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Natural Flood Management in Evenlode Catchment, UK

Last update
2026
Summary
Sponge Scapes case study UK 04
Natural Flood Management was trialled in Littlestock Brook (16 km²) in the Evenlode catchment during a 5-year project (2016-2021). It was one of the first of its kind in the Thames Basin.
The measures aimed to retain and store more water across the catchment to slow the flow (through field corner bunds, woodland planting, leaky woody dams and inline ponds) and improve water quality, ecosystems services, habitats and carbon sequestration (through nutrient retention ponds, planting of riparian woodland, restoration of wetlands).
Latitude
51.5144
Longitude
1.3844
Project
SpongeScapes
Installation date
2016-2021
Transboundary
0
Photo gallery

Location of the project
The River Evenlode rises near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, and is a headwater tributary of the River Thames, with a catchment area of approximately 430km². The landscape is predominantly agricultural, consisting of arable land, grassland and woodland.
Project's objectives
The objective is to improve our understanding of working with natural processes for flood risk management in an agricultural landscape. Natural Flood Management (NFM) was trialled in Littlestock Brook (16 km2) in the Evenlode catchment during a 5-year project (2016-2021). It was one of the first of its kind in the Thames Basin. The measures aimed to retain and store more water across the catchment to slow the flow (through field corner bunds, woodland planting, leaky woody dams and online ponds) and improve water quality, ecosystems services, habitats and carbon sequestration (through nutrient retention ponds, planting of riparian woodland, restoration of wetlands).
Involved Partners
Authority type Authority name Role Comments
The case owner, Wild Oxfordshire (Evenlode Catchment Partnership, ECP, host organisation), is coordinating the collaborative efforts of landowners (including farmers changing their farming and land management practices), local communities, and Environment Agency. The ECP included Bruern Estate, Milton-Under-Wychwood Parish Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, Natural England, Forestry Commission, UKCEH, HR Wallingford, Atkins, Thames Water Utilities Ltd

Climate zone
cool temperate moist

Project scale
Micro
Project area
16 km²
Area specifications
The landscape is predominantly agricultural, consisting of arable land, grassland and woodland. Land drainage has resulted in the straightening of the river channel, and some of the local villages are at high risk of flooding due to the altered and restricted course of the river. The catchment also suffers from degradation due to pollution from wastewater and agricultural runoff. The clay soils of the Evenlode headwaters are an important landscape feature of the northwest of the catchment. The increase in impervious surfaces (roads, housing) and the compaction of soils from heavy farm machinery reduce the amount of water that can infiltrate into the subsurface soils, resulting in increased flood risk.

Land ownership
Wild Oxfordshire (Evenlode Catchment Partnership, ECP, host organisation)
Community involvment
No
Design consultation activity
Activity stage Name Key issues Comments
Policy target
Target purpose
Policy pressure
Pressure directive Relevant pressure
Pressures remarks
Land drainage in particular has resulted in the straightening of the river channel, and some of the local villages are at high risk of flooding due to the altered and restricted course of the river. The catchment also suffers from degradation due to pollution from waste water and agricultural runoff. The clay soils of the Evenlode headwaters are an important landscape feature of the north west of the catchment. The increase in impervious surfaces (roads, housing) and the compaction of soils from heavy farm machinery reduce the amount of water that can infiltrate into the subsurface soils, resulting in increased flood risk.
Policy impact
Impact directive Relevant impact
Requirement directive
Requirement directive Specification
Contractual arrangements
0
Arrangement type Responsibility Role Name Comments
Part of wider plan
0
Wider plan type
Wider plan type Wider plan focus Name Comments

Long-term hydrological data (1970-) and calibrated hydrological models. Data was collected by the NFM project since 2016 including: measured water levels, flows, turbidity, sediment and nutrients, pond vegetation and macroinvertebrate species. SpongeScapes extends previous monitoring with a combination of low-cost and high-tech monitoring to analyse the impacts from the plot scale (monitor water and sediment trapping efficiency, likely to change with stream geomorphic evolution and further vegetation development) to the catchment scale (gauge data and modelling).

Success factor(s)
Success factor type Success factor role Comments Order
Barrier
Barrier type Barrier role Comments Order
Driver
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English