Restoration of lowland fen for flood management in Wicken Fen

Previously converted land at Wicken Fen in the United Kingdom, has been restored to lowland fen to reduce flood risk and recover the biodiversity that once characterised the area. A flood storage area has been created to further reduce damaging flood impacts.

Nature-based Intervention:

A large portion of former farmland in Wicken Fen, an area owned by the UK National Trust, has been restored to lowland fen. A flood storage area has also been created that can respond to a 1 in 20 year flooding event. The restoration of the lowland fen was also motivated by a desire to bring back the booming biodiversity that once characterised the area.

Overview of context and outcomes:
The Fenlands are a coastal plain in England that have traditionally boasted natural marsh with rich biodiversity. Unfortunately, most of the area has been drained to encourage arable farming. As the underlying peat of the marshy land dries out, it oxidises and subsides, bringing the farmland below sea level and increasing its associated flood risk. Man-made rivers now run at an average of three meters above the fields. These raised rivers are contained by embankments and flood risk is reduced through the use of pumps in high-pressure conditions. However, flood risk remains high as flooding pressures increase and rainfall becomes more erratic due to climate change. In the event that the embankments or pumps fail, flooding could be serious.