Do you have a watercourse near your property?

Keeping watercourses clear and maintained is important to manage surface water, prevent flooding and improve habitats for wildlife. 

Streams, rivers, brooks, culverts and roadside ditches are all watercourses, but did you know that if you have any of these running through underneath or next to your property, it is your responsibility to look after them? This is called Riparian Ownership. 

It may sound daunting to be responsible for the maintenance of a watercourse, so we’ve put a leaflet together explaining:

• your rights and responsibilities as a riparian owner
• what happens if you don’t undertake riparian responsibilities
• changes you can make to watercourses
• common problems that can affect a watercourse.

Find more useful information in this leaflet (external link)