EA river and stream management

[Exfarmer]

Where do the EA’s responsibilities start and end on river management?
i assume that they are responsible for all main river management, not sure about the smaller tributaries. Can they force landowners to maintain streams etc.
we have a local issue where the river is becoming totally fouled up by reeds Duckweed etc , resulting in no flow, de oxygenation and Fish deaths. Nobody has a clue who is responsible.

 

[SteveHants]

If I recall correctly, the onus for maintenance is on either the riparian owner or the leaseholder (in case of in-river trout farms I've worked on). Maybe ring the EA and find out, but don't be too specific if you don't want to get someone a visit....

 

[pycoed]

Where do the EA’s responsibilities start and end on river management?
i assume that they are responsible for all main river management, not sure about the smaller tributaries. Can they force landowners to maintain streams etc.
we have a local issue where the river is becoming totally fouled up by reeds Duckweed etc , resulting in no flow, de oxygenation and Fish deaths. Nobody has a clue who is responsible.

Beavers, clearly

 

[Bald Rick]

Where do the EA’s responsibilities start and end on river management?
i assume that they are responsible for all main river management, not sure about the smaller tributaries. Can they force landowners to maintain streams etc.
we have a local issue where the river is becoming totally fouled up by reeds Duckweed etc , resulting in no flow, de oxygenation and Fish deaths. Nobody has a clue who is responsible.

Iirc from my Fwagging days when there was quite a lot of liaison with EA, they are responsible for any stream of any size that feeds in to a river system hence the reason why you need EA authority to culvert (in theory) or bridge

 

[farmerm]

Is allowing fouling up of tributaries not an unofficial EA policy... saves money and slows water flow thus reduce downstream flooding...

 

[Kidds]

They are more likely to ensure the owner does not clear the weeds.

 

[Fossil]

The EA have rights to access to do work, but actually Very little by way of responsibilities.

they will also pay consultants £5 to justify not spending £1 on doing something useful.

 

[Dave645]

Where do the EA’s responsibilities start and end on river management?
i assume that they are responsible for all main river management, not sure about the smaller tributaries. Can they force landowners to maintain streams etc.
we have a local issue where the river is becoming totally fouled up by reeds Duckweed etc , resulting in no flow, de oxygenation and Fish deaths. Nobody has a clue who is responsible.

If in doubt and your in the UK then ask your local drainage board, you should know who they are if they send you a bill every year for drainage rates like ours does.
They have the power to take over critical watercourses and the EA encouraged them to identify them.
if you find it’s the EA in charge of this stream, then make a complaint to them if it’s causing problems.
Between the EA and your drainage board they should know who is responsible for its Maintenance as they should have a list of all land owners, because they have to send bills to them.

 

[RushesToo]

@holwellcourtfarm You're a bit of a water expert.

 

[Tubbylew]

Is allowing fouling up of tributaries not an unofficial EA policy... saves money and slows water flow thus reduce downstream flooding...

Leaky dams are fashionable around here atm. and wide margins around ditches, apparantly the long grass slows the flow of water, whilst I'm sure there is some merit in their argument, I've yet to be convinced it isn't jobs for the boys.

 

[puppet]

Leaky dams are fashionable around here atm. and wide margins around ditches, apparantly the long grass slows the flow of water, whilst I'm sure there is some merit in their argument, I've yet to be convinced it isn't jobs for the boys.

On a smaller scale we cleaned out 400m of stream where it had become completely overgrown and had 2 floods in some buildings downstream the following winter.

 

[Northern territory]

We’ve had the clipboard patrol out several times in the last year but never any action. Endless trees fallen in, land being carved up. All you ever see them doing is mowing grass around their little station and checking a river levels.

 

[AndrewM]

Where do the EA’s responsibilities start and end on river management?
i assume that they are responsible for all main river management, not sure about the smaller tributaries. Can they force landowners to maintain streams etc.
we have a local issue where the river is becoming totally fouled up by reeds Duckweed etc , resulting in no flow, de oxygenation and Fish deaths. Nobody has a clue who is responsible.

each individual land owner is responsible for maintaining their section of the river. as with everything there are many rules to be followed. EA may choose to do some maintance but this is much less than they chose to do 30-40 years ago.

 

[Exfarmer]

I am aware our local river is actually part of the Great Ouse catchment and is listed by the EA as a main river, so I understand this is their responsibility to maintain. They have until Covid removed the trees that have fallen in, but currently there are at least 6 across the half mile in my local stretch between two road bridges. The result of an ill planned decision to plant cricket bat willows 50 years ago on the other side. By my understanding, at the time an illegal move, but the landowner has long passed to another world.
The river was navigable by small boats when I came 12 years, in the past was famous for the fishing, certainly recently there were good stocks of pike, eels , roach and many other fish. Now it is a dead swamp blocked by not just trees but the reeds are completely across the river.
To attempy to dregde the river will be interesting as this side of the river is now all gardens And several have banked their gardens to stop flooding, by up to 2 metres, one neighbour is in the process of raising his at the moment. The other side is a marsh, as before they planted the willows it was a duck farm consisting of dozens of ponds and the willows were planted on the banks between. i suspect some would consider it a naturalists paradise now.
I am shy of making too much noise , as I am certain many will try and blame the local farmers @JP1

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Not too many years ago, a mate had a £10 bet with a bloke in a pub that he could canoe from Stowlangtoft to the Wash. He won.
Not possible today, sounds definitely not past yours, trees across and plenty of weed at mine but at least it isn’t stagnant here.

 

[AndrewM]

Main Rivers: Managed by the Environment Agency. The responsibility for their maintenance and repair lies with the “Riparian Owner(s)”, although the EA also have powers to maintain and improve them. For more information on your responsibilities regarding Main Rivers, refer to the EA document “Living on the Edge” which is available on the Environment Agency website. The responsibility for their maintenance and repair lies with the “Riparian Owner(s)” The responsibility for the maintenance lies with the Local District or City Councils (or another relevant authority).

https://www.wlma.org.uk/uploads/EA_Guide_to_rights_and_responsibilities_of_riverside_ownership.pdf

ah your lucky if they have been removing trees from a main river, they havent done that down here for years. just get left there.

 

[Northern territory]

Main Rivers: Managed by the Environment Agency. The responsibility for their maintenance and repair lies with the “Riparian Owner(s)”, although the EA also have powers to maintain and improve them. For more information on your responsibilities regarding Main Rivers, refer to the EA document “Living on the Edge” which is available on the Environment Agency website. The responsibility for their maintenance and repair lies with the “Riparian Owner(s)” The responsibility for the maintenance lies with the Local District or City Councils (or another relevant authority).

https://www.wlma.org.uk/uploads/EA_Guide_to_rights_and_responsibilities_of_riverside_ownership.pdf

ah your lucky if they have been removing trees from a main river, they havent done that down here for years. just get left there.

You have to watch this though as people have been fined for cleaning their own sections of river.

 

[Exfarmer]

this seems to suggest that the EA are responsible, it is from the EA website if the full document has not loaded check the info button

ArcGIS Web Application

www.arcgis.com

 

[Exfarmer]

You have to watch this though as people have been fined for cleaning their own sections of river.

I posted the other week about a local who was in trouble for doing just this. Luckily for him , he has the finacial clout to be able to tell them to go away

 

[steveR]

each individual land owner is responsible for maintaining their section of the river. as with everything there are many rules to be followed. EA may choose to do some maintance but this is much less than they chose to do 30-40 years ago.

For "much less" read "Nothing"!