First NFM Works at Drewton

6-8 March 2024

After nearly four years of discussions, planning, negotiation (Spring 2020-2024), we have just taken our first steps to create Natural Flood Management measures on site.

Drewton Beck drone photograph
This drone shot (thanks, Mark!) shows the fenced-off part of Drewton Beck suitable for NFM measures. just left of middle

We are immensely grateful to the respective landowners and farmers for their cooperation and for being willing to share our vision – even if it isn’t always clear just what that looks like!

Giving nature a helping hand

Between 6-8 March 2024, East Yorkshire Rivers Trust (EYRT) were on-site at Drewton Beck, clearing some overgrown willows and scrub along the beck, to “sky-light” sections, to allow more light into the valley floor, to improve the biodiversity of the beck. The cuttings have been used, depending on their size, to form either brash piles for habitat, or to create small leaky barriers along the beck, to help along what is already a very nicely natural area, giving it more “roughness” and resistance to the passage of water, by pushing storm flows onto the floodplain. They also provide us wit ha lot of material for future work in the area.

Students from Bishop Burton getting stuck in, under the guidance of Matt Arnold from EYRT
Students from Bishop Burton getting stuck in, under the guidance of Matt Arnold from EYRT

Obviously this is an operation that needed to take place before the nesting season got properly underway.

We don't need to say too much more in this blog as we produced a detailed report of the works undertaken (13Mb PDF):

Leaky barrier in progress by the students
Leaky barrier in progress by the students

Hopefully, what NFM looks like in our area is becoming clearer.

Any questions - you know where we are!