It acts as the central spine for a number of other small rivers, which drain the low-lying land to either side.

The second one is known as Faldingworth Beck by the Environment Agency, and runs down to Snarford Bridge, but is labelled Barlings Eau on the Ordnance Survey map.

When it reaches Stainton by Langworth, it passes under a minor road to Scothern and the Lincoln to Market Rasen railway.

[1] Stainton Beck begins near the higher ground at Sixhills, and flows past Legsby, Lissington, Wickenby, Snelland, and Stainton to join on the left, while Nettleham Beck rises near Lincolnshire Showground, and passes through the university complex at Riseholme, Nettleham, and Sudbrooke to join on the right near Langworth.

[4] With the exception of a tiny section of two of the streams at the source of the river, its entire course lies within the jurisdiction of the Witham Third District Internal Drainage Board.

passed in 1762, which created six drainage districts, with responsibility for Draining and Preserving certain Low Lands, called the Fens, lying on both Sides of the River Witham, in the County of Lincoln.

It became part of the Greetwell Drainage District, and a 16 hp (12 kW) steam engine was installed some time before 1881.

The reservoir covers an area of 41 acres (16.5 ha) and can hold enough water to maintain the Ancholme for up to seven days, in the event of a failure of the pumps at Short Ferry.

It then flows for 10.8 miles (17.4 km) along the Foss Dyke to Brayford Pool and so into the Witham, to supplement the water available for pumping.

There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates, angiosperms and fish.

Like many rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and mercury compounds, neither of which had previously been included in the assessment.