In the summer of 2018, we invited farmers in the River Tone and River Parrett catchments within Somerset to bid online for public money for works to help stop flooding. To find out more information about the pilot auction, click here.

In 2019 we expanded this to cover the whole of Somerset in a much larger second auction for flood prevention works. Farmers in Somerset were able to bid for various measures on the Environment Agency web app. Grants were offered for five different natural flood management measures: Maize Management, Grassland Subsoiling, Hedge Planting, Soil Bunds and Leaky dams.

FWAG SW managed a third auction in March 2020. This third auction included new measures and was a great success, prompting many more farmers to get involved. A fourth auction took place last year, between Monday 1st and Monday 15th March 2021. This auction included new measures that had not previously been available. A major addition last year was the partnership with Bristol Water, who provided funding for farmers in target areas for an additional measure: watercourse fencing.

"this auction provided grants for an ambitious 14 different measures

A fifth NFM auction took place between March 14^th and March 28^th 2022. With another partnership with Bristol Water, this auction provided grants for an ambitious 14 different measures – details of these can be found on the auction website. The focus for that year was on the upper and mid-level catchments of the Axe, Brue and Frome rivers within Somerset, and the upper and mid-level catchments of rivers and streams within West Somerset. The River Parrett and River Tone catchments were not included, to avoid duplication with the Somerset Levels Catchment Market being run by Wessex Water's EnTrade.

 

Natural Flood Management Auction flier March 2022

 

 

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