Soft Engineering - River Quaggy Restoration Scheme

Soft Engineering - River Quaggy Restoration Scheme

1. Project

   • River runs through London since 1960's
   • Had been heavily managed with artificial channels and culverts to divert river beneath Greenwich
   • Increased flood risk from increased urbanisation in Lewisham and Greenwich mean more needed to be done in order to protect these areas
   • Hard engineering methods where considered but EA chose a more sustainable approach
   • Solution was proposed by QWAG - Quaggy Waterways Action Group
   • Planned to bring river above grounds again, cutting a new channel thought Sutcliffe park creating a multi-functional space, improving the quality of the park
   • Park was lowered to increase the flood capacity
   • river is redirected a more natural course with flood storage

2. Impacts

   • Created a wetland environment with reed banks, wild flower meadows and trees.
   • Creation of new habitats
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   • Scheme won Natural Environment Category in the 2007 water ways renaissance awards
   • smaller opportunity cost

3. Effectiveness

   • Long term sustainable scheme
   • Relatively low cost in comparison to other hard engineering schemes
   • little maintenance costs
   • Areas has not experienced any major flood event since the project was completed
   • Reduced risk for 600 homes and businesses