Where is Melton Mowbray?
Melton Mowbray is a market town world renowned for it's food, most famously perhaps are its pork pies and stilton cheese. It is the 'Rural Capital of Food'.It is located in Leicestershire, 19 miles NE of Leicester.
Map Showing Leicestershire in England
In 1998 Melton experienced the worst floods for some time. They were 1 in 50 year floods and inundated much of the town.
Melton 1998
In response a Flood Management Scheme was proposed and implemented. Management schemes were put onto the River Eye, which becomes the River Wreake west of Melton, and the Scaffold Brook.
COST : Over £7 million
Completed : 2003
What did they do?
Both Hard and Soft Engineering methods were employed in the scheme.
Some examples are below-
Hard Engineering
1. Scalford Brook - Water storage.
An earthen dam holds back the water and controls the river discharge into the town centre.
2. Brook Crescent, Asfordby Valley
Brick flood wall to protect 20 homes
3. Brentingby Dam
Concrete dam and steel pilings inserted to stabilise river bank and railway above. On the River Eye.
The dam cost £6.7 million it protects 650 homes by restricting the flow of the river.
Soft Engineering and Sustainable Management
The area upstream from the Brentingby dam is a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) as the river meanders freely and is home to crayfish as well as other species of birds, mammals, invertebrates and so on. However, it is also heavily cultivated.
1. Flooding of fields
The surrounding fields can be flooded to a height of 4.5m above the current flood plain
2. Green Engineering - Green sediment filters
- densely planted willow and hazel will trap sediment upstream from the SSSI.3. Sediment Traps
Upstream from Ham Bridge - sediment traps have been dug into the river bed.
4. Green Barriers of Willow
Willow trees filter wash-off from the fields. Filtering chemicals such as Phosphates.
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Willow Trees have been planted in the riparian zone (side of the river before the farmland begins)
The Environment Agency were aware that these defences required maintenance and monitoring.
Maintenance
- Debris Removal
- Sediment Removal
- Coppicing of hazel and willow
Monitoring
- Phosphate levels (if too high can lead to eutrophication of water)
- Condition of gravel spawning grounds
- Success of new planting areas
- Presence and type of crayfish
- Success of artificial bat roosts ( Daubenton's and Pipistrelle bats show health of river as they feed on insects over water).
Stakeholders
- Residents
- Melton Borough Council
- Leicestershire County Council
- Business Owners
- English Nature (in area of SSSI)
- English Heritage (in area of ancient monuments)
- Environment Agency
Possible GCSE Questions
- Examine the sustainability of a flood management scheme you have studied.
- How sustainable are flood management schemes?
Here is a Prezi of this information
