the Environment Agency, including our latest newsletter, project background, location, progress and importantly how our stakeholders can get involved.
Contents
What is the Lower Witham Flood Resilience Project?
The purpose of the Lower Witham Flood Resilience Project is to increase flood resilience in the catchment to benefit residential properties, businesses, farmland, and infrastructure.
The project will take a twin track approach, to repair and reinforce the most critical structures in the short term, sustaining the current arrangements for managing flood risk, while the longer-term strategic approach to a changing climate is developed.
We are currently undertaking an intensive collection, review and analysis of technical data such as hydraulic modelling, structure assessments of current banks, environmental and benefits assessments.
This will be supported by regular opportunities to engage with stakeholders via a variety of channels including a newsletter, project information webpage, and community drop-in events.
The Lower River Witham Catchment is a large area of drained marshland between Lincoln and Boston. Throughout history embankments have been created alongside watercourses, and drainage works undertaken in the catchment. These works have made the surrounding land highly productive for farming and allowed communities to develop.
Some of these embankments are now over 200 years old. The extent and frequency of flood incidents is putting these structures under increased pressure, and the local community and economy at risk.
In 1997, the Lower Witham Strategy recommended reinforcement of key embankments, whilst allowing some areas to flood, to relieve the pressure on the system. Since then, 30km of embankments have been reinforced, but repeated high flows have damaged more. The recommended storage options have not been implemented, due to availability of suitable sites and difficulties in meeting HM Treasury funding rules of the time.
Flooding in 2019 has again highlighted the need to update the long-term plan to manage flood risk in the area.
Tell us!
We understand the importance of our stakeholders being informed and involved in the project and we value your feedback and local knowledge to help make the project a success.
Email us at our dedicated project email address: lowerwitham.floodresilience@environment-agency.gov.uk
Download our latest stakeholder newsletter here: February 2023 Newsletter
To be added to our mailing list email us at lowerwitham.floodresilience@environment-agency.gov.uk
What area does this project cover?
This project runs from Stamp End in Lincoln to Grand Sluice in Boston including tributaries of the Witham like the Carr Dyke and Delphs, the Barlings Eau, Snakeholme Drain, Duckpool Catchwater, Billinghay Skirth, and the Kyme Eau.
For us to understand the flood risk on the Lower Witham, the area has been divided into a series of flood compartments. These are areas that will flood independently of each other due to the presence of the embanked watercourses or higher ground. Breaking down the catchment allows us to look at what is at risk in each compartment and understand which structures work together to protect the compartments.
Map displaying project area and the flood compartments of the Lower Witham catchment.
More Information
The Environment Agency are working with Arup and Jacksons to deliver this project. Working with local stakeholders, we aim to utilise the community’s local knowledge and aspirations for the area to develop a sustainable flood management plan with the long-term goal of improving resilience to future flooding.
Contact us direct via the Team's dedicated email address: lowerwitham.floodresilience@environment-agency.gov.uk
More Information
The project will take a twin track approach, to repair and reinforce the most critical structures in the short term, sustaining the current arrangements for managing flood risk, while the longer-term strategic approach to a changing climate is developed. It is recognised that changes to the way that we currently manage flood risk will take longer to agree and implement, and we want to ensure that structures will last until new arrangements are in place.
Phase One
A programme of the most urgent work will take place to sustain current assets, improve catchment resilience and continue to provide flood protection for communities and businesses in the Lower Witham area. This could include repairs and refurbishment of existing assets, including embankments and control structures.
Phase Two
Phase two will be to update the Lower Witham Strategy
Phase Three
Phase Three will be to deliver works recommended by the Strategy Update.
How are we engaging with our stakeholders?
From the outset, we plan to provide the opportunity for all stakeholders to express their views on the emerging plans to manage flood risk on the Lower Witham.
We had originally planned to hold Stakeholder Drop-In session at multiple locations along the Lower Witham in late May. However, due to changes within the delivery of the strategy, the team have decided to postpone these events until Autumn 2023. You can still contact the project team with any questions or concerns via the project email.
There are still many ways you can keep up to date with the project, this website will be kept up to date with regular project updates and our next steps. We also have a project newsletter published in line with key project milestones, if you would like to be added to the newsletter mailing list, please let us know by emailing us via the project email.
More Information
Contact Us
Email: lowerwitham.floodresilience@environment-agency.gov.uk
Complete our survey: https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/lincolnshire-and-northamptonshire/lower-witham-flood-resilience-project-survey
Twitter: @EnvAgency
Environment Agency Customer Contact Centre: 03708 506 506
To report an incident (24-hour service): 0800 80 70 60
Flood warning information - Flood line: 0345 988 1188
Audiences
- IDBs
- Local authorities
- District and parish councils
- Environmental bodies
- Land owners
- Farming associations
- Drainage associations
- RFCCs
- Elected representatives, including MPs
- Water companies
- Members of the public
- Recreational and commercial river users
- Community groups
- Flood action groups
Interests
- Business and industry
- Flood management
- Fishing and boating
- Water resources
- Water quality
- Drought
- Habitats and wildlife
- Environmental permitting
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