2017 News: Project is a finalist in the 2017 UK River Prize
therrc.co.uk/uk-river-prize-2017
Rural Sustainable Drainage - Natural Flood Management in the Stroud Valleys
susdrain.org/community/blog/stroud-rural-sustainable-drainage-project-taking-suds-beyond-the-red-line/
Natural Flood Management means working with nature to reduce
flooding. The Stroud Rural Sustainable Drainage Project is working
in partnership with local communities, land owners and land managers
to reduce flood risk in a cost-effective way, throughout the River Frome
catchment in Stroud, an area of over 235 km2
Commissioned by
Stroud District Council
& the Countryside and Community Research Institute, University of Gloucestershire
The Stroud Rural Sustainable Drainage Project is supported by
The Severn and Wye (England) Regional Flood and Coastal Committee
Project news and information:
stroud.gov.uk/rsuds
twitter: @Stroud_RSuDS
Produced by
Antony Lyons with Rough Glory Films
Additional flood footage shot by
Brian Cooke, Jeremy Williamson
Adam Laity (used with kind permission of Esther May Campbell)
Music:
'It Always Rains in England’ by Ergo Phizmiz
(creative commons license)
The Stroud RsuDs project is located in the catchment of the Stroud River Frome, which rises from the Cotswold escarpment in Gloucestershire. The project arose primarily out of a concerted effort by community flood action groups to reduce flood risk using natural flood management techniques.
The vision is “To create a river catchment where water management is fully integrated into land management practices. Where public bodies, private companies and local communities work together to manage water within the landscape, creating valuable habitat for wildlife and people, and limiting flood risk downstream”.
The majority of headwaters in the catchment have been impacted by incision and bank erosion, straightening and removal of woody debris, siltation and soil pollution. To help achieve the project's vision and aims over 280 measures have been installed over 18km of stream/river. Key activities undertaken include introducing large quantities of Large Woody Debris, reducing the speed of flow in erosion gullies by filling with logs and brash and much more.
The long term vision is to link with partners working to improve fish migration from the sea to the restored headwaters and to create an enduring and sustainable system for adding new projects and maintaining river improvement works.
In March 2016, the film won the 'best green award' at the fourth Stroud Community TV awards. From over 2,200 films, the public had nominated their best films in seven different categories.
