Property:Project summary
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This is a property of type Text.
D
Riverbank enhancements and naturalisation. The bank is currently degraded, base and in poor condition. Some sections are also toe-boarded and over-shaded. The section could be improved to increase habitat diversity and the quality of the river corridor. This is of particular relevance to support future populations of water voles along the river. +
G
Rivers play an important role in our environment: regulating flood risks, transporting sediments and supporting biodiversity. Many of these services are linked to factors that indicate river health such as river flow and connectivity. River network connectivity influences species migration, diversity, and habitat occupancy.
Rivers in the North Sea region are some of the most fragmented by human development in the world due to the presence of artificial structures installed for water management. Man-made water management structures, or barriers, like weirs, sluices and locks can significantly delay and hinder the movement of migratory fish species subsequently reducing their diversity and abundance.
The Greater Thames Estuary Fish Migration Roadmap project seeks to pull together all barrier, pass, habitat, flood risk and development opportunity area data in one place to develop a strategic approach that looks at rivers as migratory routes that fish would use. This ‘whole system’, sea to source approach enables the visualisation of river network connectivity in entire catchments. It is an innovative tool designed to educate and inform decision making when it comes to habitat creation and enhancement, river restoration, riverside development and flood risk assessment. +
R
Ruppoldingen in the River Aare is a good example of a combination of a long bypass channel with reproduction habitats and a fish pass near to the power plant. The bypass was constructed in 2001 during the renewal of the power plant at the place of the old headrace channel. The planning and construction of the bypass at Ruppoldingen served as the first example to gain experience for similar constuctions in other power plants and especially for the large facilities in Rheinfelden.
In Ruppoldingen, the aim was to mitigate the impacts of the hydropower plant, allowing free fish migration and compensate for loss of habitats and also to design a small river that creates habitats for the fish that are typical for the area. The scheme was two-fold. Firstly a 155 meter long natural fish pass close to the turbines. The mean gradient of the fish pass is 3.8%. A second length was also created further downstream of the plant as the bypass that is 1,2 km and mean gradient 0,5%. 2-5 m3/s is lead to the bypass channel as environmental flow. A rock cascade fish pass connects the bypass to the power plant. This channel comprised two arms, one which was shallower with gravel riffles installed and a deeper channel for migration. The aim was to re-create a natural alpine stream.
According to monitoring, juveniles of greyling have been found in the bypass channel and big fish species like pike, carp, barbell and wells catfish have used it. These suggests that the bypass channel is providing a new reproductive area.
By the measures at Ruppoldingen the power company Alpiq has got the Naturemade Star -certification which is considered to be the most demanding Green Electricity Certification for hydropower. +
S
SEE River Project is intended to reach a common agreement on river corridor management for harmonisation of both – development and conservation interests. This will be achieved by close cooperation of experts from wide range of fields from different countries and active involvement of stakeholders from local river areas and national or regional authorities. The project is introducing a new approach to river and land management by focusing on the river corridor as the selected, local river area where most pressures occur.
Project activities and findings will result in the SEE River Toolkit, a generally applicable and innovative model and guidance on how to reach future sustainable use of river corridors by taking into account and harmonizing different stakeholder interests. To develop and implement the SEE River Toolkit, project research, field work and active involvement of stakeholders will be performed in river corridors of 6 SEE rivers: Drava, Bodrog, Neretva, Prut, Soča and Vjosa. The project lasts from October 2012 until September 2014. +
M
SEPA required the culverted channel to be “re-daylighted”. The overarching aim was to restore catchment scale processes as much as possible, taking a long term sustainable rather than quick fix approach.
Constraints on the scale of restoration included: large housing development close by, lack of a catchment scale management plan, lack of funding and knowledge.
Housing developer initially carried out works, resulting in an unstable channel design. Two one in ten year flooding events which occurred in 2009 caused severe incision of the channel up to 2.7 meters, which in total was estimated to have removed 539m3 of material.
cbec eco engineering was subsequently contracted to re-design the channel. Step-pool design was chosen based on modelling. Works included bed and bank profiling, and step construction from boulders and smaller cobbles/gravels.
