The Great Ouse Valley Trust asked the Environment Agency to give some basic answers to why the River Great Ouse floods. This is what they said.

The Environment Agency works right across the River Great Ouse, from source to sea, to create better places for people and wildlife, and support sustainable development.

Our understanding of the whole river system and forecast information helps us better protect people and their homes from flooding - and manage the navigation of waterways for river users.

Here in Cambridgeshire the tide can have a profound impact on the river, and its effect varies due to a mixture of natural and man-made processes.

Sometimes this means we get to see seals in the river! But it also means that high tides can stop the river from draining into the sea.

This can result in levels remaining high for a prolonged period in a process we call ‘tide locking’.

Our incident team team monitors levels 24/7 and looks at how forecast rain might impact on them. Our network of gauges helps us decide when to issue flood warnings to those at risk of flooding, giving them more time to prepare and take action.

The team also makes decisions on operating assets, like sluices, to help control the flow of water in certain parts of the wide catchment area.

This is huge at 8,500 square kilometres, and includes tributaries. So it doesn’t have to be raining in Cambridgeshire for the level to rise here. 

We also use places like the Ouse Washes ‘Storage Reservoir’ to hold water and ensure there is more capacity in our rivers. The local floodplain meadows also play their part.

Over the last month, many communities have been impacted by flooding. Our teams worked to minimise the risk of damage to properties by operating flood defences, clearing watercourses and coordinating with partners including local ‘resilience forums’.

Our focus now is on helping those affected communities recover. We work closely with partners to review what happened, and to see what additional actions we can take to help make our communities more resilient to future flood risk.

If your home or business is at risk of flooding sign up to the free EA flood warning service at: www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings.

Use the ‘check for flooding’ service to view river levels www.gov.uk/check-flooding. If you’ve been affected by flooding, complete the survey at: https://forms.office.com/e/WPfN1DAv8a