Reservoirs
The Environment Agency is working with Yorkshire Water to investigate using reservoirs above Hebden Bridge to store water and help reduce flood risk.
Modelling, which looks at the flow of water, has identified that using 10 percent of the capacity of the Hebden Bridge group of reservoirs for flood storage could reduce the risk of flooding in the valley.
A trial was carried out during the winter of 2017/18 to study the impacts of lowering reservoir levels by preventing water flowing downstream during heavy rain. A further trial could not be carried out the following year due to a dry winter and reservoir levels remained below 90 percent until April 2019.
Following rainfall during summer 2019 and a rise in reservoir levels, Yorkshire Water carried out another reservoir trial in partnership with the Environment Agency to help reduce the risk of flooding in winter 2019/20.
Yorkshire Water continues to carry out reservoir trials in partnership with the Environment Agency. Further work has been commissioned to design and assess the cost of capital work to deliver a permanent solution. This will include an assessment of how the cost compares with benefits and further investigation of the legal and operational constraints of implementing these proposals. Environmental assessments, the impact of water resources, compensation and water resources licensing issues need to be agreed for the project to progress.
Officers are also working with partners who run natural flood management programmes in the Calder Valley to improve protection for the local community.