View source for River Idle

{{Short description|River in Nottinghamshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox river
  | name              = River Idle
  | image             = River Idle - geograph.org.uk - 1331130.jpg
  | image_caption     = River Idle near Gamston, looking north towards Retford
  | map               = Idle (rivière).png
  | source1_location  = Confluence of [[River Maun]] and [[River Meden]]
  | mouth_location    = [[River Trent]]
  | subdivision_type1 = Country
  | subdivision_name1 = [[England]]
  | length            = {{convert|26|mi|km}}
  | source1_elevation = {{convert|59|ft|m}}
  | mouth_elevation   = {{convert|0|ft|m|abbr=on}}
  | discharge1_avg    = 
  | basin_size        = 
  | tributaries_left  = [[River Poulter]], [[River Ryton]]
}}

The '''River Idle''' is a [[river]] in [[Nottinghamshire]], England, formed by the confluence of the [[River Maun]] and the [[River Meden]] near [[Markham Moor]]. It flows north from its source through [[Retford]] and [[Bawtry]] before joining the [[River Trent]] at [[West Stockwith]]. Its main tributaries are the [[River Poulter]] and the [[River Ryton]]. The river is navigable as far as Bawtry, with a statutory right of navigation extending to Retford. Much of the land surrounding the Idle consists of broad [[flood plain]], and the river is significant for conservation, with several Sites of Special Scientific Interest being designated along its course.

==Etymology==
The origin of the name is not known. River Idle is commonly taken to mean 'slow river' but this is unlikely as river names tend to be even older than settlement names, and the modern name is also at odds with the fact that it is known as a very fast flowing river.{{sfn|Defoe|1769|pp=111–112}}

The Survey of English Placenames suggests that Idle (Idel) can mean an empty or uncultivated place. This would fit with the finding that it runs through [[Bassetlaw District|Bassetlaw]] which was previously known as Bernetseatte (burnt lands). Bede (HE 2, 12) names the river 'Idla' in 617 with reference to the Battle. This preserves what might have been an earlier ending -ea (meaning river.) In 1200 (British Museum Index of Charters) the river appears as Yddil.

More fancifully, the Jacobean antiquary Dr. Robert Thoroton suggested, before the advent of modern etymology, that the name derived instead from a supposed Roman place-name - Adelocum - claiming that "the river Idle had its name from corn, with which the neighbouring fields ever abounded, and Adelocum was intended by the Romans for the place upon Ydel, after the broad pronunciation of Ai for I, which is still frequent in this country...Ydle signifying a granary amongst the Britons".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/thoroton-notts/vol3/pp292-295|title=Littleburgh, Segelocum |work=Thoroton's History of Nottinghamshire: Volume 3, Republished With Large Additions By John Throsby|date=1796}}</ref> Unfortunately for his hypothesis, the Roman settlement at Littleborough is now known to have been named Segelocum rather than Adelocum, and so cannot have been the origin of the River Idle's name.

==Hydrology==
[[File:Bridgegate Retford - geograph.org.uk - 89545.jpg|thumb|right|Bridge over the River Idle in West Retford]]
The River Idle is a significant tributary of the River Trent. The Rivers Maun, Meden and Poulter meet near Eaton, south of Retford to form the River Idle and are joined just above Bawtry by the River Ryton. The River Idle turns eastwards at Bawtry to its confluence with the River Trent at the village of West Stockwith.<ref name=osmap>Ordnance Survey, 1:25000 map</ref>

The catchment area for the River Idle covers some {{convert|280|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3}}, which has an average annual rainfall of {{convert|24.3|in|mm}} (based on figures from 1961 to 1990). About a third of this finds its way into the rivers.{{sfn|Environment Agency |2006 |pp=31–33}}

There are sources of groundwater ([[aquifers]]) across the Idle catchment area, which is dominated by Lower Magnesian Limestone, Sherwood Sandstone and Mercia Mudstone. To the west of the catchment area the underlying geology is Lower Magnesian Limestone which contains quantities of the mineral [[Dolomite (mineral)|Dolomite]], and is rich in [[Magnesium]]. To the east there is the [[Triassic]] [[Sherwood Sandstone Group|Sherwood Sandstone]] aquifer, which is the major geological component of the area. Continuing eastwards, both are these are covered by a layer of [[Mercia Mudstone Group|Mercia mudstone]]. Where these aquifers reach the surface, they often supply water to the river system, but can also take water from it.

Public water supply in the Idle catchment area is primarily sourced from the principal aquifer of the Sherwood Sandstone with multiple borehole sites. However, the catchment also receives imported water from Derbyshire. Three water companies cover the catchment area: Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water and Yorkshire Water.
This is affected by the extraction of groundwater, particularly for public water supply, and by fracturing of the aquifers as a result of subsidence caused by deep coal mining.{{sfn|Environment Agency |2006 |pp=31–33}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/idle-and-torne-abstraction-licensing-strategy/idle-and-torne-abstraction-licensing-strategy|title=Idle and Torne abstraction licensing strategy|work=Environment Agency|date=18 December 2020}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Bawtry Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 650276.jpg|right|thumb|The bridge over the River Idle at Bawtry]]
It is possible that Bawtry acted as a sea port from Roman times, but little is known of this early period. However, it was associated with the sea by the 12th century, when the parish church was dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers, and the Hundred Rolls of 1276 listed it as a [[Bawtry Wharf|port]]. There are records of lead being shipped during the early 1300s, and wool was shipped to [[Dordrecht]] from Nottinghamshire via Hull in 1337. The prosperous trading community there suffered a downturn in the early 16th century, but subsequently recovered, with lead being shipped directly to London in 1596. In the same year, a ford constructed across the Bycarrsdyke was described as "a great hindrance to navigation."{{sfn |Jones |1991a |p=84}}

===The Battle of the River Idle===

[[Bede]] records the [[Battle of the River Idle]] in 616 or 617 in the ''[[Ecclesiastical History of the English People|Historia Ecclesiastica]]'' as part of the story of how [[Edwin of Northumbria|Edwin]] came to be king of [[Northumbria]]. Bede tells how [[Rædwald of East Anglia|Rædwald]] provided refuge for the exiled Edwin, before assembling an army to confront Edwin's dynastic enemy [[Æthelfrith]]. The two armies met on the western boundary of the [[kingdom of Lindsey]], on the east bank of the River Idle. The battle was said to be so fierce that it was commemorated in the saying, 'The river Idle was foul with the blood of Englishmen'. During the fighting, both Æthelfrith and Rædwald's son Rægenhere were slain. Edwin then succeeded Æthelfrith as the king of Northumbria, and Æthelfrith's sons were subsequently forced into exile.<ref>Newton, ''The Origins of Beowulf and the Pre-Viking Kingdom of East Anglia''. p. 104</ref>

