The foot-and-mouth epidemic is slowing flood-defence work in the region, water watchdogs will reveal today.
The impact of the crisis is due to be discussed at the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee (YRFDC) meeting in Leeds.
The meeting has been called to scrutinise the Environment Agency's ten-year Long Term Plan for flood defence in Yorkshire.
A special paper will also be tabled detailing the effect the foot-and mouth-outbreak is having on flood defence works.
Work to clear up flood debris along the River Aire has already stopped and is now two months behind schedule.
The agency hopes to begin major bank repairs once restrictions are lifted. It plans to spend £337,500 in the River Aire catchment area and £97,000 on the River Wharfe.
And officers have given high priority to the Stockbridge and Skipton areas on the Aire and Otley on the Wharfe.
The paper highlights the need for a large increase in cash support from local authorities to pay for new and improved defences by the year 2002-03.
And it claims the condition of existing flood defences in Yorkshire are among the worst in the country.
It has taken into account the impact of recent floods, including those in the Keighley and Bradford areas where more than 400 people were forced from their homes when the River Aire burst its banks last autumn.
The LTP will have to be examined by MAFF experts before it gets the go-ahead.
In February the YRFDC agreed to pay out £18.1million to the Environment Agency towards the cost of the work. But it was almost £5 million short of what agency bosses said they needed to do the job quickly.
Environment Agency regional flood defence manager Ken Barton said consideration of the region's long-term flood defence needed to begin straight away.
He said: "Although discussions between the agency and local authorities will take place throughout the year, the committee's approval of the ten-year programme is extremely important."
The report calls for more cash help from the Government for flood defences. It recommends the setting up of a one-stop-shop information service for flood inquiries.
It wants flood risk information to become law in future property sales and it also demands the Government funds a database on the state of flood defences.
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