River Foss Barrier

The Foss Barrier consists of a retractable floodgate and pumping station owned and managed by the Environment Agency.

The pumps next to the flood gate move water around the barrier via a side culvert so that it can continue to drain into the Ouse.

Before construction, an analysis was carried out to determine the realistic maximum flow rates of the River Foss during an event.

Each pump weighs 6.5 tonnes and has variable speeds to give operators more control over water levels on the Foss.

This made the structure lighter so that the existing foundations didn’t need fortifying, as this would have delayed the project significantly.

Two new independently sourced high voltage power supplies have been connected to the site, in case one is compromised during a flood event.

In the event that both power supplies fail, there are four backup diesel generators capable of running the pumps at full capacity.

After this point, the Environment Agency plans to have additional measures in place upstream of York to reduce river levels, such as natural flood management.

On the River Foss, the Environment Agency has started work to build a flood storage area north-east of Strensall.