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Building a wall to the side of a stream

Does what it says on the tin
fourtwentyfour
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Building a wall to the side of a stream

#420914

Postby fourtwentyfour » June 20th, 2021, 12:26 pm

I have a stream at the end of my garden. The water is about 10cm deep, generally, but the channel is about 4 to 5 foot or so below ground level. It floods well over the top from time to time, and in a storm the flow is fast.

The 4ft banks are nearly vertical, I built them using turf 'bricks', and back filled. However this is washed away and lasts only a few years. The width is about 5 ft.

What are my options for making a permanant bank each side, and do I need to consult with anyone about working on a stream? I think it is classified as a drain.

Thanks

bungeejumper
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Re: Building a wall to the side of a stream

#420957

Postby bungeejumper » June 20th, 2021, 3:40 pm

No expert here, but isn't the local water board generally responsible for streams and rivers?

My daughter in the Midlands has something similar - a four inch deep channel in a three foot deep cut along the pavement side of her front garden. It's bricked up on both sides, and it's capable of flooding half a dozen gardens downstream (including hers) whenever the storm water's up. Just to add to the fun, every so often somebody falls in and looks for somebody to blame. :|

The question that's forming in my mind is this. What would you say if somebody blamed your alterations (however inaccurately) for a back-up of water that drowned their gardens? (Or worse. :( ) Perhaps it might be good to be able to say that you'd consulted the water authority first?

BJ

Mike4
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Re: Building a wall to the side of a stream

#420964

Postby Mike4 » June 20th, 2021, 4:03 pm

bungeejumper wrote:No expert here, but isn't the local water board generally responsible for streams and rivers?

My daughter in the Midlands has something similar - a four inch deep channel in a three foot deep cut along the pavement side of her front garden. It's bricked up on both sides, and it's capable of flooding half a dozen gardens downstream (including hers) whenever the storm water's up. Just to add to the fun, every so often somebody falls in and looks for somebody to blame. :|

The question that's forming in my mind is this. What would you say if somebody blamed your alterations (however inaccurately) for a back-up of water that drowned their gardens? (Or worse. :( ) Perhaps it might be good to be able to say that you'd consulted the water authority first?

BJ


I think it is the Environment Agency nowadays.

I'm reasonably sure you need to get permission and pay fees to do virtually anything to a watercourse beyond looking at it, and I'd be amazed if building a wall along one bank isn't mired in all manner of regulations and restrictions.

AsleepInYorkshire
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Re: Building a wall to the side of a stream

#420968

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » June 20th, 2021, 4:14 pm

fourtwentyfour wrote:I have a stream at the end of my garden. The water is about 10cm deep, generally, but the channel is about 4 to 5 foot or so below ground level. It floods well over the top from time to time, and in a storm the flow is fast.

The 4ft banks are nearly vertical, I built them using turf 'bricks', and back filled. However this is washed away and lasts only a few years. The width is about 5 ft.

What are my options for making a permanant bank each side, and do I need to consult with anyone about working on a stream? I think it is classified as a drain.

Thanks

Internal Drainage Board (IDB) in some parts of the country only.

This isn't as easy as you would want to hear. I'd suggest some input from an engineer. Messing about with water courses is not easy, if it's allowed at all.

AiY

fourtwentyfour
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Re: Building a wall to the side of a stream

#421010

Postby fourtwentyfour » June 20th, 2021, 8:28 pm

I'm not surprised at the comments, and I don't disagree with them.

Not sure what to do though...

Thanks.

AsleepInYorkshire
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Re: Building a wall to the side of a stream

#421015

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » June 20th, 2021, 9:01 pm

A list of internal drainage boards which can be downloaded

I'm not entirely sure of the details of this process. It's dealt with by the Technical Managers and Engineers within the business. Obviously I get to know a little about this as I get involved commercially.

But I think you will find that any sort of suggestion to confine a water course will be met with a lot of do's and don't which will be at great cost. Confining a water course creates other issues that any design has to overcome. Imagine you're creating what amounts to a damn when the water course is running high and fast due to a 100 year rain storm. In addition confining can often create local silting and scarifying issues.

I really have little or no knowledge of this sort of thing past this. You may be allowed to line your side of the bank with gabions walls, but I really am grasping at straws as to solutions.

Find your IDB and contact them. If no IDB in your area then try the local authority first.

AiY

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Re: Building a wall to the side of a stream

#421018

Postby GrahamPlatt » June 20th, 2021, 9:18 pm

Sandbags with some cement in ‘em. Seemed to do the trick in the trenches.

Mike4
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Re: Building a wall to the side of a stream

#421020

Postby Mike4 » June 20th, 2021, 9:28 pm

GrahamPlatt wrote:Sandbags with some cement in ‘em. Seemed to do the trick in the trenches.


This would probably be fine, but it only takes one busybody to notice what is being done and the start making waves and the OP could be in deep water.


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