Somerset Levels: There’s nothing 'natural’ about this man-made flooding

Catastrophic Somerset floods are the result of the Environment Agency's policy against dredging its river. Since it took over  responsibility in 1995 for keeping this area drained, the Environment Agency has deliberately abandoned the long-standing policy of dredging its rivers. The four main rivers have become so clogged with silt that there is no way for floodwaters to escape.