Flood Mitigation through Nature-Based Solutions – Event Summary

On 22 January 2026, the Three Villages Flood Group hosted a well-attended public meeting at Mudford Village Hall focused on flood mitigation through Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). The evening’s speaker was Lorne Thomson from the Yeovil Rivers Community Trust.

The presentation highlighted the significant potential for practical, nature-led interventions to reduce flood risk across the local catchment. Using examples from comparable areas, Lorne demonstrated how measures such as leaky dams, ponds, re-engineered ditches and wetland creation can slow the movement of water across land, reducing peak flows into rivers and vulnerable communities.

Importantly, these interventions deliver multiple additional benefits, including improved biodiversity through habitat creation, enhanced soil health, and nutrient mitigation. The role of wetlands in filtering phosphates from agricultural and surface water run-off was also discussed.

The meeting emphasised the importance of partnership working, including collaboration with FWAG on soil management techniques to improve water retention, and with Wessex Water on wetland projects to address water quality issues.

Overall, the event provided strong evidence that there are realistic, achievable and community-driven solutions available, which can make a meaningful contribution to flood resilience in the Three Villages area.

Photo: Lorne Thomson, Yeovil Rivers Community Trust, with Kay Mackenzie , Chair of Three Villages Flood Group