Monitoring has indicated that channel design is stable. +
T
SHRImP is a partnership project that will use Catchment Restoration Funds to manage restoration work to deliver habitat improvements on the South Hams Rivers. The partnership, led by the Westcountry Rivers Trust, has been carrying out river restoration and undertaking works to address the causes of Water Framework Directive issues for many years.
Through restoration work the project will address issues including:sediment which has a direct adverse effect on water quality; barriers to fish migration, preventing fish from reaching their natural spawning grounds; fertiliser run-off into rivers which can cause nutrient enrichment and have a negative impact on river ecology; acidified moorland that creats low pH levels that are detrimental to the river’s ecological health;interrupted conveyance of river gravels, reducing spawning habitats for salmonids. +
L
SSSI River restoration +
R
Salix designed and constructed a 40 metre enhanced channel and imported flint reject stone was used to create in channel features, two riffles and a point bar. Diverse marginal and bankside vegetation was established using mature pre-established coir rolls and pallets. Locally harvested tree trunks were used to create a double flow deflector. Additionally, a large backwater was created on line and just downstream of the enhanced reach. A stream enhancement project at a gas pipeline river crossing as ecological mitigation to a degraded reach of stream as part of a major pipeline project. Salix were asked by Main Contractor Murphy Pipelines to assess a degraded reach of the River Pinn near Ickenham with the goal of enhancing the reach. The channel had been modified previously and was characterised by slow water flow, over deep and ponded with a silty bed and steep banks covered in nettles.<br>
Planning application submitted (M&S) +
Salix designed and constructed a 40 metre enhanced channel and imported flint reject stone was used to create in channel features, two riffles and a point bar. Diverse marginal and bankside vegetation was established using mature pre-established coir rolls and pallets. Locally harvested tree trunks were used to create a double flow deflector. Additionally, a large backwater was created on line and just downstream of the enhanced reach.<br>
A stream enhancement project at a gas pipeline river crossing as ecological mitigation to a degraded reach of stream as part of a major pipeline project. Salix were asked by Main Contractor Murphy Pipelines to assess a degraded reach of the River Pinn near Ickenham with the goal of enhancing the reach. The channel had been modified previously and was characterised by slow water flow, over deep and ponded with a silty bed and steep banks covered in nettles. +
S
Saltburn Gill is a short coastal river, flowing into the North Sea across Saltburn Beach - a designated bathing water beach and one of the most popular surfing beaches on the east coast. The river extends inland for about 8km in a steep sided valley, part of the Saltburn Gill Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
This on-going project targets a section of the Saltburn Gill that was negatively impacted by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) from abandoned mine workings, located upstream of the discharge point. Historically, East Cleveland was a major source of ore for the Teesside iron and steel industry, specially from the 1850’s until the early 1960’s. Afterwards, the decline of the mining activity resulted in an uncontrolled abandonment of the working mines in within the region.
In May 1999, an uncontrolled mine discharge increased the typical iron levels of the Saltburn Beck from around 0.1 milligrammes per litre (mg/l) to in excess of 1200mg/l. Over 330kg of iron ochre was deposited on the stream bed every day. In one year, this is the equivalent of over 100 tonnes of iron being discharged into the North Sea. The devastating effects on the ecology readily appeared, mainly due to the drastic depletion in the oxygen levels. A biological impact survey of the stream showed that the pollution reduced the water quality of the beck from good to bad status along 2km of the watercourse, from the discharge point to the sea.
The Saltburn Gill Action Group (SGAG) was set up in 2005 as a community action group. Assistance was given by The Environment Agency, Teesside University, the local Wildlife Trust, the Parish Council and others to try to find a solution to this problem. Then, several site investigations were carried out with insights to build up a treatment plant. A major partnership project between us, the Coal Authority and Saltburn Gill Action Group has been working to clean up the pollution since 2008.
During the summer of 2013, Defra provided funding for the Coal Authority to pump water from the mines and build the first stage of a treatment scheme. This first stage is a settlement lagoon where iron precipitates out of the mine water to form a sludge at the bottom. A temporary chemical dosing system helps to remove more iron while the second stage is being built. Clean water is put back into the Gill, and since January 2014, the stream is no longer orange.
