Radical English Experiment Reduces Flooding
10/22/24 – The New York Times ran a story today about a radical English experiment to reduce flooding. The gist: giving land back to the sea by turning farm land into salt marsh.
The subhead claims, “When a huge tract of land on the Somerset coast was deliberately flooded, the project was slammed as ‘ridiculous’ by a local lawmaker. But the results have been transformative.”
The experiment is ten years old this year. And the area had record rains. Even after they received a month’s worth of rain in a day in September, no one flooded. Experts believe that England’s traditional defenses – seawalls, barriers and sandbanks – will be insufficient to hold back the sea in the face of climate change.
History of Project
The radical English experiment cost about $20 million pounds ($26 million). “Rather than attempting to resist the sea, the land was given back to it,” says author Rory Smith. He claims that, “A decade on, its results might offer a blueprint for how some parts of Britain — and the rest of the world — might adapt to the reality of climate change.”
“The idea was to turn what had been farmland into salt marsh, an ancient ecosystem that soaks up water as the tide comes in and releases it as the sea retreats.”
The project encountered considerable pushback from displaced farmers. One called it “environmental vandalism.” And a member of parliament called it an “extravagant, ridiculous scheme.”
The NYT points out that since 1860, Britain has lost 85 percent of its salt marshes, according to the U.K. Center for Ecology and Hydrology, a research institute. The article continues, “Returning Steart [the area where the experiment took place] to swampy wilderness was, in part, an acknowledgment that the overdevelopment of coastal land had made flooding more likely, not less.”
Benefits of Experiment
The return to nature began in 2014. After digging a series of canals that look like the veins of a leaf, they let water flow in. It wasn’t pretty at first. But ten years later, “The marsh acts as a natural and hugely effective bulwark against flooding, absorbing and slowing tides before they can encroach inland,” says the leader of a local conservation group.
The man-made swamp has become a haven for wildlife and birdwatching. It is now a source of immense local pride. Cows can even graze within it, eating natural grasses, which allows farmers to sell their leaner beef at a premium. Scientists have even documented the ability of the swamp to act as a carbon sink.
The alliance between the conservationists and the local population has helped to overcome initial objections to the project, which some describe as “rewilding.”
Could It Work Here?
The conservationists in charge of the radical English experiment believe it has great applicability for America and Australia.
Hurricane Ike devastated developed areas along the Bolivar Peninsula in 2008 that still haven’t fully recovered today. But the swamps behind them recovered immediately. Areas still flooded, but flood damage was greatly reduced.
The Times story reminded me of exploring salt marshes near High Island and Anahuac with my Nikon. I’m constantly reminded of the beauty of nature and how the marshes buffer us from flooding. Even more, I’m dazzled by the abundant wildlife.
I took the shot below in December several years ago during the fall migration near Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. The geese were so thick you could barely see the ground. Or the sky!
Sometimes the solution may not be to fight nature, but to enjoy it more.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/22/24
2611 Days since Hurricane Harvey
