Natural Flood Management

Natural Flood Management is gaining momentum nationally, and locally. It has become an important part of our work as extreme weather events increase the likelihood of floods and continue to negatively affect rivers and catchments.

Natural Flood Management, a nature-based solution to flood risk, aims to reduce the flood peak and delay water travelling downstream. This can help decrease the intensity and increase the time available to prepare for floods.

Our work spans from Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and in other parts of The Midlands.

NFM aims to restore natural processes by storing water within the upper parts of the catchment, in order to reduce flood risk downstream.

Many types of Natural Flood Management features exist, at TRT we design each feature specifically to the characteristics of a site, in collaboration with the landowner. Natural Flood Management features such as ‘small earth bunds’ store water before it reaches the watercourse, draining slowly over a period of hours once floodwaters have passed.

Other Natural Flood Management features are designed to store water within the watercourse itself. ‘Leaky barriers’ (PHOTO) not only store water behind them during high flow events, but also increase the roughness in the channel to decrease the velocity of water moving downstream. Think of it this way: it’s much harder for us to run through long vegetation when compared to running on a concrete surface! The same is true for water.

Wider Benefits

Natural Flood Management works with nature – a method that unlocks through river restoration, enhancing biodiversity and trapping diffuse pollution.

Over the years we have developed a portfolio of scoping and delivered projects.

We regularly work with farmers, landowners, City, County and Parish Councils, the Environment Agency and at-risk residents. Our methods allow for detailed opportunity mapping of NFM interventions through GIS analysis and detailed and careful landowner liaison. We have proudly delivered a number of successful NFM projects with a positive lasting legacy for local communities.