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Introduction
This is NOT the official website of the IDB.
The drainage district has a catchment area of 2043 hectares (5048 acres) and was
probably formed in the second half of the 18thC.
The Board is responsible for 17 slackers (see links bottom right) on the west bank of the New Bedford
River which allow water to be taken from the river into the washes to maintain
ditch levels. Water from the slackers feeds into a header dyke running alongside
much of the cradge bank, the western or inner river bank. From the dyke, water
flows into the was field ditches. The Board are responsible for the maintenance
of 19kms, 10 miles, of ditches. All other ditches are the responsibility of the
land owners/users (mainly RSPB and WWT).
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Management
The area is managed by a board of ten elected members (12 in the 1990s ?)
who serve a 3-yr term. Current members include the managers of the
WWT and RSPB reserves who also act as the IDB's Superintendents north and
south respectively of the Welney Wash Road (A1101). According to the IDB's
accounts, the Superintendents received £410 each for their duties in the
year 2010-11.
Judging from the accounts, the IDB does not employ any staff or own any
plant or equipment. General administration is provided by the Middle Level
Commissioners, and maintenance of drains and slackers is provided by
contractors (e.g. Fen Ditching Company in 2010-11).
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In 1824 the IDB built the Seven Holes Sluice at Earith to replace
Vermuyden's Nine Holes Sluice.
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- related pages on this site
- related external websites/pages
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