Property:Project summary
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H
The project applied to the 2008 call for subsidies for river conservation and recovery of the Catalan Water Agency (Agencia Catalana del Agua - ACA). It aimed at improving river and riparian habitats and fauna, focusing on water quality, morphological improvements of the section as well as bank erosion control. The project had a total budget of 153.592 € and was financed by the Municipality of Alòs de Balaguer and by the ACA. +
R
The project began in the fall of 2009 and was complete in early August 2012. First were carried out detailed hydrogeological surveying and evaluation and technical and design work for the water supply of the area. By building a system for sustainable maintain adequate hydration was restored water regime on the field. The area was cleared of construction and other waste. Done to overhaul the road leading to the protected area and carve him as cycling tracks, fencing and marking the boundaries of the area, permanent monitoring and security in the period of flowering and harvest. For visitors created recreation areas with gazebos, and information and signposting give detailed information about the area and protected species. +
L
The project consisted of lowering the weir by over one metre over half of its total length. The rocks resulting from the removal of a part of the weir were spread over the banks to prevent erosion or laid in the river bed to increase the diversity of flows and create rapids for the kayakers. The old buildings were enhanced by clearing the area around the ruins and trimming a number of trees.
Management included upkeep of the site in terms of landscaping and promoting the historical heritage (cutting vegetation). +
3
The project focused on Water Framework Directive Failures on these three rivers which largely related to phosphate inputs. There are a range of diffuse and point source phosphate inputs into these rivers from both rural and urban sources. We worked with partners to contact farmers who were likely to be having impacts through their land based activities and households who may have impacts through the use of non-mains foul drainage systems.
26 farm visits and associated integrated farm plans were undertaken, three agricultural events were attended and three agricultural demonstrations were delivered (soil decompaction, cross compliance, efficient slurry spreading). Three farm grants (surface water management x 2, streamside fencing) were also completed.
With regard to urban drainage, over 100 of the most vulnerable properties on non-mains drainage were visited to disseminate information on the recently introduced General Binding Rules. Local estate agents were also contacted to help disseminate information on the General Binding Rules as were the caravan/ campsites in this area (8).
Other actions included the completion of 15km of river walkover surveys, engaging and training 14 volunteers, and half a hectare of native broadleaf woodland was planted. +
R
The project has two main objectives (i) to install a comprehensive range of diffuse pollution control and biodiversity enhancement measures in a pilot area covering c.40km2 on the lower Thame which can subsequently be rolled out across the whole catchment. (ii) to complete the preparation of a strategic overview plan for the River Thame catchment, jointly developed by all catchment partners, to maximise the benefits of stakeholder involvement in achieving the aims of the Water Framework Directive. The overview plan will apply the techniques and lessons learned in the pilot area, and elsewhere, to outline a rolling programme of practical works throughout the Thame catchment.
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Funding: Main partners: Pond Conservation: The Water Habitats Trust, River Thame Conservation Trust & Environment Agency. Also collaborations with Thames Water, RSPB, Natural England, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Local Angling Clubs, South Oxfordshire District Council, Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum, The Hurst Meadow Conservation Trust, Sylva Foundation, Queen Mary University of London +
S
The project improved habitat for: <br>
• water meadow and wetland botanical and invertebrate communities<br>
• wading birds by improving the wetted area in adjoining fields<br>
• nesting song birds in new, very low-growing, bankside willow cover<br>
• helped trap sediment and nutrients on water meadows and within enhanced ditch systems<br>
• better wetting of water meadow systems will help buffer flood peaks on the lower Avon<br>
• Eels: improved connectivity with the floodplain and enhanced ditch systems<br>
By cleaning spawning riffles the abundance of benthic macro-invertebrates and associated fly life will increase within project areas.
This will have a knock-on benefit of better food provision for fish, riparian birds and bats.
The Lower Avon Project at Avon Tyrell was completed using funding from CPAF. A total of 29 large woody debris and live hinged willows were added to the channel to encourage diversified flows and cover for Salmonids and other fish species. The 100m2 of gravel cleaning and 50m2 of cover habitat for fry and Parr were carried out. The project has created 3 backwaters at least 0.5m deep with shallow profiled margins, creating a total of 500m2 of new habitat.
