December 2, 2019 4.28 pm This story is over 50 months old

Environment Agency respond nearly a month after river near Lincoln breached

Repair work has now begun

The Environment Agency began repair work on the Barlings Eau over the weekend, almost a month after farmers in Lincoln were left stranded by flooding.

As previously reported, Henry Ward owns a farm east of the city which, after five days of water flowing through a breach on the Barlings Eau, more closely resembled a lake.

The bank collapsed on November 9.

The Ward family, along with four other farmers, tends more than 1,500 acres of land which was flooded in up to six feet of water.

The Midlands branch of the Environment Agency confirmed via its Twitter account on Monday, December 2 that it has now started the repair work on the Barlings Eau using specialist amphibious equipment.

The Barlings Eau, 5 miles east of Lincoln, is still breached & flooding land around Short Ferry. Photo: TheDroneMan.net

The repair work is expected to take around five days to complete.

The Environment Agency said: “Today (Monday), we’ve been out with our contractors and local landowners to update them on the repairs which are expected to take around five days, depending on weather and ground conditions.”

Photo: Environment Agency

Photo: Environment Agency

The situation has caused frustration among farmers. Andrew Ward previously went out with his cousins Henry and Joe to survey the damage on a boat, but said at the time the water was still rising.

Andrew previously told The Lincolnite: “The damage is absolutely horrendous. This is not a flood plain but the Environment Agency is using it as one to prevent flooding in Lincoln.

The breach has been left for the past five days. Photo: Henry Ward

“We just feel really let down. This only happens when there is a complete lack of maintenance. The rivers need to be dredged but we haven’t ever seen it happen here.

“There are potatoes, sugar beet and maize that has been ruined but the loss of wildlife will be colossal here, all of their habitats will be ruined.”

Photo: Environment Agency

The Environment Agency previously said that the sheer amount of water in the Barlings Eau had meant the river over-topped, which damaged the banks and led to the breach.

They said in a statement on November 12 that protecting people continues to be its top priority and that they were liaising with the NFU and internal drainage boards to offer support and advice to farmers affected by flooding.

The latest repair work, which started over the weekend, was only confirmed publicly by the Environment Agency nearly a month later on December 2.