Work on the Whinlatter Forest project which aims to help slow the flow of water towards Lorton and the River Cocker, has begun. West Cumbria Rivers Trust is working with Forestry England, and the Environment Agency to install over 200 leaky dams in Aiken Beck, Whinlatter Gill and tributaries and forest ditches.
The leaky dams will be made from logs and tree trunks from Whinlatter Forest and will hold back water when beck levels are high during storms and then drain gradually afterwards, reducing peak river levels downstream. In summer, the embankments will be removed from the sides of Whinlatter Gill to restore the natural floodplain and keep water in the area for longer after storms. The work will be taking place in areas away from the Whinlatter Forest Visitor Centre and there will not be any trail closures.
The River Cocker natural flood management and catchment restoration project is funded by the Defra Natural Flood Management Fund and the Water Environment Grant scheme through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Other project partners include Cumbria County Council, Natural England, United Utilities, the Woodland Trust, the Farmer Network, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Derwent Owners Association, Melbreak Communities and Cumbria Woodlands.
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