The Salmonid Riffle improvements on the Nadder and Wylye involved 6 sites which were improved by the Partnership as part of this CPAF funding, with a further 3 riffles improved as part of other schemes going ahead in 2015/16. The project enhanced 300m2 of riffle gravel salmonid spawning habitat at 9 sites and created 150m2 of cover habitat for parr and fry downstream of the works.
The project created 150m2 of cover habitat for parr and fry downstream of the gravel cleaning works.The project also created 50m2 of cover habitat for fry and Parr. The project has created 3 backwaters at least 0.5m deep with shallow profiled margins, creating a total of 500m2 of new habitat. +
R
The project is part of a joint strategy developed since 2017 by the City Council of Murcia and the Universities of Murcia and Cartagena (UPCT) aimed at the environmental restoration of the Segura River and its former meanders in the western area of the municipality. This global strategy, completed in 2019, defines 26 types of environmental and territorial actions applied to 27 specific river sections, focusing on riverbed restoration, riparian revegetation, agroecological recovery of the huerta, flood risk management, improvement of paths and connectivity, enhancement of hydraulic heritage, and environmental education.
The areas of intervention are classified according to their morphology (large meanders, medium meanders, small bends, fluvial terraces, and connecting areas). Four of these were prioritized due to their social, environmental, and administrative relevance, including the Meandro Chico del Vivillo. These areas allow improvements in the river’s longitudinal, lateral, and vertical connectivity, the recovery of biodiversity, the reduction of flood risk, and the creation of new green spaces close to densely populated urban areas.
The Vivillo Meander project was developed as a preliminary design and received European funding through the Biodiversity Foundation within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Its objective is to reverse the negative impacts of river channelization carried out since the 1970s, which straightened the river, eliminated meanders, and disconnected it from its floodplain, leading to a loss of fluvial dynamics and biodiversity.
The proposal is based on contemporary river restoration principles that promote the recovery of natural river geomorphology, reconnection with the floodplain, enhancement of riparian forests, and the creation of diverse habitats, demonstrating that nature-based solutions are more effective and sustainable than traditional channelization approaches for flood management.
G
Guadiato Life project Model for restoring and integrating water resources in a mining area, actions for an alternative development +
The project sought to counterbalance the adverse impacts being inflicted on the river Guadiato’s environment. It had the following objectives: 1. To foster alternative, environmentally-friendly, economic activities in the district. 2. To demonstrate suitable techniques for preventing erosion. 3. To initiate a restoration process for the banks of the River Guadiato, which were highly degraded in some areas and almost without vegetation in others. 4. To raise the community’s awareness of the need to improve the river’s environment, and to encourage participation in its revival. 5. To encourage the population to enjoy using the river. 6. To create jobs and discourage emigration from rural areas. 7. To contribute to the protection and conservation of fauna and flora inhabiting the riverbanks.
This project counts with the support of local, regional, national and European institutions. The total budget for carry out the rehabilitation is 1.438.852'96 € and the financing comes from the LIFE initiative 587,287€ and the Consejería of Environment, Andalucía.
Work included educating the community on environmental protection and promoting environmentally-friendly behaviour. +
R
The project starts from the analysis of the situation of the River Sesia: The WFD and the 2nd Management Plan of the Hydrographic District of the Po River identify the need for an adaptation of the characteristics of the watercourse to the introduced objectives, by 2021. The quality of the River Sesia from Vercelli to the confluence with the Po is sufficient, unlike the upstream part where it is good.
In fact, anthropogenic pressures such as civil, industrial and agricultural waste affect the parameters of water quality. Furthermore, in the project area there is evidence of a loss of biodiversity and lack of habitats and characteristic ecotypes caused by the presence of alien plants (such as Reynoutria japonica). The framework of the project is to limit the presence of the alien species (according to Black list of the exotic species of the Piedmont Region) and at the same time reintroduce arboreal-shrub areas and meadows both to create competition with the R. japonica and to reconstruct the riparian buffers, facing the problem of the destabilization and erosion of the banks caused by the infesting species and the lack of riparian vegetation.