A separate account of the battle, given by [[Henry of Huntingdon]] in the 12th century ''Historia Anglorum'',<ref>''The chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon, comprising the history of England, from the invasion of Julius Cæsar to the accession of Henry II. Also, The acts of Stephen, king of England and duke of Normandy'', translated by Thomas Forrester, is available to read [https://archive.org/details/chroniclehenryh01foregoog online]</ref> stated that Rædwald's army was split into three formations, led by Rædwald, Rægenhere, and Edwin. With more experienced fighters, Æthelfrith attacked in loose formation. At the sight of Rægenhere, perhaps thinking he was Edwin, Æthelfrith's men cut their way through to him and slew him. After the death of his son, Rædwald furiously breached Æthelfrith's lines, killing him and resulting in a great slaughter of the Northumbrians.<ref>Forrester, ''The chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon'', p. 56</ref>

===Vermuyden and the Participants===
<!-- Deleted image removed: -->
Until the 17th century, the Idle flowed northwards across [[Hatfield Chase]]. To the west of [[Wroot]], the [[River Torne (England)|River Torne]] formed two channels, both of which joined the Idle to the east of Wroot, and the Idle continued to join the [[River Don, South Yorkshire|River Don]] to the north west of [[Sandtoft, Lincolnshire|Sandtoft]]. From Dirtness, the Don flowed to the north east, to [[Adlingfleet]], where it joined the River Trent near to its confluence with the [[River Ouse, Yorkshire|River Ouse]].{{sfn |Cory|1985|p=49}} At some point, a navigable channel was cut from the Idle, running eastwards to the River Trent. Dates for this are uncertain, but it is known to have existed prior to the [[Domesday Book|Domesday survey]] of 1086, and the villages of [[East Stockwith]] and [[West Stockwith]] developed at the junction with the Trent.{{sfn |Blair |2007 |p=65}} Bykers Dyke was some {{convert|5.3|mi|km}} long, and diverted the majority of the flow of the Idle to Stockwith.{{sfn |Blair |2007 |p=180}}

In 1626, the Dutch drainage engineer [[Cornelius Vermuyden]] was appointed by [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] to drain Hatfield Chase. Vermuyden brought over a number of [[Walloons|Walloon]] partners, known as 'The Participants', who took shares and performed the drainage work, which was completed two years later.<ref name="notts-uni">{{cite web |url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ManuscriptsandSpecialCollections/CollectionsInDepth/Water/HatfieldChase.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505112709/https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ManuscriptsandSpecialCollections/CollectionsInDepth/Water/HatfieldChase.aspx |archive-date=5 May 2021 |url-status=live |title=Hatfield Chase Corporation, 1538–1973 |publisher=University of Nottingham – Manuscripts & Special Collections |access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref> The Idle's northern course was blocked by a dam constructed at a place which subsequently became known as 'Idle Stop', its waters diverted along the Bycarrs Dyke. The ancient channel was straightened, made deeper, and embanked.{{sfn |Cory|1985|p=48}}

In order to isolate the river from Hatfield Chase, a barrier bank was constructed along the northern edge of this channel, for {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} from the dam to West Stockwith. A navigable sluice was built about {{convert|1|mi|km}} from the river mouth at Misterton Soss by Vermuyden's nephew, John Liens, between 1629 and 1630, to prevent water from the Trent flooding the land to the south of Bycarrs Dike. The construction was of timber, with high banks running to the Trent on both sides of the channel. Lifting gates gave access to a lock chamber {{convert|60|by|18|ft|m}}, which could be used when the Trent was not in flood.{{sfn |Skempton |2002 |pp=740–741}} Liens was compelled to carry out the work by the Court of Sewers, to prevent the flooding of Misterton and Haxey Commons.{{sfn |Cory|1985|p=48}}

[[File:RiverIdleAtIdleStop.jpg|thumb|right|The river at Idle Stop. The original course would have passed through the trees to the right.]]
A drainage channel called the New Idle River was constructed in a straight line from Idle Stop to Dirtness, crossing the Torne by a tunnel at Tunnel Pits, about halfway along its course. From Dirtness, it was routed to the east to Hirst, where it was joined by the new course of the Torne, and the two channels ran parallel to an outfall at Althorpe on the Trent.{{sfn |Cory|1985|p=49}}

There was a great deal of dissatisfaction with the drainage scheme, which resulted in claims and counter-claims in the courts. A petition alleging that the Participants had caused damage was brought to the Privy Council by several local authorities from Nottinghamshire, and was judged in their favour. The [[Commission of Sewers]] decided that a new cut was needed, to carry water from Misterton, [[Gringley on the Hill|Gringley]] and [[Everton, Nottinghamshire|Everton]] to the Trent, and so relieve the Idle, but only about {{convert|1.2|mi|km|0}} was constructed before landowners objected and the work was not completed.{{sfn |Cory|1985|p=74}}

===The English Civil War===

During the [[English Civil War]] much of the drainage scheme was damaged. The Dutch engineers or 'Participants' supported the King, while ordinary people on the [[Isle of Axholme]] supported the Parliamentarians. Alleging that the Royalists would invade Axholme from the south, villagers broke down Misterton sluice and the Snow Sewer flood gates in 1642 or 1643, causing widespread flooding and damage estimated at £20,000. The Sheriff of Lincoln repaired both structures, but a band of 400 villagers destroyed them again.{{sfn|Cory|1985|pp=76–77}} Legal action and rioting continued for some years. Nathaniel Reading, acting for the Participants, raised an 'army' in 1656, and fought a total of 31 pitched battles, including several against the men of Misterton and Gringley.{{sfn |Cory|1985|p=79}} It was not until 1719 that the issues were finally settled and peace returned to the area.{{sfn |Cory|1985|p=80}}

===Navigation and the 1720 act of Parliament===

The Idle was only navigable to Bawtry using shallow-drafted boats that were capable of carrying between 12 and 24 tons. Following the construction of the lock at Misterton Soss, which had guillotine gates, any sailing vessels using the river had to lower their masts, and although trade increased during the 17th century, the size of boats on the river tended to be smaller, with their cargoes being transhipped into larger vessels once they reached the Trent. The destruction of the drainage works and the lock during riots in 1643 meant that ships could again reach Bawtry, and lead was shipped directly to Amsterdam in 1645.{{sfn |Jones |1991a |p=86}} A new sluice was built in 1645, on the instruction of the Court of Sewers, but by 1720 it was hindering navigation, and the Court of Sewers ruled that the gates should be kept open, unless there was a danger of flooding. Soon afterwards, the single guillotine gate was replaced by a pound lock, which had mitred gates at its upper end and a guillotine gate at its lower end. The new lock was completed by 1724, and was {{convert|60|ft|m}} long by {{convert|18|ft|m}} wide. By 1833, the guillotine gate had been replaced by a second pair of mitred gates.{{sfn |Newman |2017 |p=8}}

