THE announcement by the Environment Agency that they intend to carry out work on the River Aire to help reduce the flood risk to a number of properties in the area has not been readily accepted by angling clubs on the15 miles of river selected.
The work will involve trees growing along the banking and will include coppicing, pruning, crown lifting, branch removal and the removal of complete trees where they are deemed to pose a substantial flood risk.
It is not a whole-scale removal of trees and vegetation but generally the branches growing out over the river below the high water (maximum flood level) mark.
The EA are to meet with Professor Jonathan Grey to discuss the angling fraternity’s concerns. Mitigation work will also be on the agenda which could include planting new trees to help with flood alleviation and habitat creation.
During the last maintenance work on the upper Aire catchment area two years ago, £20,000 was spent on mitigation work which included the planting of 40 hectares of new woodland with 20,000 trees.
Angling clubs have naturally responded with disbelief at some of the proposed work and have been quick to show examples of where the benefits of tree removal would be very unclear in terms of flood risk or ecological protection.
Most of the 15 miles being considered is mainly floodplain fields which is supposed to flood so tree work here will not contribute to reduce the flood risk but by increasing the flow may actually increase the risk for communities downstream.
Some of the works proposed such as leaving low lying bank side willow will retain habitat and in certain locations the water depth may be such that removal would be impossible except from a boat.
It is hoped that when the same situation is reached further upstream but in shallower waters, the low lying willow branches will still be safe.
The work will commence at the lower point near Shipley and gradually work upstream to a point somewhere just below Gargrave.
Hopefully common sense can prevail and that some good can come out of what at first seemed to be the butchering of the trees and vegetation on a good proportion of the banks of the Riv
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