Watercourses, Ditches and Streams

Land owners are responsible for any watercourse that runs on or under their land, and usually up to the centre line of any watercourses on the boundary of their land. The Deeds of the property will also provide details of the land owner’s responsibility.  

This land owner responsibility is known as Riparian Ownership. 

A watercourse can be known as a:  

• River
• Brook
• Beck
• Ditch
• Stream
• Leat
• Rill
• Goyle
• Rhyne or
• Culvert (an underground structure that a watercourse can flow through) 

The Environment Agency has created a guide on Owning a Watercourse for those responsible for watercourses on their land.  

Any changes made to a watercourse that will affect the watercourse require permission. This can include putting the water into a pipe (known as culverting), installing a bridge or building a headwall that may alter the flow or profile of a watercourse bank.

Even temporary work that will affect a watercourse, like temporarily blocking it to clear mud or debris, may need permission. 

Main Rivers 

Works on Main Rivers require permission from the Environment Agency. You can check if the ditch you’re responsible for is a main river by checking the Environment Agency’s main river network map.  

If you need permission from the Environment Agency guidance is available online at Flood risk activities: environmental permits.  

Ordinary Watercourses 

An Ordinary Watercourse is any ditch, stream or similar that is not designated as a Main River. Works affecting an Ordinary Watercourse require permission from the Lead Local Flood Authority which for Mid Sussex is West Sussex County Council. 

Ordinary Watercourse Consent 

All Ordinary Watercourse Consent applications are now managed directly by West Sussex County Council.  

Guidance and access to the application form is available on the below page: 

Ordinary watercourse land drainage consent - West Sussex County Council

Below is a list of the kind of information that may be required as part of these applications. 

• Completed Ordinary Watercourse Consent application (please refer to the above) 
• Location plan 
• Details of the proposed works and how they interact with the watercourse
• Any supporting technical drawings and calculations
• For large permanent works construction details may also be required