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Natural Flood Management uses
natural processes to manage the
sources and pathways of flood
waters. By restoring and enhancing
natural features, we can reduce flood
peaks, or delay downstream flows.
These techniques work alongside
traditional, engineered defences.
Natural flood management works
in many ways. We can store water
by creating ponds, ditches and
embankments. We can soak water
away by increasing soil infiltration.
We can slow water down by planting
trees or creating woody dams. We
can stop flood waters building up
interrupting surface flows with water
storage or new planting.
Natural Flood Management can
be used from top to bottom of a
catchment. We can block grips and
restore peat in the uplands. We can
connect flood plains back to the
river in the lowlands. We can create
sustainable drainage in cities. We
can create salt marsh and mudflats
to buffer storms on our coastlines.
One great example is WWT
Steart Marshes.
Rising sea levels are putting the
squeeze on our coast, so WWT
and the Environment Agency have
created Steart Marshes, one of the
UK’s largest new wetland reserves.
Hundreds of hectares of saltmarsh
and freshwater wetlands buffer
homes and businesses from rising
sea levels, and provide habitat for
a rich mix of wetland wildlife
including otters, egrets, owls,
waders and wildfowl. The Severn
Estuary saltmarshes and mudflats
alone support more than 70,000
water birds.
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Natural flood management
Saltmarshes can help manage
coastal flood risk at the same time
as creating amazing habitat and
recreational spaces. Marshes can
reduce wave height by 60–70% and
total wave energy by an average of
82% (up to 90%).
As well as being a natural buffer,
providing protection to the newly
created flood banks, the saltmarsh is
farmed for specialist saltmarsh lamb
and beef, its creeks are a nursery for
the fry of important fish stocks, and
it is absorbing tonnes of climate-
polluting carbon as it matures.
In this way, it produces as much
as £1 million worth of goods and
services every year.
Paths, bridleways and hides have
been created and improved to help
more people enjoy the landscape.
WWT plan to develop opportunities
at Steart Marshes for young people
to learn conservation and heritage
skills that will lead to jobs for the
South West.
Unlike traditional, engineered
defences, the benefits of natural
flood management are often long-
term and spread widely across
a catchment. They often rely on
networks of interventions across
the landscape, rather than one
or two big projects. So, we are
recommending ways to ensure
widespread, long-term changes
in land-management across a
landscape. This will provide flood
relief benefits as well as a host
of other advantages.