The River Deben in Suffolk is flowing freely once more, marking its best flow in a quarter of a century, after significant restoration works. Water levels in the river had dropped by more than a metre in April following the collapse of a weir structure at Ufford, near Woodbridge, and a partial bridge collapse.
A multi-agency and community effort, involving vital excavations and tree removal, has enabled water to run freely again. Councillor David Finley, river warden at Ufford Parish Council, described it as a "really exciting moment to actually see the water flowing" again, noting that this section of the river had not been in such a state for 25 years.
The collapse was caused by tree roots growing into the weir, which then "fell to pieces," according to Finley, leading to water rushing towards and cracking the Hawkeswade/Lower Ufford Bridge. The incident also caused a water-filled crater, Ufford Hole, to drain onto surrounding land and resulted in "significant damage to habitats along a large stretch of the river," as stated by the Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust.
The first phase of an action plan, developed by councils, landowners, farmers, and the Environment Agency, focused on clearing the dried-out channel from Old Melton Mill to Ufford Hole. Attention is now turning to repairing the weir before the "winter flood" and restoring access to a wooden walkway next to the bridge, which remains closed.