EA’s weaving its way back in time to stem river bank erosion

19 March 2008

The Environment Agency has turned back the clock hundreds of years by employing an ancient method to tackle river bank erosion.

On the River Ancholme a traditional method was used, known as willow spilling, where a living screen of willow is interwoven into a lattice of soft wooden stakes along the river bank, forming a solid mass of roots which protects the bank soil from being eroded.

Keith Stothard, operation delivery team leader, said: ‘This traditional craft has many advantages over other bank-protection methods, as we are using a natural product which has an indefinite lifespan and which also provides a haven for local wildlife and consumes greenhouse gases.’

Stothard’s team has protected around 4km of riverbank along the River Ancholme north of Brandy Wharf, using the willow spilling method.

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EA’s weaving its way back in time to stem river bank erosion

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