The Environment Agency has set out proposals to conduct new trials at the Barmby Barrage in Yorkshire.

The new trials follow on from a trial conducted in April 2013. The Environment Agency, in cooperation with Yorkshire Water, Natural England and the Open University, is now planning to operate some further short term trials on the operation of the Barmby Barrage on the River Derwent over the next five years. 

The Agency said the trial will be designed to help understand the impact of the barrage on the hydrology of the lower Derwent and to help the protection and enhancement of the grasses of the flood plain meadow, whilst safeguarding the wider nature conservation interests.

The intention is to initiate the trials whenever flows in the river Derwent reach 24, 20 and 16 cubic metres per second (cumecs) as measured by the Agency’s gauging station on the Derwent at Buttercrambe and when there is standing water on the Meadows.

The Agency will open the gates at Barmby Barrage so that the Derwent level is allowed to follow the Ouse level to its minimum at low tide, then close them on the rising tide to avoid Ouse water flowing back in.

This will be take place over a half tidal cycle (once over one day) with the opening and closing regime repeated over different flow bands, on different days. The Agency will gather data from recorders at Bubwith, Elvington, East Cottingwith, Loftsome Bridge and Barmby Barrage.

Based on the response to the trial events, new management guidelines could be drawn up to protect the meadows against the prolonged water logging events that are currently threatening the future of the traditional plant and wildlife communities, for which they are designated under the European Habitats Directive.

Licensed abstractors on the affected river reach have been notified by the Agency about the trials.