Sandstone Ridge – Flood Management Event

It couldn't have been more appropriate than to run an event on 'Flood Management' with the deluge of rain that has battered the North West in recent days.

Chair of the Sandstone Ridge, Andrew Hull, together with Nicola Hall of ELM Associates, led an enthusiastic group of participants along the Mill Brook.

This Walk and Ride Festival event set about investigating how the Natural Flood Management Scheme (developed by the Environment Agency, the Bolesworth Estate and its tenant farmers and Tattenhall Wildlife Group) responds to heavy rain, thereby ensuring that flood water is diverted to surrounding land before entering the Mill Pond in Tattenhall.

Without doubt, the regularity of flood events in the centre of the village has been reduced by this work.

The continuous wet weather meant that the Mill Brook was in full flow; the power of this watercourse being a complete surprise to some (as was the news that Otters have been spotted in this area). Participants were in agreement that the benefits of the scheme were numerous.

With its source in Harthill, the Mill Brook flows intermittently into the River Dee at Aldford, and at times of heavy rainfall has had the capacity to previously flood the centre of Tattenhall.

Phase 1 of the Scheme was completed in 2016 and work has just started on Phase 2.

Nicola Hall of ELM Associates outlined how Phase 2 will see natural flood management measures such as leaky dams, tree planting and pond creation extend up to Harthill and, when finished in 2021, will see the peak flows of the Mill Brook reduced still further, thereby helping to prevent the risk of localised flooding in Tattenhall