Property:Lessons learnt
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S
No real lessons. Just make sure you get it right before you start. +
T
One of the key challenges of working at a catchment scale was rationalising catchment-wide WFD pressures and prioritising actions so that the greatest environmental and social benefits could be progressed. As in any catchment with a wide range of stakeholders, it has also been a great challenge to ensure that environmental requirements are balanced with the needs of local stakeholders. We have been able to overcome these challenges by working closely with stakeholders and developing a strategic plan which determines priorities and identifies “quick win sites” where limited constraints can allow construction to be progressed within a limited funding window.
keyfor OARTthe
The key lessons learned while addressing these challenges and delivering the project include:
* The most important lesson is that pre project work in getting public and focused stakeholder support is vital in achieving the objectives. By working closely with landowners and other stakeholders at the beginning, listening to their concerns and incorporating these into initial designs, the projects run smoothly and at a faster pace as there is agreement right from the start.
Effective partnership working can enable delivery in a short time when funding is secure. On the ground input from the OART catchment officer has greatly assisted the Environment Agency in building and maintaining partnerships.
* The phased approach to design and construction allows lessons and best practice to be shared across sites. This ensures that the projects successfully deliver maximum benefits in an efficient and effective way.
* Ensuring that the projects deliver wider environmental and social objectives has helped to guarantee the success of the project and maintain widespread support.
* There is a clear requirement to manage stakeholder expectations through the project implementation stage so they are not surprised when sites get temporarily messy during construction.
* Investment at the quick win sites has acted as a catalyst to encourage other groups to undertake improvement works at different sites in the catchment.
The lessons learnt from these projects will be used by the Environment Agency and OART to guide their future catchment restoration activities in the Ouse and Adur catchments. The lessons can also be applied to other catchments as part of the Environment Agency’s Catchment Based Approach to WFD implementation.
B
One of the main pressures is the surface water abstraction. In 1973 the Hydraulic Planning Service had the rights for extract 150 l/s over a period of 99 years from the Confederación Hidrográfica del Norte. The demographic evolution of the coast towns (even higher during the summer), the urbanisation and the increase of the industrial use of water made this concession obsolete. Subsequentley, the construction of bombs and the substitution of the existing pipes by ones of bigger capacity enabled the extraction of an amount of water much higher than allowed.
The reduction of flow at dry summer periods is reflected in the inexistence of flow. Also,this decrease would affect not only the Asón River, but to the Marshes themselves, where changes in the patterns of salinity (keys to the very existence of the marsh)during periods of severe drought alterations, may affect the biological communities.
Other threats to this site derived from human activities and over-use of the resources are: draining of the marshes, unauthorised shellfish farming, illegal fishing, poaching and the spread of exotic species. Misplanning and mismanagement of tourism, in turn, are having an adverse impact on conservation of some of these sites. +
R
One volunteer was a young soldier getting back into physical work after a gruelling 3-year recovery from being seriously wounded in an explosion in Afghanistan. Despite being exhausted, he very much enjoyed the day highlighting the therapeutic value of hands-on conservation work. +
D
Opening the stream has had very good reviews from the local residents and on the ecological status for benthic algae and macroinvertebrates. The bank erosion measures seem to work well after installment, but were built in a period of heavy rain, causing surplus erosion that could have been avoided. If fish status is to be improved, then the downstream culvert also needs to reopen. The costs of these measures were similar to building a new culvert, but yearly maintenance costs have so far been lower, and the recreational benefits are positive. The local bicycle club also have some ownership of the area now, through their monitoring, which has resulted in their free involvement in keeping the area free of garbage. +
T
Opening the stream has had very good reviews from the local residents and on the ecological status for benthic algae and macroinvertebrates. The bank erosion measures seem to work well after installment, but were built in a period of heavy rain, causing surplus erosion that could have been avoided. If fish status is to be improved, then the downstream culvert also needs to reopen. The costs of these measures were similar to building a new culvert, but yearly maintenance costs have so far been lower, and the recreational benefits are positive. The local bicycle club also have some ownership of the area now, through their monitoring, which has resulted in their free involvement in keeping the area free of garbage. +
Opening the stream has had very good reviews from the local residents and on the ecological status for benthic algae and macroinvertebrates. The bank erosion measures seem to work well after installment, but were built in a period of heavy rain, causing surplus erosion that could have been avoided. If fish status is to be improved, then the downstream culvert also needs to reopen. The costs of these measures were similar to building a new culvert, but yearly maintenance costs have so far been lower, and the recreational benefits are positive. The local bicycle club also have some ownership of the area now, through their monitoring, which has resulted in their free involvement in keeping the area free of garbage. +
E
Opportunisitc work due to compensation monies and public land ownership. The proximity of the Greenway cycle way, and high value market gardening land meant that the reach length had to be limited, and work constrained within the current channel dimensions. Lunkers that had been obtained for inlcusion in the scheme could not be used due to size issues - used elsewhere. +
C
