Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effectiveness and sustainability of (1) current plans for the regular dredging of rivers on the Somerset levels to prevent flooding, and (2) channel widening of artificial rivers such as the Rover Sowy in order to move rainwater and floodwater more quickly to discharge into the sea.

Dredging is one of a range of options available to the Environment Agency and is used as part of a regular maintenance schedule to manage flood risk on the Somerset Levels and Moors. The Somerset Rivers Authority, a partnership of all bodies involved in flood risk management in Somerset, has commissioned a study to look at the effectiveness and sustainability of dredging at a number of locations across the Somerset Levels and Moors. The outcome of this will inform future maintenance work in the area.

The Environment Agency has a scheme in place to widen and improve the River Sowy and King Sedgemoor Drain which will increase the ability to remove flood water from the Parrett and Tone Moors. This scheme is considered a sustainable option for managing flood risk as this will require minimal maintenance in future years.