River management scheme (Cockermouth)

• Why was the river management scheme needed in cockermouth?

  > Cockermouth floods Nov 2009

  • 31.4 cm rain in just 24 hours
  • Ground was saturated
  • Steep slopes (shorter lag time)
  • 2239 properties flooded

  > On the confluence of River Cocker/Derwent

  > Rivers hadn’t been dredged
• What were the positives of the scheme?

  > 400 houses protected

  > Maintained character of the town
• What were the issues with the scheme?

  > Cost £4.4 million

  > Storm Desmond in 2015 overwhelmed defences- ineffective
• What hard engineering strategies were used?

  Hard engineering strategies used:

  • 120m self raising barrier
  • Glass panel flood walls
  • Reinforced concrete walls (one way flaps)
• What were the soft engineering strategies used?

  Soft engineering strategies used:

  • 2000 trees planted
  • Flood action group. 62% of population to get texts
  • Restoration of river, flood plains and 350 hectares of peat lands before Cockermouth
  • River dredged regularly to remove gravel and increase channel capacity