The whole philosophy behind Coldstream’r is that you cannot leave Flood Prevention to Nature, but you can work with Nature to prevent flooding.
With known capacities for Catchment runoff, Flood meadow, River and drainage channel flow rates, the Somerset Levels can be maintained accordingly and mindfully too allow for the heavy rainfall at certain times of the year.
Patrolling the waterways, the ColdStream’r would constantly be updating upon cross sections and flow rates wherever they roam, highlighting and immediately sweeping away any undesired silt into collection areas, so that silt deposits are not allowed to build up and create unwanted risk at appropriate times throughout the year.
Apart from the advantage in spotting blockages created by fallen trees and debris, by routinely maintaining the cross sections by de-silting on a regular basis, perhaps the biggest advantage will be to the benefit of Wildlife and the overall Environment.
By working seasonally with Nature, stretches of water can be managed to prevent them being over run with specific water plants by controlling germination numbers, sections can be left undisturbed during spawning and hatching periods, and the banks remain virtually undisturbed, with the more drastic hard landscaping measure of the dredge bucket reduced to a minimum in specified areas.