The project therefore envisages two interventions:
1) Control of Reynoutria japonica and creation of an arboreal-shrub buffer zone in the Brarola area (surface area of 6,720 square meters). The area of intervention, about 2 km from the City of Vercelli, is included within the Lama del Badiotto and Garzaia della Brarola SPA managed by the Ticino Park and Lake Maggiore. At the end of the Control period of R. japonica, the project foresees to plant Populus alba, Alnus glutinosa, Prunus padus and Sambucus nigra for a density of 1667 plants per hectare.
2) Control of Reynoutria japonica and creation of grassland and shrub-land areas in competition with the settlement of Reynoutria japonica in the locality of J. Korczak Park (surface area 87,700 square meters). At the end of the control period of R. japonica, a lawn will be sown using graminaceous and leguminous plants with high competitive capacity. The project will also proceed with the planting of Populus alba, Alnus glutinosa, Prunus padus, Salix alba, Ulmus laevis, Sambucus nigra and Viburnum opulus.
Overall, the intervention, in addition to improving the quality of the river protecting biodiversity, also aims to restore the city to a usable area.
Project partners: City of Vercelli (lead), Province of Vercelli, Management body of the Protected Areas of Ticino and Lake Maggiore.
H
The project to enable fish to swim through Marlborough will build a new channel linking the existing main river with a backstream, which currently flows intermittently down a cascade that is impassable to fish. The new channel will have a gentle gradient which will allow fish, including brown trout and grayling to swim up and down it.
This is phase two of a project to link the river above and below Marlborough. The river above Marlborough is a valuable spawning habitat, but all the fish here died during the 2011/12 drought. Joining the two sections of river should improve the fish populations up and downstream.
The habitat restoration projects use relatively simple techniques and materials and a considerable portion of the work will be done by volunteers. The work will repair eroded parts of the bank and create meanders and changes in flow which will create a more diverse environment to suit a variety of fish species and life stages.
By fencing livestock away from the river the project will reduce bank erosion and keep sediment out of the river as a result. This keeps the natural gravel bed clean, leaving it clear for fish spawning and healthy weed growth.
We will improve water quality, by diverting urban runoff from the road into a reedbed, which will filter out pollutants before the water reaches the river.
Community Involvement: <br>
- Local schools will use the Stonebridge and Og sites as an educational resource <br>
- Local people will be connected to their river, either because they have volunteered to work on the project or because they can now walk along a section of river which was previously inaccessible +
I
Investigating the impact of floodplain woodland on flood flows in the River Cary catchment, Somerset +
The project was established as a modelling study to investigate how the planting of floodplain woodland can affect flood flows. The River Cary is a major tributary of the River Parrett in Somerset (Map 1) with extensive areas suitable for floodplain woodland restoration. A 2.2km long reach was selected to simulate the impact of different woodland planting scenarios on a 1% annual exceedance probability (AEP) event. Hydraulic roughness parameters were changed in one and two-dimensional hydraulic models to represent a shift from grassland to floodplain woodland. The results suggest that there is considerable scope for using strategically placed floodplain woodland to alleviate downstream flooding.
Floodplain woodland dissipates flood energy, reducing flood velocity and increasing local water depths. This can reduce downstream flood peaks but increase upstream flooding due to the backing up of floodwater. The planting of 133ha of floodplain woodland along a 2.2km reach of the River Cary was predicted to increase local flood storage by 71% and delay the flood peak travel time by 140 minutes. +
Investigating the interaction between semi-natural floodplain woodland and flood flows at Great Triley Wood +
The project was established as a research study to investigate how floodplain woodland affects flood flows. Great Triley Wood is a semi-natural, floodplain woodland owned and managed by the Woodland Trust. The site provided an opportunity to measure how trees, undergrowth and woody debris affect the hydraulic roughness of the floodplain and therefore the storage and passage of flood flows. Results are used to provide ‘hard’ evidence of how floodplain woodland impacts on flood risk and to help develop and test hydraulic models for wider application.