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Idle Navigation Act 1719
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of Great Britain
| long_title            = An Act for making the River Idle navigable, from East Retford, in the County of Nottingham, to Bawtry Whars, in the County of York.
| year                  = 1720
| citation              = [[6 Geo. 1]]. c. 30
| territorial_extent    = [[Great Britain]]
| royal_assent          = 7 April 1720
| commencement          = 23 November 1719{{efn|Start of session.}}
| repeal_date           = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| status                = Current
| original_text         = https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=n7ouAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA298
| collapsed             = yes
}}
In 1720, the merchants of East Retford obtained an [[act of Parliament]], the '''{{visible anchor|Idle Navigation Act 1719}}''' ([[6 Geo. 1]]. c. 30), to allow them to make the river navigable to [[Retford]] and to charge tolls. Although no work was carried out, the plans were still being considered in 1757, by which time much of the river's trade had been lost - the Derbyshire lead trade using an improved [[River Derwent, Derbyshire|River Derwent]] and the Sheffield trade using the [[River Don Navigation]].{{sfn |Hadfield |1970 |pp=30–31}} Of the 4,415 tons of goods handled by Bawtry wharf in 1767, over 25 percent was lead, but trade had been declining for some years.{{sfn |Hadfield |1970 |p=31}}

The opening of the [[Chesterfield Canal]] in 1777 and the Great Northern Railway in 1849 severely affected traffic, with Piercy, a local historian from Retford reporting in 1828 that the river was ''"idle, as far as navigation goes, and in all probability will remain so."''{{sfn |Hadfield |1970 |pp=30–31}} Misterton Soss was rebuilt in 1883 as a three-arched bridge, with gates and boards to control the river level. The upper gates of the lock faced upstream, but it appears that by 1910 the lower gates of the lock and those on the arches used as sluices all faced downstream, so that they closed as the tide rose. Thus vessels could only pass through when the Idle and Trent made a level.{{sfn |Jones |1991a |p=87}}{{sfn |Newman |2017 |p=9}}

===Building of Great North Railway===
The [[Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)|Great Northern Railway]] route from {{rws|Retford}} to {{rws|Doncaster}} passed through [[Bawtry railway station]], which opened in 1849.{{sfn |Butt |1995 |p=29}} When it was being constructed, a new cut for the river was made at Bawtry due to there being a large bend just above the wharf at Bawtry, but the new channel to the wharf soon silted up.{{sfn |Edwards |1985 |p=163}} The railway severely impacted the already dwindling commercial traffic on the river.

===Historic descriptions===
[[Daniel Defoe]] visited the Idle in the early 18th century and described it as ''full and quick, though not rapid and unsafe...with a deep channel, which carries hoys, lighters, barges or flat-bottomed vessels''. He described the port of Bawtry as ''the centre of all the exportation of this part of the country, especially for heavy goods.''{{sfn|Defoe|1769|pp=111–112}} Traffic included lead from Derbyshire, brought to Bawtry by pack horse, Swedish iron bound for Sheffield, cutlery from Sheffield, iron products from furnaces in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, together with coal and timber.{{sfn |Hadfield |1970 |pp=30–31}}

===Milling===
Near to Retford the river has historically provided power to at least three [[watermill]]s, at [[Gamston, Bassetlaw|Gamston]], [[Ordsall, Nottinghamshire|Ordsall]] and [[Bolham, Nottinghamshire|Bolham]]. The furthest upstream was Gamston Mill. At the time of the [[Domesday Book]] in 1086, Gamston had two mills, valued at 40&nbsp;shillings (£2), and may also have had two walk mills or [[fulling]] mills. Later, the single mill served a variety of purposes, as it was a spinning mill between 1784 and 1805, but is also known to have had a pair of stones in 1789, which would have been used to grind corn, and was probably producing [[Candlewick (fabric)|candlewick]] fabric in 1797. By 1820 it has become a corn mill, while it was involved in the production of paper between 1836 and 1840. It then reverted to a corn mill, as three pairs of French stones, a pair of grey stones, and a flour machine were recorded when the building was being demolished in 1850. Subsequently, the site was known as Mill Farm.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://her.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Monument/MNT16959/ |title=Monument record M7500 - Watermill at Gamston |publisher=Nottinghamshire Historic Environment Record}}</ref> The mill was rebuilt around the 1800s, as papers of the [[Duke of Newcastle|Dukes of Newcastle]] record a payment towards the cost of building Gamston Mill under an agreement made by [[Henry Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle]]. He died in 1794, although the papers relate to the period from 1807 to 1811.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mss-cat.nottingham.ac.uk/Calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=NeAX%2FNeA%2F1-456%2F425-440%2F440&pos=3 |title=Large bundle of bills and vouchers relating to miscellaneous payments, mainly at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire; 1807-1811 |publisher=Nottingham University |work=Manuscripts and Special Collections}}</ref>

Ordsall Mill was situated on the right bank of the Idle, just above Goosemoor Lane bridge. The three-storey building probably dated from the 18th century, and had brick walls, with a tile roof . There was a corn mill on the site in 1701, and a paper mill in 1727. Water power was supplemented by a steam engine in 1851, and it was listed as a flour mill in a sales document dating from 1890. Milling ceased in the early 20th century, and the building was in use as a store for scrap iron by 1933. It was demolished in 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://her.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Monument/MNT15320/ |title=Building record M4662 - Ordsall Mill at East Retford |publisher=Nottinghamshire Historic Environment Record}}</ref>

A mill at Bolham was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and in 1258 it had to pay tithes to the vicar of Clarburgh. In 1707 the waterwheel was large and wooden, but was subsequently replaced by an undershot wheel which was {{convert|13|ft|m}} in diameter and {{convert|8.75|ft|m}} wide. In 1771 it was rebuilt to manufacture candlewick fabric, and was rebuilt again in 1800. In 1825 it was working as a corn mill with four pairs of stones. By 1835, it was a corn mill, a wood turning mill and was also producing glazed boards. It had become a corn mill, paper mill and saw mill by 1850, and a four-storey warehouse was built on the site around this time. It was extended in 1854 to become a paper mill, but was unused by 1866. Water power was supplemented by a steam engine by 1877, and it ceased to be used as a paper mill in 1883, when it was bought by Edwin Ashworth and became a tannery. By 1963 it had two breast-shot waterwheels, one of which had been used since the 1940s, while the other drove the entire plant. Water power was no longer in use by 1977, and the leats and wheels had been removed. The mill was demolished in the late 20th century, and the site was redeveloped as flats.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://her.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Monument/MNT15493/ |title=Monument record M4995 - Bolham Mills at East Retford |publisher=Nottinghamshire Historic Environment Record}}</ref>

==The Idle today==
[[File:River Idle - geograph.org.uk - 138439.jpg|thumb|right|Guillotine Gate at West Stockwith Basin]]

===Management===
The [[Land Drainage Act 1930]] passed responsibility for the management of the River Idle to the newly formed Trent River Catchment Board.{{sfn |Dobson |Hull |1931 |p=113}} In 1938 they built the Trent-Idle sluice across the mouth of the Idle, next to the road bridge. It consisted of a single guillotine gate, {{convert|40|ft|m|1}} wide and {{convert|20|ft|m|1}} high which was regularly opened when tides were low to allow the Idle to discharge into the Trent by gravity. During periods when the Trent was in flood, the gate could not be opened, and the lower reaches of the Idle acted as a pond, with water backing up as far upstream as the junction with the River Ryton, and large areas of washland becoming inundated.{{sfn |Environment Agency |2019 |pp=30-31}}

The catchment board was superseded by the Trent River Board, under the provisions of the [[River board|River Boards Act 1948]], which dredged the river and maintained the river level some {{convert|8|ft|m}} above ordnance datum. In 1963, the sluice at Misterton Soss was abandoned. The south wall and floor of the lock were removed, and the river level was allowed to run down to the level of low water in the Trent, making navigation difficult.{{sfn |Jones |1991a |p=87}}

The [[Trent River Authority (General Powers) Act 1971]] ([[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1971|1971]] c. lviii) intended to remove navigation rights{{sfn |Edwards |1985 |p=163–164}}  but was met with opposition from the [[Inland Waterways Association]] (IWA) and Retford & Worksop Boat Club, who were supported by Nottinghamshire County Council, East Retford District Council, Doncaster Rural District Council and the Labour [[Member of Parliament]] Nigel Spearing.

