Editing River Ouse, Sussex (section)

===Management===
With the passing of the [[Land Drainage Act 1930]], most rivers were managed by a [[catchment board]], with the land drainage functions handled by an [[internal drainage board]] (IDB). The Commissioners of the Lewes and Laughton Levels effectively became an IDB until a new structure could be created. This happened in 1939, but rather than creating an independent IDB, flood management of the Ouse became the responsibility of the River Ouse Catchment Board (internal drainage).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/b716a796-7614-4d0b-9f20-59a4ab418913 |title=The Commissioners of Sewers for the Lewes and Laughton Levels |publisher=National Archives |access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref> During the successive reorganisations of the water industry, responsibility passed to the East Sussex [[river board|River Board]], the Sussex [[river authority|River Authority]], and the [[Southern Water|Southern Water Authority]]. When the water companies were privatised in 1989, rivers became the responsibility of the [[National Rivers Authority]], and when the Environment Agency replaced that organisation in 1995, they managed the River Ouse Internal Drainage District (IDD), together with five other IDDs in Sussex. In 2012, the Environment Agency decided that these functions would be better served by locally accountable organisations, and consulted local authorities as to how best this could be achieved.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/internal-drainage-districts-in-southern-england/internal-drainage-districts-in-southern-england |title=Internal Drainage Districts in southern England |publisher=Environment Agency |access-date=23 April 2018}}</ref>

Lewes District Council, who contributed £131,000 annually to the work of the IDD, opposed the setting up of an independent Internal Drainage Board. East Sussex County Council, who act as the local flood authority, were initially worried that this might result in their costs rising, but Lewes Council stated that they would use any savings made from not supporting an Internal Drainage Board to fund flood and coastal erosion management.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://democracy.eastsussex.gov.uk/documents/s4661/LMTE%20Sept%202015%20-%20Environment%20Agency%20Proposals%20for%20IDDs%20-%20Report.pdf |title=Environment Agency proposals for the Ouse, Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels Internal Drainage Districts |publisher=East Sussex CC |date=14 September 2015 |page=2 |access-date=23 April 2018}}</ref> Subsequently, The River Ouse (Sussex) Internal Drainage District Order 2016 was passed by Parliament on 18 July 2016, which abolished the River Ouse Internal Drainage District as from 31 March 2017, without creating a formal body to replace it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/791/pdfs/uksi_20160791_en.pdf |title=The River Ouse (Sussex) Internal Drainage District Order 2016 |publisher=Stationery Office |date=18 July 2016 |access-date=23 April 2018}}</ref>

The work carried out to improve the river has not removed the risk of flooding, and there have been major flood events in 1960, 1979, 1987, 1993 and 2000, which have affected people living in Lewes, Uckfield, Haywards Heath and Lindfield.{{sfn |Agency |2009 |p=8}} The river is embanked below Barcombe Mills, and although this primarily protects agricultural land, it also offers some protection to around 2,000 properties.{{sfn |Agency |2009 |p=9}} Following the floods of 1960, a further round of widening the channel and raising the banks below Lewes occurred, and where gravity drainage of the levels has proved ineffective, water is pumped into the river from land drainage ditches.{{sfn |NRA |1991 |p=6}} Tidal water has been unable to enter the Laughton Level since 1973, when a dam and pumping station was constructed across the Glynde Reach at Beddingham.{{sfn |NRA |1991 |p=5}} There are land drainage pumping stations at Stoneham, Offham, Rodmell, ET Wadham, Ranscombe, Denton and Beddingham, with an eighth station at Lewes which pumps water into the Malling Drain.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geosmartinfo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sfra/Sfra_ldc_final_Appendicies_A-C.pdf |title=Lewes District Strategic Flood Risk Assessment |publisher=GeoSmart Information |date=October 2009 |page=34 |access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>