Clinton Devon Estates

Otter Valley Flooding Scheme

Clinton Devon Estates is floating a scheme to allow a stretch of the river Otter shown opposite, to become a tidal estuary. Mike Williams, who is on secondment from the Environment Agency, gave a talk before the last Parish meeting. He explained that the proposal was to breach the stone barrier at the mouth of the estuary allowing the sea to flood in and out with the tides. This would cause the river itself to back up at high tide, flooding the fields back up to Otterton. He was unable to tell the meeting where the river high tide would in fact reach, but I understand that modelling would be carried out to establish this boundary. No plans had yet been devised how to avoid the road to South Farm being cut off with each tide, but he was clearly aware that this would also disrupt the coastal path.

defences had been installed drying out marshland, and the EU were insisting that they be replaced with an equivalent area. The land owners around  Darts farm had refused permission for the Environment Agency to flood their property, hence the scheme based on the Otter.

The plan is in its infancy and when further detail becomes available, they will be published.

The cost was estimated at £6 million with the money to be raised from EU grants and other partners. He explained that the main purpose of the scheme was to provide wetlands to balance those removed when work was recently carried out on the river Exe. Hard