In the face of such opposition, the clause to remove navigation rights was removed, although the act still contained proposals for unspecified drainage works which might "interfere with or obstruct the right of navigation." Two fixed weed screens across the river were proposed, as well as replacing the final section of river with a pumping station with culverts into the Trent. The IWA continued to negotiate, and an agreement was eventually reached that the weed screens would not block the entire channel. Because the pumping station was thought to be essential, the Trent River Authority agreed to provide a slipway for trailable boats, which was built near Haxey Gate Bridge.{{sfn |Jones |1991b |p=91}}

On 2 December 1971, the government outlined proposals to replace the existing [[River authority|river authorities]] with water authorities, as part of what would become the [[Water Act 1973]]. There would be a new responsibility on such authorities, who would "be placed under an obligation when constructing major works to develop amenities and assist the provision of facilities..." The immediate plans for the pumping station were shelved.

Retford & Worksop Boat Club organised two cruises of the river in 1972, one in April when ten boats reached Bawtry, and one in October, when 15 boats entered the river, but could not pass shallows at Misson. Such cruises became an annual event, and 18 or 19 boats reached Bawtry in 1975, with one continuing on to Mattersey. The boat club thus represented boating interests when the new [[Severn Trent]] Water Authority revived plans for a pumping station, and the solution adopted was to provide a second sluice nearer to Misterton Soss, which would allow the river to discharge by gravity for most of the time, with the pumps only being operated under extreme flood conditions.{{sfn |Jones |1991b |p=91}}

The pumping station and second sluice were built in 1981, some {{convert|300|yd|m}} west of the entrance sluice. Both sluice gates can be raised to the same level as the underside of Haxey Gate Bridge, and the cills are at river bed level. The river level was then maintained at {{convert|6|ft|m}} above ordnance datum, and the river was dredged to provide at least {{convert|5|ft|m}} of water up to Bawtry. This resulted in significantly less weed growing, which had previously hindered summer cruises.{{sfn |Jones |1991b |pp=91–92}}

With the passing of the [[Water Act 1989]] responsibility for rivers, including the Idle, passed to the [[National Rivers Authority]]. Their Recreation Officer stated in 1990 that there was no public right of navigation on the Idle, although the Retford and Worksop Boat Club were allowed to cruise on it once a year. A request to allow other boat clubs to use it was subsequently accepted.{{sfn |Jones |1991b |p=92}}

The National Rivers Authority was replaced by the [[Environment Agency]] in 1996, who issued a statement regarding navigation. This acknowledged that there was a common law right of navigation from the Trent to Bawtry, and along the [[River Ryton]] as far as [[Blyth, Nottinghamshire|Blyth]]. It also stated that there was a statutory right of navigation from Bawtry to East Retford, as a result of the Idle Navigation Act 1719, even though the improvement works on that section of the river were never carried out.{{sfn |Newman |2017 |pp=12–13}}

However, in addition to requiring 48 hours notice to enter or leave the river, the Environment Agency imposed prohibitive charges to pass through the sluice gates in 2011. These were set at £185 for each transit, and effectively meant that boats could only afford to enter the river in convoys.{{sfn |Newman |2017 |p=13}} This way of restricting navigation on a river is legally questionable as a legal case from 1702 (''The King v Clark'') stated that the taking of money to let people pass on a navigable river was against [[Magna Carta]] clause 23, which could only be negated by an act of Parliament specifically granting such a right.{{sfn |Access |2015 |p=33}}{{sfn |Newman |2017 |p=13}} The charges have not been challenged in court however.{{sfn |Newman |2017 |p=13}}

Although the Environment Agency maintains the river, there is no navigation authority for the Idle. A paper presented at the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2017 considered what the position would be if the [[Canal and River Trust]] became the navigation authority for Environment Agency waters. The Environment Agency has also suggested that the river outfall might be reverted to gravity drainage, by leaving the pumping station sluice open and routinely opening the final sluice at low tide. Newman has suggested that access to the river could be significantly enhanced by the construction of a {{convert|440|yd|m|adj=on}} channel between the river and the Chesterfield Canal at West Stockwith, which would avoid the need for boats to navigate through the sluices, and effectively separate the drainage and navigation functions of the river mouth.{{sfn |Newman |2017 |p=14}}

===Drainage===
{{River Idle map}}
The banks of the river below Bawtry have been raised so that the river acts as a high level carrier for the drainage of the surrounding land. The area between the river and the [[Chesterfield Canal]] to the south and the [[Warping in agriculture|Warping]] Drain to the north is drained by a network of drainage ditches, which are connected to the river by sluices and pumping stations. Water is pumped from the ditches to avoid flooding of agricultural land, although the pumping station at Gringley can operate in reverse, supplying water to the ditches for irrigation when required.

The outflow into the River Trent is controlled by a pumping station and two sluices. A vertical sluice gate protects the entrance to the Idle, and the pumping station and another sluice are situated further back. When the water level in the Trent is low, the sluice gates allow water to leave the Idle by gravity, but at high tide, four electric pumps are used to pump the outflow into the space between the sluice gates until it can again discharge by gravity.{{sfn |Environment Agency |2006 |p=32}} The pumping station was commissioned in 1981, and was the largest all-electric pumping station in Britain at the time. When all four pumps are operating, it can discharge 2,124 tons per minute (3,059 Mld).{{sfn|Cory|1985|p=112}} This was part of the larger River Idle Improvements Scheme, a project completed in 1982 to improve flood defences and land drainage on the lower River Idle.{{sfn |Environment Agency |2021 |loc=Geography of the Area}}

[[File:Idle Slaynes Lane spill weir.jpg|thumb|left|A concrete spill weir allows the Slaynes Lane Washlands to flood when river levels are high]]
The pumping station can pump around half of the peak flood flow of the river. When this is not sufficient to cope with the volume of water, there are two major areas within the Idle Washlands where the water spills over spill weirs to flood the surrounding land. Both can hold over {{convert|5.5|e6impgal|Ml|abbr=off}}, and are therefore classed as reservoirs under the terms of the [[Reservoirs Act 1975]]. They are located to the east of Misson, on either side of Slaynes Lane, and to the west of Misson at North Carr Drain, between the river and Line Bank.{{sfn |Environment Agency |2021 |loc=West Stockwith Pumping Station}}<ref name=osmap/>
 
