This page is for people who live or work near a watercourse in Cambridgeshire. If you own or rent land next to one, this guidance can help you understand what you need to do, and who to go to for help.
Cambridgeshire County Council wrote this guidance to explain:
- Who is responsible for looking after watercourses
- How to maintain a watercourse properly
- How poor maintenance can cause flooding
- What to do if a watercourse has been put into a pipe (culverted)
- Where to find more help and advice
Summary
For a simple overview, read or download our Riparian ownership summary.
How to maintain a watercourse
Flooding often happens when watercourses are not looked after properly. This might include too much vegetation, litter, dumped waste, or unapproved structures like pipes or walls.
Good maintenance helps keep water flowing and brings other benefits such as more wildlife, cleaner water, and a lower risk of flooding.
How to open up a watercourse
A culvert is a watercourse that has been put into a pipe underground. Culverts are often used in urban areas to enable people to reach homes, gardens, or land.
The rules for looking after culverts are the same as for watercourses that are open and above ground.
Sometimes, culverts can increase the risk of flooding. They often block more easily than open watercourses. They can also collapse if they are badly built or not looked after properly. Because culverts are hidden underground, it is hard to see when something has gone wrong. This means they need to be checked and cleaned more often than open watercourses. Flooding can also happen if a culvert is too small, as it can slow down the flow of water during heavy rain.
The document below explains how a watercourse can be brought back to the surface (sometimes called “daylighting”) and how it can be made more natural again.
Contact the team
If you need help or advice, contact the Flood Risk team:
Email: flood.andwater@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Call: 0345 045 5200 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, ask for a member of the Flood Risk team
Address: New Shire Hall, Box ALC2619, Emery Crescent, Enterprise Campus, Alconbury Weald, PE28 4YE