Floodplain woodland dissipates flood energy, reducing flood velocity and increasing local water depths. This can reduce downstream flood peaks but increase upstream flooding due to the backing up of floodwaters. The formation of large woody dams has an important role to play in storing and deflecting flood flows. Individual dams can delay a 1% annual exceedance probability (AEP) event by 2–3 minutes. +
S
The project was established in April 2009 to look at how changes in land use and land management can help to reduce flood risk for the town of Pickering in North Yorkshire. It was 1 of 3 pilot projects funded by Defra in response to Sir Michael Pitt’s Review of the 2007 floods in England and Wales and his call for greater working with natural processes. The project's overall aim is to demonstrate how the integrated application of a range of land management interventions/measures can help reduce flood risk at the catchment scale, as well as providing wider multiple benefits for local communities. A strong local partnership was formed, which put in place an agreed set of measures designed to reduce the chance of flooding in the town from 25% to 4% or less in any given year. Initial results have been very positive and work continues to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures in reducing flood risk. An analysis of flow measurements from the Boxing Day 2015 storm event, when 50mm of rain fell over a 36-hour period, concluded with a relatively high degree of certainty that the project measures prevented flooding to a small number of properties in the town. It was estimated that the measures reduced the flood peak by 15–20%, with around half of the reduction due to the upstream land management interventions and half due to the large flood storage bund. The results are consistent with other observations that show the measures to be working as expected in reducing flood generation by storing and slowing flood waters within the catchment. +
R
The project was implemented in 2009 by the Russenski Lom Nature Park Directorate, Club „Friends of Russenski Lom” and WWF with the support of the Ministry of Culture and was funded by WWF and the German Federal Ecological Foundation DBU
The main issues are the following:
•In the mid 20th century most of the lower flow of Russenski Lom River was fully diverted;•High water floods the road;•When water overflows the dike it can no longer go back into the river;•The flood in 2006 washed away the bridge and the alcoves on the island once again;•In this case, the water itself suggested the solution to the problem;•It is the first example in Bulgaria for application of the principle “more space for the river – more safety for people”, proven yet in mid 20th century. +
The project was in collaboration with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to establish a partnership that will enable joint working and delivery of high quality habitat restoration along the River Idle and its tributaries.
The River Idle was identified as having significant potential for high quality habitat restoration and for the substantial improvement of its water quality to meet WFD objectives. There were several strategies in existence for the Idle and many partners interested in the catchment. We were also finalising the Isle of Axholme Flood Risk Management Strategy. With so many organisations keen to be involved in the enhancement of the river, the project established an overarching Management Group, which brought together partners to ensure efficient and complementary working towards a shared vision. Such a "joined-up" approach offered better opportunities for innovation and access to funding than working in isolation.
A connection with the River Idle has been installed SK6956684463 to allow fish and eels to escape from the River Idle in high flows. The reed fringed pond connected to the river will also provide spawning opportunities. As the river level rises a valve will close to prevent water washing away habitat in the pond. Fish will be able to return to the river as its level falls.
The River Idle has been heavily modified over the years and typically lacks in-channel habitat. An existing berm was lowered and planted with common reed to create habitat for nesting birds and invertebrates. In order to enhance the newly created berm for fish a backwater was created to allow fish to move from the main channel into the backwater during high flows.
Following its establishment, the River Idle Management Partnership has been well attended. The Management Partnership comprises stakeholders with a diverse range of agendas and priorities, reflecting the national tensions and conflicts between water quality, flood risk management and the environment. This initially disparate group has worked through some significant areas of potential conflict to arrive at a good degree of mutual understanding. It is significant that several local farmers and landowners have become regular attendees. Several members of the partnership also attended the Rural Stakeholders Workshop for the wider Idle Catchment event that NWT organised through their catchment hosting role. It was reported back to us that it had been very useful to make the connections with upstream activities in the Maun and Meden and how this affects them on the Idle, and so how we need to think in a catchment-scale manner.