A large drainage ditch called '''The Mother Drain''' runs parallel to the lower river for the final {{convert|10|mi|km}}.{{sfn |McKenzie |1993 |pp=50–51}} This was authorised by the Everton, etc. (Nottinghamshire) Drainage, etc. Act 1796 ([[36 Geo 3]] c. 99)<ref name=NHER>{{cite web |url=https://her.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Monument/MNT15987/ |title=Monument record M6250 - Mother Drain |publisher=Nottinghamshire Historic Environment Record}}</ref> and constructed between 1796 and 1801 by the engineer Thomas Dyson,{{sfn |Skempton |2002 |p=203}} to collect water from the low-lying land to the south of the river. Vermuyden's single sluice was replaced by a triple sluice at this time. The Mother Drain was pumped into the river by two pumping stations at Misterton Soss, the first example of steam engines being used for land drainage outside of [[the Fens]].{{sfn |McKenzie |1993 |pp=50–51}} The Mother Drain ran from Bawtry to Misterton, although it was authorised to continue to the Trent, and in 1812 [[William Jessop]] recommended completing the works and installing a steam pumping engine at the exit sluice. The drain was extended in 1816, but it was 1828 before the pumping engine was added.<ref name=NHER/>

At Misterton Soss, the first station, called ''Kate'', was built in 1828 and used a {{convert|40|hp|kW}} beam engine to drive a {{convert|34|ft|m|adj=on}} scoop wheel. The wheel was replaced by a centrifugal pump in 1890, and the beam engine was replaced by a {{convert|135|hp|kW|adj=on}} twin cylinder steam engine in 1895. The second, called ''Ada'', was built in 1839, and another {{convert|34|ft|m|adj=on}} scoop wheel was powered by a beam engine supplied by Booth & Co, who were based at Park Ironworks in [[Sheffield]]. Both became redundant in 1941, when the drainage system was re-organised to feed excess water to a new pumping station at [[Gringley on the Hill|Gringley]], containing two Ruston diesel engines driving {{convert|40|in|cm|adj=on}} [[Gwynnes Limited|Gwynnes]] pumps.{{sfn |Hinde |2006 |pp=199–200}} By 1910, there was a bridge at this point which included tide gates, similar to the V-gates of a lock, which were designed to shut as the level in the River Trent rose.{{sfn |Swinnerton |1910 |loc=Section 9}} Both the north<ref>{{NHLE |num=1156775 |desc=North Engine House |access-date=6 June 2010}}</ref> and the south pumping station are [[Listed building|Grade II* listed buildings]], and the south building carries an inscribed stone stating "These works erected 1828, Francis Raynes, George Kelk, William Gauntley (Commissioners), Alfred Smith, Engineer".<ref>{{NHLE |num=1370383 |desc=South Engine House |access-date=6 June 2010}}</ref> They have been saved from dereliction by being converted to residences,{{sfn |Newman |2017 |p=7}} their function performed by the modern electric pumping station at Gringley,{{sfn |Hinde |2006 |p=200}} while the tide gates have been replaced by the vertical sluice at the entrance to the river.

The low-lying region to the south of the Mother Drain was managed by the Everton [[Internal Drainage Board]], who maintained around {{convert|34|mi|km}} of watercourses. The Board was formally established in 1945, but was the successor to a similar body established in 1796.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eidb.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515212324/http://www.eidb.co.uk/ |archive-date=15 May 2010 |url-status=dead |title=Everton IDB, Overview| access-date=17 May 2010}}</ref> As a result of the 1941 reorganisation, the flow in the Mother Drain was reversed.<ref name=NHER/> Another pumping station was constructed at [[Scaftworth]]. The Gringley pumping station was upgraded in 2005 when electric pumps and an automatic weedscreen cleaner were installed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eidb.co.uk/Works.php?fs= |title=Everton IDB, Works| access-date= 17 May 2010}}</ref>

On the north side of the river, drainage was managed by the Finningley Internal Drainage Board, who were responsible for the maintenance of {{convert|24.7|mi|km}} of drains and ditches, which fed surplus water to four pumping stations. Langholme, which is just above Haxey Gate bridge, and Idle Stop pumping stations are situated on the banks of the Idle, while [[Newington, Nottinghamshire|Newington]] pumping station is set further back on the [[Austerfield]] Drain. The fourth pumping station is at Park Drain, on the northern edge of the IDB area, and feeds into the Warping Drain, which joins the River Trent at Owston Ferry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shiregroup-idbs.gov.uk/Admin/Environmental/Finningley%20IDB%20BAP%20FINAL.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004021902/http://www.shiregroup-idbs.gov.uk/Admin/Environmental/Finningley%20IDB%20BAP%20FINAL.pdf |archive-date=4 October 2011 |publisher=Finningley IDB |title=Biodiversity Action Plan |date=January 2010 |pages=2, 7 |access-date=18 May 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since April 2012, the pumping stations have been managed by the much larger Doncaster East Internal Drainage Board, formed by the amalgamation of the Finningley IDB with six other internal drainage boards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deidb.co.uk/about-us/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121160901/http://www.deidb.co.uk/about-us/ |archive-date=21 January 2020 |url-status=live |title=About Us |publisher=Doncaster East IDB}}</ref>

Above Idle Stop, the river flows through an area where drainage was the responsibility of the Rivers Idle and Ryton Internal Drainage Board.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.riaridb.co.uk/map.php?fs= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306172434/http://www.riaridb.co.uk/map.php?fs= |archive-date=6 March 2012 |publisher=Rivers Idle and Ryton IDB |title=Map of Rivers Idle & Ryton Internal Drainage Board |access-date=16 May 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The IDB was re-formed in 1987, its responsibilities having previously been performed by the [[Severn Trent]] Water Authority, and managed {{convert|53|mi|km}} of watercourses. Those to the west of the Idle drain into the river by gravity at a number of locations, but the region to the east of the river and to the north of [[Retford]] drains to a single outfall at Wiseton, where a pumping station pumps the water into the river when river levels are too high for gravity flow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.riaridb.co.uk/index.php?fs= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623153542/http://www.riaridb.co.uk/ |archive-date=23 June 2011 |url-status=dead |title=Rivers Idle and Ryton IDB, Overview| access-date=16 May 2010}}</ref>

In April 2011, the Rivers Idle and Ryton IDB amalgamated with the Isle of Axholme IDB, Garthorpe IDB and Everton IDB, to become the Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Level Management Board. The move was initiated by the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] (DEFRA), who saw this and other similar amalgamations as a way to increase efficiency, and to allow them to better support Local Flood Authorities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wmc-idbs.org.uk/IoAaNN/default.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804103543/http://www.wmc-idbs.org.uk/IoAaNN/default.aspx |archive-date=4 August 2016 |url-status=live |title=Welcome |publisher=Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire WLMB |access-date=12 January 2018 }}</ref>

===Navigation===
[[File:River bridge, Bawtry - geograph.org.uk - 138480.jpg|thumb|right|Bawtry Bridge is the upper limit for navigation by narrowboats.]]
The river is navigable for around {{convert|11|mi|km}} from West Stockwith to Bawtry.{{sfn |Cumberlidge |2009 |p=155}} The fourth edition of ''Inland Waterways of Great Britain'', published in 1962 stated that the river was navigable as far as Bawtry for boats with a draught of {{convert|2.5|ft|m}}, and that smaller boats could continue upstream for a further {{convert|8|mi|km}}.{{sfn |Jones |1991a |p=87}} However, after the demolition of Misterton Soss, few boats could reach Bawtry, and those that attempted to make the journey reported that there were obstructions on the river bed. Boats could only enter the river when the falling tide on the Trent was level with the water in the Idle.{{sfn |Jones |1991a |p=87}}

