How can the catchment upstream of Uckfield be managed to help reduce flood risk?

Here are a number of suggestions:

  1. Shallow gradient floodplain lands could be identified where low level embankments coupled with outlet controls could achieve flood storage. Example areas identified were Buxted Park, Coes Rough, and Howbourne Farm.
  1. The use of smaller embankments reduces the cost and regulation involved in reservoir construction and could be simple structures such as earth or dense vegetative hedgerows and track ways with good construction. Where possible the use of existing features could be exploited.
  1. Steep or narrow sections of the catchment could be roughened in flood conveyance terms to increase attenuation within the floodplain i.e. dense vegetation could be planted.
  1. The river Uck and its tributaries upstream of Uckfield have suffered severe bed erosion in recent (30-50 years) times. This is likely to have resulted from historic straightening and dredging practices plus land use changes in the catchment. This seems to have encouraged greater flows within the channel resulting in greater erosive velocities on the riverbed, an effect that can increase with time. The resulting deeper wider channel floods less frequently and the floodplain is under utilised during flood events in the upper catchment. With these conditions, runoff from the upstream catchment is efficiently drained potentially increasing peaks in Uckfield. This trend could be reversed using techniques that encourage better use of the floodplain whilst also enhancing the environmental value of the river system and reducing future erosion problems and expenditure.
  1. Changes in land use practice outside the floodplain and in the steeper floodplain areas could increase interception and infiltration with the associated runoff reduction. Although the runoff fraction in the Uck catchment is likely to be naturally high during intense rainfall events there are widespread environmental benefits to managing land to better store water and promote infiltration. The use of Agri-environment and Woodland scheme grants could be investigated to help fund the change of land use practice to encourage landowner participation.