Sowy River

The Sowy River is a 7.5 mi embanked channel which starts at Monks Leaze clyce below Langport, and carries excess water from the River Parrett to the King's Sedgemoor Drain, from where it flows to the estuary by gravity, rejoining the Parrett near Dunball wharf. Construction of the channel, together with improvements to the King's Sedgemoor Drain and the rebuilding of the clyce at Dunball, to create a freshwater seal which prevents saltwater entering the drain from the river, cost £1.4 million. The scheme was first proposed in 1961, following serious flooding in October 1960, when some 78 sqmi of the Somerset levels were inundated. A channel with a proposed capacity of 1060 cuft/s was…