Since the drainage works of 1981, access to the Idle is through the two sluice gates at the mouth of the river, and the [[Environment Agency]] requires 48 hours notice of intent to enter it and the payment of a £185 toll. Most boaters that enter the river therefore do so as part of a group, so that the cost can be shared. The space between the two sluices is effectively used as a very large lock, capable of holding a number of boats. Entrance through the first sluice is only possible for an hour either side of high tide. The Environment Agency also require all boaters to sign an indemnity form, which absolves them of any responsibility for loss or damage to boats.{{sfn |Cumberlidge |2009 |pp=154–155}}

Boats using the river can reach Bawtry bridge. Size is restricted to {{convert|59.7|by|18|ft|m}}, with a draft of {{convert|2.5|ft|m}} and headroom of {{convert|9|ft|m}}. There are no public moorings. Large boats can turn round with care either side of Bawtry bridge, and at the point where the [[River Ryton]] joins the Idle.{{sfn |Cumberlidge |2009 |pp=154–155}} Above this point, the river can be navigated by canoes all the way from its source. Access to the river can be gained from a bridge over the River Meden some {{convert|110|yd|m}} above the junction with the River Maun, where the Idle starts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?7186-the-river-Idle-in-nottinhamshire-but-only-just |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716053921/http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/7186-the-river-Idle-in-nottinhamshire-but-only-just |archive-date=16 July 2018 |url-status=live |title=The River Idle in Nottinghamshire but only just|work= Song of the Paddle, (open canoe website)| access-date= 30 May 2010}}</ref>

The river also provides water for the Chesterfield Canal. A feeder was constructed in the 1770s, which left the river some {{convert|2|mi|km}} above the Retford aqueduct, so that water could flow by gravity to the canal.{{sfn |Richardson |Lower |2006 |p=16}} This arrangement was replaced by an electric pumping station at the foot of the aqueduct in the 1970s.{{sfn |Roffey |1989 |p=101}}

===Course===
The river is largely rural in character, although it passes through the centre of Retford and skirts the south-eastern fringe of Bawtry.

Bawtry bridge, which carries the [[A631 road]] to Gainsborough over the river, was constructed in 1810 by Mr Flavel of Wetherby, at a cost of £3,000. It consists of a large central arch flanked by a slightly smaller arch on both sides. The road was widened in 1940, by extending the bridge on its south side, but retains its original character because the south facade was carefully removed and reused to face the new construction.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1314826 |desc=Bawtry Bridge, Gainsborough Road |access-date=6 June 2010}}</ref>

{{GeoGroup}}{{PoIgb start|type=collapsed}}
{{PoIgb|Source|53.2684|-0.9480|SK702751|Rivers Meden and Maun join}}
{{PoIgb|Retford Aqueduct|53.3192|-0.9466|SK702807|Chesterfield Canal crosses}}
{{PoIgb|Sutton Weir|53.3430|-0.961|SK692834|}}
{{PoIgb|Wiseton pumping stn|53.3965|-0.9320|SK711893|Idle and Ryton IDB}}
{{PoIgb|Bawtry Bridge|53.4268|-1.0143|SK655926|Limit of navigation}}
{{PoIgb|Austerfield pumping stn|53.4394|-0.9981|SK666940|Finningley IDB}}
{{PoIgb|Scaftworth pumping stn|53.4363|-0.9929|SK670937|Everton IDB}}
{{PoIgb|Gringley pumping stn|53.4461|-0.9285|SK712949|Everton IDB}}
{{PoIgb|Idle Stop and PS|53.4609|-0.9149|SK721965|Former course turned north}}
{{PoIgb|Hunters Hill pumping stn|53.4599|-0.8606|SK757965|Finningley IDB}}
{{PoIgb|Misterton Soss|53.4472|-0.8295|SK778951|Former pumping stns}}
{{PoIgb|Outlet pumping stn|53.4457|-0.8165|SK787949|inc. navigable sluice}}
{{PoIgb|Entrance sluice|53.4436|-0.8127|SK789947|vertical lifting gate}}
{{PoIgb end}}

===Water quality===
Water quality in the Idle is moderate on The Environment Agency's GQA scale. The tributaries of the Idle are rated at 'C' on the GQA scale, because they pass through urban areas, and there are significant discharges to the rivers from sewage treatment works. The average flow in the River Maun is around 13 Mld (megalitres per day) in dry weather, which is supplemented by Mansfield sewage treatment works, which discharges nearly 23 Mld. Water quality does not improve in the Idle, and remains at 'C' on the GQA scale all the way to the Trent.{{sfn |Environment Agency |2006 |pp=35–36}} The Environment Agency maintains gauging stations to measure the flow in the river near the junction with the River Poulter, and to the east of [[Mattersey]].{{sfn |Environment Agency |2006 |p=19}}

In 2019 the water quality of the River Idle system was measured as follows by The Environment Agency.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Section !! Ecological Status !! Chemical Status !! Length !! Catchment !! Channel
|-
| {{waterqual title |desc=Idle from Maun/Poulter to Tiln |asset=GB104028058091 |access-date=13 July 2018}}
| {{waterqual mod}}
| {{waterqual fail}}
| {{convert|7.8|mi}}
| {{convert|19.71|sqmi}}
|
|-
| {{waterqual title |desc=Ranskill Brook Catchment (trib of Idle) |asset=GB104028058220 |access-date=13 July 2018}}
| {{waterqual good}}
| {{waterqual fail}}
| {{convert|6.0|mi}}
| {{convert|10.48|sqmi}}
| heavily modified
|-
| {{waterqual title |desc=Idle from Tiln to Ryton |asset=GB104028058092 |access-date=13 July 2018}}
| {{waterqual mod}}
| {{waterqual fail}}
| {{convert|11.2|mi}}
| {{convert|23.15|sqmi}}
|
|-
| {{waterqual title |desc=Idle from Ryton to Trent |asset=GB104028058110 |access-date=13 July 2018}}
| {{waterqual mod}}
| {{waterqual fail}}
| {{convert|11.7|mi}}
| {{convert|24.04|sqmi}}
| artificial
|}

The reasons given for the poor water quality include sewage discharge affecting most of the river, ground water abstraction, and poor management of agricultural and rural land adjacent to the river system. Like most rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and mercury compounds, none of which had previously been included in the assessment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/help/usage#chemical-status |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314040920/https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/help/usage#chemical-status |archive-date=14 March 2024 |url-status=live |title=Chemical Status |publisher=Environment Agency |year=2023}}</ref>