The partnership agreed that before any maintenance work is undertaken along the River Idle; a survey was required to ascertain how much silt is present and location of priority areas. At the October 2014 meeting it was confirmed that funding has been made available to undertake the silt assessment. While it was widely agreed by the Catchment Partnership that siltation was an issue, for flood defence and environmental reasons including SSSI condition, the extent of the silt burden was then unknown. Subsequent work by the Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Level Management Board using Environment Agency data from 1994 & 2001 estimated the volume of silt at c146,000m3, the cost of de-silting this volume was estimated at £4,000,000. The volume and extent of this task is beyond the ability of single landowners to undertake.
The catchment partnership will continue to take forward actions to improve the river and realise multiple benefits.
U
The project was located in 3 urban areas on the River Lark and Tributaries. The aims were to use and train volunteers to improve river habitats and prevent deterioration using a number of woody material and augmentation techniques +
W
The project was promoted by Defra to create new mudflat and saltmarsh in compensation for losses of similar
coastal habitats following port developments at Lappel Bank (in the Medway Estuary) and Fagbury
Flats (in the Orwell Estuary). Also to enhance the coastal protection afforded the island, because
its north bank was at risk of natural and unmanaged seawall breaching. +
I
Investigating the impact of upland conifer afforestation on catchment hydrology at Coalburn, northern England +
The project was set up in 1966 as a research catchment for the study of the long-term effects of conifer afforestation on upland water supplies. After a 5-year period of baseline measurements, 90% of the 150ha moorland catchment of the Coalburn was deep ploughed and planted with predominantly Sitka spruce in 1972 to 1973. Stream flow, rainfall and other measurements have continued throughout the study to capture the effects of a full forest growth cycle on catchment hydrology. Results show that the different stages of the forest cycle differ markedly in terms of their impact on catchment water yield and extreme flows. This case study focuses on reporting the effects on peak flows.
Land use change from moorland to conifer forest has had marked effects on catchment hydrology, which vary through time. At first pre-planting cultivation and drainage dominated by increasing peak flows by 15–20% and reducing time to peak by a third. These changes appeared to decline with increasing peak height, as well as reduced over time. A progressive increase in water use by the growing forest then took over and appeared to reduce peak flows, although identifying a trend was hampered by rising annual rainfall totals. Use of modelling to decouple the effect of climate variability found evidence of peak flows declining by 10–15% with forest growth. The reduction decreased with increasing event size and appeared to be lost as the return period approached 100 years. The results indicated that forest growth reduced the frequency of discharge events by around 50% (for example, an event with a return period of 13 years became a return period of 20 years). +
T
The project was under Thames 21 initiative to improve rivers and canals for people and wildlife. The objective was to increase wildlife habitat and biodiversity in the area, at the same time helping to reduce pollution, improve water quality and visually soften hard edges. The project involves installation of a series of Floating Ecosystem active edges made up of various sizes, based along the riverside. The systems are connected to the riverside to the riverside using a heavy duty weighted mooring line with a break strength exceeding 5,000 KG. The mooring line is fixed at the top using a 12mm mechanical expansion bolt and the bottom anchor is connected to an anchor weight. The anchor line is threaded directly through the floating structure and stainless steel bracketing system. This configuration allows the floating ecosystem to move smoothly up and down during changing water levels, while floating up during flood events and lowering down during low water conditions allowing vertical movement, whilst minimising any horizontal movement.
Works involved implementing floating bank structures planted with vegetation to improve aesthetics and water quality. +
B
The project will help improve the water quality of both Babb’s Mill lake and the River Cole and should also eradicate the unpleasant smell associated with one of the waterways in the area, known locally as the ‘smelly brook’.
A new reed bed has been created (March 2013) to improve water quality in Babbs Mill lake by cleansing the urban watercourse which flows through York’s Wood.
At the same time the watercourse itself was restored as it was broken out of its existing concrete channel and into a more natural course.
It's hoped that the more natural and visible watercourse will help deter fly tipping and increase the reporting of pollution incidents.
A shallow-water shelf was also created in Babbs Mill Lake from material excavated during the creation of the reedbed. This area will be allowed to develop into a second reed bed providing additional treatment of the watercourse.
Photos of the scheme are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/environment-agency/sets/72157632746487191/#
Increase community awareness of urban catchment challenges. +