An Environment Agency field team has recently finished re-aligning the Newbridge Cut away from the River Windrush.
In addition to this the team is reinforcing the bank of the River Windrush near Standlake in Oxfordshire.
The work forms part of a program of maintenance works in the Thames Valley to ensure that rivers and assets remain in good condition over the coming months.
During routine inspections, Environment Agency officers discovered that an embankment located between the River Windrush and the Newbridge Cut near Standlake had been eroded to the point that the slope facing the Windrush was vertical and undermined in places. The embankment was at high risk of failing during high flow conditions.
Gareth Simpson, Flood and Coastal Risk Management Officer from the Asset Performance Team said: “ By re-aligning the Newbridge Cut away from the River Windrush and reinforcing the bank of the Windrush, we have significantly reduced the risk of floodwater breaching the embankment and flowing to nearby properties .”
“ Erosion is an ongoing process so the situation would only have worsened. Our team worked quickly to re-align the Newbridge Cut and reinforce the riverbank. We recycled the spoil created by excavating the new alignment by using it to widen the existing bank ,” added Gareth Simpson.
110 tonnes of rock armor was also imported to the site and placed along the left bank of the Windrush to further protect and reduce the rate of erosion.
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