Origional cost estimates for the feasisbility and design of this work (180k) were too low, cost are now alomst double this value using our framework of providers. The use of tendering is now being investigated to allow us to procure directly to smaller more specialist providers and will provide a comparison for our future investment in approx 20 fish passage projects, when compared with other river restorations such as our projects at Ingbirchworth and Swinsty reservoirs that are being delivered down our corporate framwork. +
P
Outlined hydromorph and ecological objectives set. Seen to have a beneficial impact on reach profile, water level, flood risk, instream diversity, flow regime, spawning habitats and macrophytes/phytobenthos. Extremely positive impact on reducing the backwater effect, and in improving fish stocks and passage. +
B
Overall this scheme illustrates what can be achieved when working with natural sediment transport processes in flood storage zones. In 2010, the Saltire Society of Scotland in association with the Institution of Civil Engineers awarded the Forres Flood Alleviation Scheme its 'Environmental Sustainable Construction' commendation. +
O
Pass is made from GRP, due to theft risk in an open urban area. Lower section of pass was broken off, probably by a large log, meaning the pass is not functioning at present (August 2013). +
P
Pearls in Peril is supported on the River Ehen by a Technical Steering Group. This Group brings together key stakeholders in the catchment and shares information on other activities and projects being undertaken. Through this group many opportunities have been realised and additional benefits gained. This approach is worth considering for future projects on rivers where there are many interested stakeholders. +
L
Performance/Ecosystem benefits - large increase in flood water storage to maintain 1 in 100 year protection, range of environmental benefits including backwaters, riffles and pools +
D
Plan ahead where native Crayfish could be impacted by a project. Ensure you have the necessary permissions to survey for them and where necessary relocate from the project site.
This project also planned to install a rock ramp on a weir downstream, but this could not be taken forward due to site access during Covid. +
T
Planting earlier in the season allowed top and root growth to establish more quickly thus encouraging faster biofilm development leading and therefore water quality improvement. Earlier establishment of plant growth provided new habitat and encouraged nesting birds, adding to the biodiversity. +
H
Pre-project studies and cooperation have been important for the output. The involvemnt of experts in early phases of the projects have improved the positiv effects of mitigation. Mapping of species and ecosystem variables before the contruction is valuabel reference state for the monitoring after implementation. +
Problems were experienced in cooperation between local authorities - and with the national authorities. This contributed to delays in the construction of a stone observation hide opposite the feeding site - to observe the vultures without disturbing them - and prevented the successful development of other planned visitor infrastructure during the timeframe of the project.
A fenced feeding site was set up for birds of prey to replace natural prey that have declined in numbers. This was especially targeted at the griffon vulture colony residing on the cliffs of the Nestos gorge as well as vulture populations nesting in Dadia and Bulgaria. Unfortunately, delays in establishing the site meant that regular feeding of the vultures did not take place during the project's duration. +
R
Processes can overcome problems: With a large programme of capital projects, it was essential we kept the whole programme moving forward. We created a matrix for each project type - woodlands, wetlands and fish pass / weir removal - detailing every milestone we needed to reach in order to successfully deliver each project. For example, creating a woodland development process that mirrored the approval process the Forestry Commission carry out woodland creation. This meant we carried out the same checks, prior to application, that the Forestry Commission would undertake, effectively pre-screening them ourselves. This meant all of our woodland projects were approved. By ensuring each individual project followed the route we had developed, and being able to quickly track progress, we were able to complete our capital works programme in the first three years of delivery. This had been planned to give us a final 'year of celebration', but in the end it meant that all of our capital projects had been delivered before COVID19 hit in 2020. We continue to adapt and improve this system as guidance and priorities change. Whilst this process is more widely used now, back in 2017 we believe this was not routinely done for these types of capital works projects in such a systematic way.
Keep it simple: It’s amazing that we’ve been able to achieve so much, but did we give ourselves too much to do? By doing so many things we have been able to try new things, but did this stop us making the most of everything we did? Perhaps if we had done slightly less, we could have spent more time on being more inclusive and celebrating success. In the end we did achieve everything we set out to do, but this is something we’ve thought about when considering new projects.
Become more inclusive: We have certainly widened our audience and worked with communities across the catchment, and this was our key aim five years ago. However, our ongoing aim is to reflect all communities across the catchment, and we feel we still have some way to go with this. We are already exploring ideas for projects that will help us work in those communities that, so far, we have failed to reach, and this is something we’re very excited about for the future. Also, Ribble Life Together focussed on natural heritage – is there more to explore?
Celebrate success: Because we are focussed so much on ‘getting things done’, we can sometimes forget to take a moment, reflect and celebrate what we have achieved. We are far more likely to finish something, then quickly move on to the next piece of work. Unless people know about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, it can’t have the full impact it needs. We are getting better at this, but this is something we need to do on a more regular basis.
H
Project timing is essential to maximize benefit. When to cut vegetation, when to plant, what time is best to carry out re-profiling to limit disturbance,when it is best to work with local communites, schools in particular and those with more fixed schedules, and the fact that projects must be allowed to be flexible enough to alter perimeters should the need arise within these timings. +