A watercourse is defined as any channel through which water flows. This may be open, and visible on the surface, but also they could be carried underground in pipes known as culverts.
As stated in the Land Drainage Act (1991), this also includes any channel that takes seasonal flows and may at times be dry when there is no water to feed it.
Some examples of watercourses include:
- rivers
- streams
- ditches
- drains
- cuts
- culverts
- dykes
- passages
- sewers (other than public sewers within the meaning of the Water Industry Act 1991)
Main rivers and ordinary watercourses
Main rivers are normally the major watercourses in an area, and are designated as such on maps held by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency (DEFRA). You can view these maps online.
The Environment Agency has permissive (not mandatory) powers to carry out maintenance and improvement works on main rivers, including any structures which may have been installed in the bed or banks. Any works in or near main rivers require the consent of the Environment Agency.
Ordinary watercourses are any channels through which water flows, but not designated as a main river. Often they are privately owned