Rising waters | Rooted solutions
About Ousewem
Our project
Ousewem is a flood resilience partnership driving targeted natural flood management (NFM) and nature-based solutions (NbS) across the Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse (SUNO) catchments in York and North Yorkshire. By combining advance modelling with practical delivery, Ousewem helps land managers and decision makers plan, test and invest in flood resilience, while delivery measurable benefits for the environment, landscapes and downstream communities.
What we do
Working across the SUNO catchments, Ousewem uses modelling and site-based evidence to identify locations suitable for NFM which provide a flood risk benefit to downstream communities. We identify and working with landowners, deliver the most suitable NFM for each location including wetlands, woodland planting and leaky structures. The NFM we deliver provides flood storage and tangible flood risk benefits.
Where we are now
Ousewem is in a period of transition. We are still actively delivering NFM projects whilst simultaneously developing evidence-led long term delivery strategies for future NFM delivery and flood resilience in the region and strengthening governance to support this.
How it started
When Ousewem launched, our vision was to demonstrate what catchment-scale NFM could achieve across York and North Yorkshire. This film captures that ambition – and the partnerships, landscapes and communities at the heart of it.
How we work
Understanding where NFM can make a meaningful contribution requires both advanced evidence and local knowledge. Ousewem combines advanced hydrological modelling with ground truthing from our delivery team and land managers – analysing how water moves across the SUNO catchments while testing what that means in practice on the ground.
Our vision
Ousewem’s work is organised around four interconnected themes:
- Understanding risk – using advanced modelling and catchment science to explore how land management affects flood risk downstream, and where NFM can make the most meaningful contribution.
- Working with nature – identifying and testing NFM measures including wetlands, forestry and leaky structures, designed around the specific conditions of each catchment and site.
- Connecting communities – helping upstream and downstream communities understand how water connects them, and what catchment-scale resilience planning means for the places where they live and work.
- Building for the future – developing the evidence, tools and partnerships that support long-term flood resilience planning well beyond the current programme.
Our innovative approach
Ousewem’s innovative approach will:
- understand risk - we explore the impact of land management changes on the downstream flood risk
- slow the flow - our project demonstrate how water can be effectively used to mitigate flooding
- use community engagement - our project demonstrates communities’ connection through water and will increase awareness around the risk of flooding and collaborating to prevent this risk
- build capacity - we’re fostering creating a legacy of “natural flood management” strategy, funding and work within the catchment
Our partners
Ousewem delivers through a partnership approach.
Ousewem is led by City of York Council in close collaboration with North Yorkshire Council alongside our delivery partners JBA, Natural England, Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust and the University of York.
Read more about the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme.
This project is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes which is managed by the Environment Agency. The programmes will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate.
We also work with a wide range of catchment partners including:
- Dales to Vales Rivers Network
- NFM Practitioners
- Nidderdale National Landscape
- St Nicks
- Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP)
- Yorkshire Peat Partnership
- West Yorkshire Flood Innovation Programme (WY FLIP)
- White Rose Forest
- Woodlands Trust
- York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
- Yorkshire Dales National Park
- Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC)
- Yorkshire Water
- Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Join Ousewem on this exciting journey towards a flood-resilient tomorrow. Together, we’ll safeguard our environment and communities.
