▁the ▁water ▁level ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁Fen ▁at ▁a ▁height ▁sufficient ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁Fen men ▁to ▁continue ▁their ▁way ▁of ▁life . ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁reports ▁had ▁been ▁made ▁during ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁century ▁by ▁the ▁civil ▁engine ers ▁John ▁S me aton , ▁John ▁Grund y , ▁Sr ., ▁his ▁son ▁John ▁Grund y , ▁Jr ., ▁Lang ley ▁Edwards , ▁and ▁others , ▁but ▁no ▁action ▁had ▁been ▁taken ▁to ▁implement ▁them . ▁With ▁Sir ▁Joseph ▁B anks ▁of ▁Re ves by ▁Ab bey ▁pushing ▁for ▁a ▁solution , ▁the ▁civil ▁engineer ▁John ▁R enn ie ▁was ▁asked ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁d rain age ▁of ▁both ▁f ens . ▁Anthony ▁B ower ▁and ▁James ▁Murray ▁carried ▁out ▁the ▁surve ys , ▁and ▁R enn ie ▁produced ▁his ▁report ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 8 0 0 . ▁He ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁out falls ▁at ▁W ain f le et ▁and ▁Ma ud ▁F oster ▁was ▁in ade qu ate , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁internal ▁d rain age ▁of ▁the ▁f ens ▁was ▁not ▁effective . ▁He ▁suggested ▁catch water ▁dra ins ▁to ▁collect ▁the ▁run off ▁from ▁the ▁W olds ▁to ▁prevent ▁it ▁entering ▁the ▁f ens , ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁tid al ▁sl u ice ▁at ▁Hob hole , ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁W ash ▁than ▁the ▁Ma ud ▁F oster ▁out let . ▁After ▁some ▁minor ▁disput es ▁were ▁resolved , ▁the ▁plan ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁an ▁Act ▁of ▁Parliament ▁obtained ▁in ▁ 1 8 0