Officials in the South West announced that dredging on the Rivers Parrett and Tone had passed the half way point over the weekend.

Dredging work being carried out on the rivers is the result of public pressure in the wake of floods earlier this year; 65km2 of the Somerset Levels were underwater at the height of the inundation which lasted from late December to early March.

In all, 4km of river has been dredged (8km of river bank), authorities said. The Environment Agency said dredging is being carried out using a range of equipment, which is necessary to cope with the large tidal range in the river and the soft ground conditions on the banks.

A fleet of tractors and trailers, many driven by local farmers, have been carrying away silt for spreading on agricultural land or for floodbank strengthening elsewhere. A crop has already been harvested from the first fields that the silt was spread on, back in April.

Dredgers have so far removed approximately 80,000 tonnes of silt. The Environment Agency said work remains on-track for completion by October. Agency officials also said they are monitoring the work's impact on the natural environment.

Graham Quarrier for the Environment Agency commented, "We have discovered water voles on the River Tone on a section of bank where we are due to start dredging shortly. We have worked closely with Natural England to obtain an appropriate license. We will be trapping and relocating them over the next week, including checking and setting the traps over the weekend. This will ensure that the completion is not delayed and that we don't harm a protected species during our works."

Quarrier added that flood defences damaged earlier this year are also being repaired.

In January, when flooding was at its height and waters had effectively cut off several villages, local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger blamed the extent of flooding on the Environment Agency, claiming that a lack of dredging of rivers on the Somerset Levels had exacerbated the situation.  

At the time, EA officials responded that, on tidal stretches of rivers, such as those on the Levels, silt immediately begins to return to the river following dredging, pointed out that a fifth of the area in question is below sea level and warned that, as well as potentially disturbing wildlife and habitats, where dredging increases river flows, it can also shift the impacts of flooding, making them worse downstream.

Local authorities and interest groups produced a 20 year flood plan in the wake of the winter floods. Wildlife groups warned against purely reactive measures, urging that "Recent floods provide a foretaste of things to come on the Levels, as extreme weather events become more frequent, and winters become wetter. A long term systematic shift to more resilience is vital for people and wildlife."