Routine Maintenance
- River Trent (Cromwell to Bole)
- Grassthorpe Beck (Grassthorpe Village)
- Laneham Beck (Laneham Village)
- River Idle (Gamston to West Stockwith)
- River Ryton (Worksop to Scrooby)
- Channel Checks (River Idle, Maun, Meden, Ryton, Trent, Retford Beck)
- Debris Screen Checks (Mansfield, Retford)
- Wall Checks (River Idle, Trent, Maun)
- Pump Station Checks (West Stockwith)
- River Idle (Gamston to West Stockwith)
- River Trent (Cromwell to Bole)
- Weed Spraying (Retford Town Centre, Worksop Town Centre)
- Weed Boat (Retford Town Centre to West Stockwith)
- Worksop Town Centre
- River Idle (Retford to West Stockwith)
- Grassthorpe Beck (Grassthorpe Village)
- Laneham Beck (Laneham Village)
- River Trent (Cromwell to Bole)
Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Type | Description | Location | Time Frame |
Grass Cutting | Machine, hand or remote-controlled mowers will regularly cut the flood defence embankments. Grass cutting improves the root strength network to protect against erosion. |
| 1st Cut - April |
Maintenance and Operational Check | Regular checks are carried out on flood risk assets to ensure they can operate as required. This includes conveyance checks and blockage clearance. |
| Monthly |
Vermin Control | If vermin are present in the embankments or other flood risk assets, traps are placed to stop them burrowing or getting into the asset and causing additional damage. |
| All year |
Weed Spraying and Cutting | Embankments are sprayed with a chemical to stop weeds from hindering grass growth. Aquatic weeds are cut with a boat to ensure channel clearance. |
| Weed Spraying - March to April Weed Boat - after 15th June (due to fish spawning) |
Tree Work | Cutting back tree branches which could cause a blockage in the channel. Trees are assessed and only removed if required. | October - February |
Dredging Facts
Dredging in the Environment Agency means removing accumulated material in the river like gravel or soil (often referred to as silt) that has been washed into rivers from somewhere else, as well as rocks and plant life. Other maintenance activities such as in-channel weed clearance, blockage removal and vegetation management are also important to maintain the conveyance of channels.
There is an important distinction between dredging and desilting. Dredging is a bigger exercise and is used infrequently to remove consolidated material to below the existing bed level. We desilt more frequently to remove recent deposits of silt to the bed level of a river.
We assess each situation individually and dredge when it is the right solution, and it provides long-term value for money. Understanding where it will, and will not, reduce flood risk is key.
Dredging can, and does, contribute to reducing flooding in some locations and each situation is individually assessed. Where there is evidence that dredging will reduce flood risk to local properties without increasing flooding downstream, it meets government criteria, and is cost effective, we will do it.
In some locations and circumstances, dredging would not be an efficient or effective way to manage flood risk. Therefore, it is not the best long term or economic solution compared with other flood risk measures such as building walls or providing storage upstream. Any structures in the river such as bridges and natural features need to be considered, as these pinch points can make dredging ineffective.
How are the economic benefits of a project calculated?
Please see the official guidance on gov.uk - Calculate GiA funding for FCERM projects.
Riparian Ownership
As the Environment Agency’s powers are permissive only, we are not obliged to carry out either routine or improvement works to assets and watercourses. Responsibility for maintaining main rivers ultimately remains with the riparian owner. To find out more about riparian responsibilities, see ‘Your Watercourse: rights and roles’.
For additional guidance and videos visit: https://thefloodhub.co.uk/riparian-owner-toolkit/