===Flooding===
[[File:Gateway into wintry fields - geograph.org.uk - 1638572.jpg|thumb|right|Flooded and frozen fields near Grove Lane]]
Most of the land surrounding the river is a broad flood plain. As such, the Idle has a long history of flooding towns and villages adjacent to it, as well as agricultural land. The Environment Agency maintains a river gauge at [[Ordsall, Nottinghamshire|Ordsall]] (Gauge ID: 4164) where the river has historically measured depths of between 0.19m and 0.85m for 90% of the time since monitoring began. The highest level recorded at this location was on Wednesday 27 June 2007 at 10:30am when the river measured 1.65m. This was at the apex of the 2007 floods.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://riverlevels.uk/river-idle-ordsall|title=River Idle at Ordsall|work=River Levels UK}}</ref> There is a further gauge at Mattersey (Gauge ID: 4015) where the usual depth of the Idle is between 0.55m and 2.70m. The highest level ever recorded at this gauge is 2.81m, which was on Tuesday 26 June 2007 at 10:15pm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://riverlevels.uk/river-idle-mattersey|title=River Idle at Mattersey|work=River Levels UK}}</ref>

Many floods are recorded in the historical record including:
* 1775 a 'Great Flood' destroyed a house in Retford.{{sfn |Wilmshurst |1908 |loc=Addenda}}
* 1795 flood of Retford. The Nottingham Journal said: "The flood came on so sudden at Retford on Tuesday night, that great numbers of the inhabitants had no time to remove their effects, and several of them have received very considerable losses by it. It was three feet high in the Market-place, and the torrent ran so strong as to tear up the pavement in different parts of the town, which was nearly all under water. At West Retford a grocer's shop, and part of Miss Hurst's house were washed down, and four other houses were nearly destroyed, and their inhabitants preserved with the greatest difficulty."{{sfn |Thoroton |1796 |p=279}}
* 1872 "serious floods on 4 April and two other dates" in Retford.{{sfn |Wilmshurst |1908 |loc=Addenda}}
* 1886 a 'Great Flood' which caused considerable damage on 8 December in Retford. The council demolished West Retford bridge, which was narrow and had five arches, replacing it with a new wide girder bridge to improve the flow of water.{{sfn |Wilmshurst |1908 |loc=Addenda}}
* 1922 Flood.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.inspirepicturearchive.org.uk/image/14140/Chancery_Lane_during_the_Retford_Flood_of_1922 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211165253/https://www.inspirepicturearchive.org.uk/image/14140/Chancery_Lane_during_the_Retford_Flood_of_1922 |archive-date=11 December 2023 |url-status=live |title=Retford Flood 1922 |publisher=Inspire Picture Archive |at=Image ID: 14140}}</ref>
* 1930 Flood.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.inspirepicturearchive.org.uk/image/15904/Flooding_West_Street_Retford_c_1930 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211165118/https://www.inspirepicturearchive.org.uk/image/15904/Flooding_West_Street_Retford_c_1930 |archive-date=11 December 2023 |url-status=live |title=Flooding West Street, Retford |publisher=Inspire Picture Archive |at=Image ID: 15904}}</ref>
* 2007, a few low-lying parts Retford were affected by the [[2007 United Kingdom floods]]. The majority of Kings Park was flooded under three feet of water.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/6247996.stm |title=Villagers braced for more floods|date=28 June 2007|access-date=4 May 2008|work=BBC News}}</ref> The [[Asda]] and [[Morrisons]] supermarkets adjacent to the river were also flooded.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/image_galleries/flooding_june_2007_gallery.shtml|title=Gallery : Flooding in Notts|access-date=4 May 2008|work=BBC News|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071130180322/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/image_galleries/flooding_june_2007_gallery.shtml|archive-date=30 November 2007}}</ref>
* 2019 Retford along with the surrounding areas suffered extensive flooding along the Idle flood plain, including in the centre of the town where the Idle crosses King's Park and around the Idle bridge in Ordsall.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/some-businesses-never-open-again-3533177 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526135822/https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/some-businesses-never-open-again-3533177 |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-status=live |first=Peter |last=Hennessy |title=Some businesses will never open again - Flooding wreaks havoc on Retford with more rain forecast |date=14 November 2019}}</ref> The local hedgehog rescue centre was flooded, with locals having to rally round to save 70 rescue hedgehogs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/dramatic-scenes-community-rallies-together-3525086 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516230818/https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/dramatic-scenes-community-rallies-together-3525086 |archive-date=16 May 2022 |url-status=live |first=Richard |last=McAllister |title=Dramatic scenes as community rallies together to save hedgehogs from drowning |date=11 November 2019}}</ref>
* 2020 there was flooding at Grove Lane and Blackstope Lane with 31 properties affected after a month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/environment/flooding-county-council-promises-continue-support-affected-worksop-and-retford-communities-2442760 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221070953/https://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/environment/flooding-county-council-promises-to-continue-support-for-affected-worksop-and-retford-communities-2442760 |archive-date=21 February 2022 |url-status=live |first=John |last=Smith |title=Flooding: County council promises to continue support for affected Worksop and Retford communities |work=Worksop Guardian |date=11 March 2020}}</ref>
* 2021 there was flooding on low-lying land along the course of the Idle near Victoria Road, Retford which is currently used for allotments. This resulted in another call for action against flooding which has been partly attributed to building on the natural flood plain. Restoration of the flood plain has been one solution suggested to address the issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/councillor-reveals-ideas-protect-retford-4929770 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605100012/https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/councillor-reveals-ideas-protect-retford-4929770 |archive-date=5 June 2021 |url-status=live |first=Jack |last=Flintham |title=Councillor calls for action to protect Retford from future flooding |date=27 January 2021 |work=Lincolnshire Live}}</ref>

===Conservation and wildlife===
[[File:Bug Arch at Idle Valley Nature Reserve.jpg|thumb|right|Bug Arch, Belmoor Lake in the Idle Valley Nature Reserve]]
The River Idle now forms the eastern boundary of the [[Idle Valley Nature Reserve]], with redundant gravel quarries to the west of the river creating wetland areas. Much of the reserve was formerly part of an active quarrying operation, which began in the mid-1940s and was run by the construction group [[Tarmac Group|Tarmac]] from 1981 until 2011. Tarmac sold part of the quarry to the [[Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust]] in 1989, donating further land in 2009 as it wound down its quarrying operations. The reserve was extended even further when land was acquired from [[Hanson plc|Hanson Quarries]] and when the settling lagoons of [[EDF Energy]]'s [[pulverised fuel ash]] disposal plant were closed in the 1990s and became part of the reserve.<ref name=birders>{{cite web |url=http://www.nottsbirders.net/lound.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021160932/http://www.nottsbirders.net/lound.html |archive-date=21 October 2019 |url-status=live |first=Gary |last=Hobson |date=27 August 2016 |title=Site 27 - Idle Valley Nature Reserve |publisher=Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers}}</ref>

