Managing legacy infrastructure into the future: the River Winster and Meathop Drain flood risk

Forster, A. and Glasson, D. (2018) Managing legacy infrastructure into the future: the River Winster and Meathop Drain flood risk. In: Protections 2018 (3rd International Conference on Protection against Overtopping), 6-8 June 2018, Grange-over-Sands, UK.

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Abstract

The completion of the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway in the 1850s included the Arnside viaduct and an embankment on the northern side of Morecambe Bay enabling the railway to reach Grange-over-Sands. The embankment was built across the mouth of the River Winster and resulted in a change to the tidal inundation pattern of the mudflats and saltmarsh area protected by the embankment. The protected area was reclaimed and is now partially developed to include valuable agricultural land, residential properties and a golf club, as well as vital transportation and utility infrastructure. The sand within Morecambe Bay is extremely mobile causing the migration of drainage channels and has resulted in the construction of training walls for the two main discharges, the River Kent and River Winster, to enable efficient drainage into the bay. The River Winster is further controlled, as it flows under the embankment, by tidal gates that have been modified over the past 100 years. Since its construction the embankment has performed effectively as a coastal defence and still currently provides protection against significant coastal events. In recent times however the flood risk on the landward side of the embankment has increased from fluvial events and is anticipated to increase further due to climate change and other external factors. This paper will examine the possible causes of the increase and concludes that it is the natural processes of the estuary that have resulted in the increased flood risk. The implication for the future management of the embankment and river channels is also discussed.

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