The Environment Agency and Sedgemoor District Council have organised a technical workshop to update partners of the flood risk in the River Parrett catchment, outline the options for mitigating it and clarify what each option may or may not be able to achieve.
It has been identified that a barrier to the River Parrett is needed to address the impact of sea level rise and protect the town from flooding.
A key action of the Somerset Levels and Moors 20 year Flood Action Plan is to reduce the duration and frequency of flooding and to review design options for the Bridgwater barrier. The first stage of this action is holding a technical workshop for an invited audience to address the key issues.
Following the workshop, the Environment Agency will work with Sedgemoor District Council to update the current report, which will help inform the decision on the best option for Bridgwater and the surrounding area.
John Buttivant for the Environment Agency said:
“We are currently building a detailed model which looks at the water flowing into and out of the rivers systems across the Somerset Levels and Moors. The modelling will provide evidence to understand the wider benefits of a River Parrett barrier. This work will allow an informed decision on the preferred solution.”
A tidal surge barrier would protect the tidal Parrett and Tone upstream of Bridgwater from the effects of extreme high tide and surges.
There are currently two main options to the type of barrier that may be possible in Bridgwater:
- Penning structures, which act as a barrier to prevent salt water from the estuary entering the River Parrett. This would maintain a more constant fresh water level upstream of the barrier and exclude downstream tidal inundation and saline intrusion.
- Storm surge barriers or tidal barriers which are structures that are closed when an extreme water level or tide is forecast, in order to prevent flooding from the sea, in settlements up river. River flow coming down the catchment would be stored upstream of the barrier while it is closed. When the tide falls and the barrier reopens, the fresh river water flows out.
It is estimated that it will be three to five years before construction starts on a barrier and is likely to take a further 3-5 years to complete.
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