![Rise in levels on River Thurne follow Norfolk's wettest February on record and months of heavy rainfall](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/environment/2024/03/05/TELEMMGLPICT000369309837_17096595541960_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqVo9irV4tImX-7yTRyrc_aFHwtdpQwyNje2OyIL7x97s.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Norfolk Broads cruises under threat as rising water levels make bridge a tight squeeze
Boat operators say space under stone bridge in Potter Heigham is now too small for all but the lowest boats to pass through
![Rise in levels on River Thurne follow Norfolk's wettest February on record and months of heavy rainfall](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/environment/2024/03/05/TELEMMGLPICT000369309837_17096595541960_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqVo9irV4tImX-7yTRyrc_aFHwtdpQwyNje2OyIL7x97s.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Cruises on the Norfolk Broads are under threat from rising water levels that have made a key bridge impassable, operators say.
The rise in levels on the River Thurne follow Norfolk’s wettest February on record and months of heavy rainfall.
Boat operators say the space underneath the 14th-century stone bridge in Potter Heigham is now too small for all but the lowest boats to pass through, blocking off miles of the Broads.
The Environment Agency has rejected calls from cruise operators to resume dredging in the area to remove pressure on the river, saying it is focused on “long-term efficacy over short-lived fixes”.
The agency rarely supports the use of dredging, which historically has been used to reduce river levels to combat flooding, because it is believed to be more expensive and harmful to the environment.
“Our larger vessels are currently unable to pass under Potter Heigham Bridge due to the high river levels, thereby impacting our overall hiring capacity,” said Nick Highton, of the Martham Ferry Boatyard.
“In addressing this, we advocate for increased dredging activities in the short term, allowing us to manage the existing challenges effectively, while new comprehensive water management plans are formulated to mitigate potential future issues.”
He added that “after two years of elevated rainfall, we acknowledge that this may be a transient weather pattern and hope for a return to historically lower rainfall levels in the east of England”.
![Robin Richardson (left) and Patrick Richardson in the flooded car park of Phoenix Fleet, in Potter Heigham](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/environment/2024/03/05/TELEMMGLPICT000369309842_17096597509470_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bq7t4Eljyiy6iRMFuEKY2dXA1vLvhkMtVb21dMmpQBfEs.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Robin Richardson, who owns Phoenix Fleet, a boat hire firm, told a local news agency that the river had “never really emptied properly” since a storm and flooding in 2022.
“River Thurne, where it goes out into the sea, needs dredging. It needs dredging back to the level it was pre-1997, when it was dredged regularly,” he said.
He added that there “seems to be a culture of ‘don’t do anything in case we do something wrong’”.
But the Environment Agency told the Telegraph that its decision not to pursue dredging was “based on our understanding of the River Thurne’s dynamics”.
“Dredging would currently bring little benefit to the river given that it is tidal, which means silt would return to the channel quickly – sometimes in a matter of weeks,” said a spokesman.
“However, where there is a case for it, dredging does take place for the purposes of navigation by the Broads Authority.
“Our focus is on the long-term solutions that will allow the River Thurne to remain usable for the public and mitigating flood risk, whilst also making sure we improve the local environment.”