The town of Hebden Bridge has flooded many times, the most notable recent flood taking place on Boxing Day 2015. Around 350 homes, 270 businesses and many vital services including the main transport routes through the valley were flooded due to a combination of surface water, canal flooding and flooding from Hebden Water and the River Calder which meet in the centre of the town. Using reservoirs to reduce flood risk? The challenges in the Upper Calder Valley
With the support of the Calderdale Flood Recovery and Resilience Programme Board a flood alleviation scheme (FAS) is being developed for Hebden Bridge by the Environment Agency in conjunction with Calderdale Council and consultants Mott MacDonald and Thomas Mackay. Hebden Water is one of the main sources of flood risk to the centre of town, and is also heavily reservoired, with Yorkshire Water owning six large water supply reservoirs in the upper reaches of the catchment.We have worked closely with Yorkshire Water to understand whether the reservoirs could be used to contribute towards reducing flood risk. Challenges to overcome include:
We present how we have investigated the challenges and potential solutions and our outcomes to date.
The town of Hebden Bridge has flooded many times, the most notable recent flood taking place on Boxing Day 2015. Around 350 homes, 270 businesses and many vital services including the main transport routes through the valley were flooded due to a combination of surface water, canal flooding and flooding from Hebden Water and the River Calder which meet in the centre of the town.<br /> <br /> With the support of the Calderdale Flood Recovery and Resilience Programme Board a flood alleviation scheme (FAS) is being developed for Hebden Bridge by the Environment Agency in conjunction with Calderdale Council and consultants Mott MacDonald and Thomas Mackay. Hebden Water is one of the main sources of flood risk to the centre of town, and is also heavily reservoired, with Yorkshire Water owning six large water supply reservoirs in the upper reaches of the catchment. <br /> We have worked closely with Yorkshire Water to understand whether the reservoirs could be used to contribute towards reducing flood risk. Challenges to overcome include:<br /> • hydrological and hydraulic representation of the system;<br /> • engineering and safety issues;<br /> • regulatory requirements on the water company linked to ensuring water supply;<br /> • public perceptions; and<br /> • environmental designations.<br /> We present how we have investigated the challenges and potential solutions and our outcomes to date.<br /> |