Lugg Meadow Faces Prolonged Flooding, Crop Yields Plummet

As of November 11th, 2025, the Lugg Meadow near Hereford, a traditional "Lammas meadow" floodplain, is facing a crisis due to prolonged flooding that has significantly reduced crop yields. According to Dr. Bob Dowling, the hay warden who has lived near the river for over 50 years, the River Lugg Internal Drainage Board (IDB) has not properly maintained the area "for many years".

The IDB claims it has to work within "very tight environmental constraints" that make maintaining the watercourse "very challenging". De-silting can only be done between late July and late September to protect lamprey and spawning fish, but this was not possible this season due to contractor issues.

The prolonged flooding has caused the soil to lose its structure, leading to a 50% reduction in the hay harvest this year. Dr. Dowling also notes that wildlife like snipe have disappeared from the meadows, and curlews have almost vanished. A Herefordshire Wildlife Trust spokesperson attributes this to climate change causing the meadows to be under water for longer each winter.

Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for the environment, Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst, says landowners can maintain watercourses themselves with the proper permissions. The wildlife trust adds that the Environment Agency and IDB have planned tree management work along the river this autumn, which it fully supports.