Upstream/Downstream – Flooding & The Future

A day to explore the effects of flooding and how we can manage flood water naturally…

In conjunction with the Environment Agency project to explore natural floodwater management in Dartmoor, join Plymouth University academic Tom Murphy and the Buckfastleigh flood action group on the 14th July for an open day to look at the effects of flooding and how these can be alleviated naturally.

The day will start in Buckfastleigh with a brief introduction on the climate changes expected for Dartmoor, followed by a walk through the town for a tour of the impacts of the November 2012 floods. The walk will involve first hand accounts of the flooding impacts, hearing from current residents about how these experiences and memories changed and continue to affect their lives.

After this, a lunchtime picnic on the Moor will be followed by a walk near Buckfastleigh and Dean Moor, the headwaters of the Dean Burn and Mardle rivers.  We will talk about the potential for upstream natural land management to reduce flood risk to downstream communities. The walk will be an opportunity to hear the opinions from local landowners and farmers on this strategy, discuss the challenges they face and their future land management aspirations.

The day is an opportunity for both upland and downstream communities to tell their story and come together to discuss natural flood management options for the prevention of flood risk.