The reserve now comprises a total of {{convert|1100|acre|ha}} making it the largest of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust's reserves, one of the largest nature conservation sites in the East Midlands<ref name=birders/> and the largest wetland area in Nottinghamshire. Some {{convert|781|acre|ha}} of the Idle Valley Nature Reserve have been designated as an SSSI since 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/2000458.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706214626/https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/2000458.pdf |archive-date=6 July 2020 |url-status=live |publisher=Natural England |title=Sutton and Lound Gravel Pits |access-date=11 June 2010}}</ref> The area supports a wide variety of wildlife, birds and fish, including many endangered species. Parts of the Mother Drain at Misterton are a designated SSSI because they support an exceptional variety of invertebrates.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1006392.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117175203/https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1006392.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2021 |url-status=live |title=Mother Drain, Misterton |publisher=Natural England |access-date= 17 November 2021}}</ref>

Between Bawtry Bridge and Idle Stop there are four geographically separated washlands which together form the Idle Washlands [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI). Each of them consists of floodplain grazing marsh, and contains wet and dry grassland, open water, swamp and fen. They are located at Bawtry-Newington, Mission West, Mission East and Idle Stop. They were designated because of the plants found within them, but are also notable because they provide habitat for large numbers of breeding and over-wintering birds.{{sfn |Environment Agency |2019 |p=18}} {{convert|620|acre|ha}} of washland were designated in 1972, but following the completion of the River Idle Improvement Scheme in 1982, which improved flood defences and land drainage along the river corridor, regular winter flooding of the washlands was reduced, and the SSSI was reduced to {{convert|219|acre|ha|1}} in 1983.{{sfn |Environment Agency |2019 |pp=21-21}} Some work was subsequently carried out under the National Environment Programme to ensure that the wildfowl and wader habitat was not lost completely, and the Environment Agency produced a water level management plan to further protect the area.{{sfn |Environment Agency |2006 |p=34}}

In early 2013, [[Heidelberg Materials UK]], who have extracted sand and gravel near Newington and Misson for over 30 years, restored {{convert|62|acre|ha}} of the site to benefit wildlife, creating an area of wet grassland. This was extended in 2019 when they created {{convert|27|acre|ha}} of reedbed and another {{convert|47|acre|ha}} of wet grassland. The project included a viewing platform to allow visitors to see the restored site and its wildlife. A further {{convert|30|acre|ha}} of land which was formerly Misson Quarry were restored for agriculture, shielded around its edges by 2500 new trees and {{convert|770|yd|m}} of hedgerows. Hansons will continue to be responsible for the management of the habitat for 26 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.agg-net.com/news/hanson-create-more-wetland-habitat-in-nottinghamshire |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207001716/https://www.agg-net.com/news/hanson-create-more-wetland-habitat-in-nottinghamshire |archive-date=7 December 2023 |url-status=live |title=Hanson create more wetland habitat in Nottinghamshire |publisher=Agg-Net |date=9 March 2019}}</ref>

The Idle burst its banks in the Idle Washlands following heavy rainfall in November 2019. Water levels rose almost to the top of the flood banks, and took a long time to subside. This resulted in some excellent wetland habitat forming, particularly near Slaynes Lane, to the west of Misson. Fields to the north of the river and Newington Quarry were inundated, with the water stretching almost to Bawtry Road. Although recording of bird numbers was hampered by the Covid-19 lockdown, some local bird-watchers were legitimately able to visit the area, and 160 different species were recorded during 2020.{{sfn |Furber |2020 |pp=2-3}}

====Birds====
The Idle Valley Reserve has recorded over 250 species of birds and it is known for its breeding populations of [[great crested grebe]], [[Northern shoveler|shoveler]] and [[tufted duck]], as well as its [[Common starling|starling]] murmurations.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/huge-starling-murmuration-dazzles-spectators-3752177 | title=Huge starling murmuration dazzles spectators at Notts nature reserve |date=18 January 2020 |publisher=Nottinghamshire Live}}</ref>  A variety of wetland birds can also be found in the flood plain area towards Bawtry and Misson, and the river itself holds ducks and swans. During 2020, record numbers of swans were observed on the Slaynes Lane washlands, with the number of Mute Swans reaching a peak of 180 on 5 May, and 474 Whooper Swans counted on 1 January.{{sfn |Furber |2020 |pp=4-5}}

====Eels====
The River Idle is an important habitat for eels but due to modification of the Idle's channels to prevent flooding and allow for navigation, many stretches of river were blocked with man-made structures which young eels found difficult and sometimes impossible to navigate. In 2018 a new eel pass was installed by Aquatic Control Engineering, which was designed to enable young eels to move safely between the River Idle and Belmoor Lake at the Idle Valley Nature Reserve. The structure effectively provides a safe, wet, gradual slope so that young eels can move out of the river into the lake where they can grow until it's time for them to breed.  Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust's Erin McDaid said: “We are hopeful that it will boost eel numbers at the Idle Valley in the long-term and that these important fish will recover in number along the River Idle and throughout the Trent Valley.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/wildlife-trust-hopeful-eel-return-key-nature-reserve|title=Wildlife Trust hopeful of eel return at key nature reserve|work=Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust|date=8 May 2019}}</ref>

====Fish====
Fish commonly found in the Idle include trout, chub, northern pike, common barbel and European perch. Derbyshire County Angling Club have the fishing rights for the 3 miles of river to Hallcroft, Retford.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.derbyshirecountyac.org/|title=Derbyshire County Angling Club}}</ref> Scunthorpe Anglers have a 1.25 miles stretch at Lound.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scunthorpeanglers.net/fisheries/river-idle-at-lound/|title=River Idle at Lound|work=Scunthorpe Anglers}}</ref>

A report by the Wild Trout Trust in 2011 noted that the River Idle had been subjected to a major land drainage scheme during the 1980s during which the channel had been widened and deepened, creating "a uniform, trapezoidal cross-section with flood embankments following the river’s course on each bank". This was said to have had a "substantial detrimental effect upon riverine habitat" by creating "an impoverished in-stream habitat, lacking a diversity of depth, flow velocities and bed substrate". The report noted this was reflected in the impoverished fish community.{{sfn |Jacklin |2011 |pp=3-4}} The report recommended a range of measures to improve the environment for fish, and particularly trout.{{sfn |Jacklin |2011 |pp=9-16}}

====Otters====
By the Environment Agency's Fifth Otter Survey of England (2009–10), otters were said to be "now widely distributed on the Idle". The reintroduction of beavers<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/scottish-beavers-released-idle-valley-cop26-delegates-urged-focus-nature-tackle-climate|title=Scottish beavers released in Idle Valley as COP26 delegates urged to focus on nature to tackle climate|work=Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust|date=5 November 2021}}</ref> at the Idle Valley Nature reserve was in part to improve the environment for otters, while the work done to improve eel numbers in the Idle is also critical for otter numbers as they are a major food source for otters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-28883488|title=Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust appeals for otter spotters|work=BBC News|date=23 August 2014}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{refend}}

'''Note:''' The amalgamation of several Internal Drainage Boards to form the Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire WLMB in April 2011 resulted in the web pages for Everton IDB and Rivers Idle and Ryton IDB disappearing, and they are not available from the Wayback Machine.

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|River Idle}}
<!--{{coord|53|27|N|0|49|W|display=title|region:GB_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki}}-->

{{Rivers and Watercourses of Nottinghamshire}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Idle}}
[[Category:Rivers of Nottinghamshire]]
[[Category:Trent catchment|1Idle]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the River Trent]]