11th January 2016
Prominent landscape architect and ecologist working in the water industry, Jeremy Purseglove, was asked by BBC Countryfile Magazine a series of questions about the impact of climate change on recent serious flooding incidents.
Professor Purseglove has been actively involved in land drainage engineering to try to enhance, rather than destroy, the heritage of our rivers and wetlands. Author of Taming the Flood, Rivers, Wetlands and the Centuries-Old Battle Against Flooding, he draws extensively on this experience, and outlines practical proposals for the protection and use of these sensitive ecological habitats.
In reply to the following: “Is it right to lay some of the blame at the door of grouse moor owners because of the way they manage the uplands? Professor Purseglove responded:
“The short answer is that the link is unproven. The only case I have heard discussed is that of Walshaw Moor where moorland drainage for grouse has been blamed for the repeated flooding of Hebden Bridge. However, Mark Avery whose book ‘Inglorious’ sparked off the debate, has been careful to say that ‘we can’t be sure’ of the links.
“Moorland management for grouse over the past 150 years has modified uplands by draining and burning to promote heather, which the grouse eat. It seems logical that the consequent removal of blanket bog which previously acted as a sponge, may have worsened flooding in some areas.
“But grouse moors are managed with varying intensity, some owners deliberately stopping-up water on their land. The main controversy over grouse moors is the persecution of hen harriers and in terms of flood management in the hills, grouse are much less of an issue than over-grazing and lack of trees.”
Moorland Association director, Amanda Anderson commented: “Moorland Association members are working hard to mitigate against climate change effects and flooding across the North of England.
“They are rewetting peat by blocking up thousands of kilometres of historic ill-advised agricultural drains, slowing and cleaning water run-off, revegetating bare peat and using exciting and innovative techniques to reintroduce Sphagnum moss, king of bog plants, and peat formation.
“Drains were dug in moorland with Government agricultural grants to improve the poor land for sheep grazing not for grouse. Moorland managers have been blocking them back up for 15 years or more to stop the consequent erosion of peat.
“Everyone wants to see deep peat stabilised and functioning as a blanket bog again, where ever possible. The impacts of overgrazing have largely been avoided or reversed on grouse moors because of the interest to protect the heather, while trees on deep peat would do far more damage to the peat through drying it out.
“Trees are an option in cloughs and along streams off the moors. Grouse moor owners have planted millions of native trees in this way, slowing the flow. This has also helped red-listed black grouse – 96 percent of England’s population is correlated to the edges of moors managed for red grouse.”
