Ouse Washes – Accelerated Collaboration & Visual Model

Environment & Place

Infrastructure

Business & Skills

Understanding

Housing & Jobs

Information

Data from systems and databases

The Concept – ‘wire-frame’

(Old) Bedford River 1636

New Bedford River/Hundred Foot Drain 1652

Old Bedford River

Great Ouse River

Counter Drain

River DelphOld Bedford River

Forty Foot Drain

Names on the Ouse Washes

Relief Channel

Cut-off Channel

Course of the Great Ouse River

The Bedford river was cut in 1636 to drain the Fens for use as agricultural land

However, flooding continued. A second channel was created, called the New Bedford River (also known as the Hundred Foot Drain) in 1652

This is the original (Old) Bedford River

In order to store flood water between the Old Bedford River and the New Bedford River, further changes were needed.

Welches Dam was created and the Forty Foot Drain was connected to the Old Bedford River

The counter drain was then connected to create the outside channel to the Ouse Washes.

A new channel was created inside the Ouse Washes. River Delph connects to the South end of the Old Bedford River

Cou

nter

Dra

in/O

ld B

edfo

rd R

iver

Forty Foot Drain

New Bedford River (Hundred Foot Drain)

Channel Names on the Ouse Washes

Old

Bed

ford

/Riv

er D

elph

The parallel channels created a huge water storage structure able to capture 900,000m³ of flood water

Fenland has dried shrunk so the Forty Foot drain no longer drains into the Ouse Washes

Land shrinking below sea level

Land shrinking below sea level

Forty Foot Drain is no longer connected

The Ouse Washes

Stores flood water from the Great Ouse River

Protects river banks downstream to Kings Lynn from being over-topped

Defends important agricultural land and properties from flooding throughout the Fens

Provides washland grazing pastures and wetland habitats for the benefit of agriculture, nature and wildlife

The Ouse Washes

• Stores flood water from the Great Ouse River

• Protects river banks downstream to Kings Lynn from being over-topped

• Defends important agricultural land and properties from flooding throughout the Fens

• Provides washland grazing pastures and wetland habitats for the benefit of agriculture, nature and wildlife