Posted on January 21, 2016
DIGGERS were seen dredging part of the River Kent in Kendal today as work begins to help lower the chances of flooding.
The Environment Agency said the diggers were removing gravel from ‘key locations’ where a survey showed that it would reduce the flood risk to people and properties.
These emergency works require consents, which have been granted by Natural England.
A spokesperson said: “The Environment Agency monitors gravel levels in Kendal and throughout Cumbria on a regular basis, and after extreme weather events, to ensure that they do not build to a point where the risk of flooding to people and properties is increased.
“The gravel levels are assessed against ‘trigger levels’ that are defined to manage flood risk. The Environment Agency uses hydraulic modelling to define these trigger levels. Recent survey work has shown that these ‘trigger levels’ have been reached and that is why we are working on the River Kent today.
“Dredging is just one of a number of tools that can be used by the Environment Agency and landowners to manage flood risk.
“Other solutions could include providing better flood storage upstream, slowing down the flow of water using land management techniques or building traditional hard defences such as flood walls.”
