several prominent civil engineer considered the problems of deeping fen and the river outfall at the end of the 1700s. two reports were produced, one by george maxwell, and the second by edward hare, who had been assisted by william jessop and john rennie. they formed the basis for the deeping fen act of 1801. the channel above spalding was made deeper, the north bank was made stronger, and the north and south drove drains were enlarged through the fen. one of rennie's recommendations had been to replace the windmills which drove the drainage pumps with a steam pumping station at pode hole, but this was not implemented. after reports by rennie and thomas pear in 1815, and by rennie alone in 1818 and 1820, the provision of steam engines was authorised by an act in 1823. the trustees appointed by the 1801 act continued to manage deeping fen until they were replaced in 1939 by the deeping fen, spalding and pinchbeck internal drainage board, subsequently renamed the welland & deepings internal drainage board.