Put cutting flood risk before saving creatures

SO the Government has finally acknowledged and accepted what many rural people have known for a long time, that one of the main causes for rivers and streams overflowing and causing untold damage by flooding is the lack of regular dredging of our watercourses.

One doesn’t have to be a scientist to know that if a water channel is deepened by dredging it will require a much greater volume of water flowing before flooding occurs.

Keeping rivers, streams, ditches and channels free from accumulated silt, debris and rubbish is surely a fundamental necessity and well done to 
North Yorkshire MP Anne McIntosh for finally getting a response from the Environment Minister.

However, this is not to say that any immediate action will be forthcoming as they are now expecting the work to be carried out by landowners and tenants.

One can imagine the protests which will be raised by environmentalists complaining about the damage and disturbance which might be caused to natural inhabitants such as fish and other aquatic 
life.

Which is more important: preventing the misery caused to householders and businesses alike by flooding of premises or the preservation of a few water dwellers which in any event would quickly recover from any threat to their habitat?