In the summer of 2014, work started on the second stage of the passive treatment scheme – made up of 4 settlement ponds, a sludge drying bed and a reed bed wetland. The abstracted mine water first flows over an aeration cascade, which adds oxygen to the water and improves the rate the iron oxidises into a precipitate. It then flows by gravity into settlement ponds, where the metals can settle out to the bottom. This process takes 1 to 2 days, and leaves a sludge, iron ochre, which is disposed of at a later date.
After the mine water has passed through the settlement ponds it then flows by gravity into the reed bed wetland. The reeds act like a natural filter, removing the majority of the remaining metal pollution. Clean water is then returned to the Gill. Once the treatment scheme is finished, the chemical dosing system can be removed – reducing long-term costs. The construction phase should be completed in early 2015, and the reeds will be planted in May 2015. As well as filtering and cleaning the mine water, the reed beds will provide a valuable new habitat for wildlife.
Laboratory and field scale tests have shown that up to 99% of the iron should be removed by the treatment plant, with the local economic benefits of raising the quality of the river and foreshore predicted to be around £10.5 million over 25 years. This significantly outweighs the predicted lifetime cost of building and running the treatment plant (~£7m).
Benefits of remediation:
* The Saltburn Gill and Skelton Beck will no longer be polluted, and the risk of a catastrophic breakout of minewater will be reduced.
* The aesthetic, ecological and recreational value of Saltburn Gill, Saltburn Beach and the Saltburn Gill Nature Reserve will be improved.
* Improved bathing water quality on Saltburn beach, encouraging recreation that contributes to the local economy.
* The water body will achieve good chemical and ecological status as required by the Northumbria River Basin Management Plan.
Sandscaping is an innovative coastal management approach, inspired by the Dutch Zandmotor (Sand Engine) (Photo 1 and Map 1)). It involves placing a large volume of sediment to benefit one location, designing it so that natural processes move the sediment to other places where it is needed. In the right place and if designed well, the large volume and concentrated placement can reduce costs, while the scale and dynamic nature can generate benefits for amenity, tourism and habitats.
A partnership of organisations has been exploring the implementation of Sandscaping in the UK. There is a long list of high potential sites currently being developed with local partners (Map 2).
The Dutch Zandmotor is a nourishment of 21.5 million m3, intended to last for 20 years. Monitoring over the first 5 years shows it is likely to function longer, up to 30 years. Economies of scale reduced the cost per m3 by about 50% from normal scale nourishments. In addition, the Zandmotor has become the most popular location for kite surfing in the Netherlands. +
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the right bank of the River Stour in Kent (Map 1). A major inundation in the Sandwich and Deal area occurred in January 1953 when a North Sea surge – 4.7m Ordnance Datum (OD) at Pegwell Bay – caused the banks of the River Stour to overtop and breach, resulting in extensive flooding. A surge event occurred in 1976, estimated 1 in 25 (4% annual exceedance probability, AEP) and again in 1983, estimated 1 in 10 to 1 in 5 (10% to 20% AEP), causing flooding at Sandwich Quay with 16 properties suffering direct flooding. A scheme was constructed in 2015 to reduce the risk of flooding to the local community and businesses.
The scheme provided a 1 in 200 standard of protection to both banks with 50 years of sea level rise included in the design. This protects 486 homes and 94 commercial properties in Sandwich (Photo 1). It cost £21.7 million, with £11.5 million provided in partnership funding from Kent Country Council and Pfizer.
The scheme consisted of 14.4km of strengthening and improving the existing tidal river defences, and creation of a 240ha tidal flood relief area between Sandwich and the mouth of the River Stour. Part of this enabled the creation of 20ha of new Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) habitat, which includes a mosaic of wetland habitats. +
C
Sandybridge dyke is a small stream in the upper segment of Cudworth dyke, near Royston in South Yorkshire where we're trialling an innovative project to see whether habitat restoration can improve river water quality.
The stream runs between Rabbit Ings nature reserve, which was previously a colliery spoil heap, and a closed municipal land fill site and on through an industrial estate to reach it confluence with the River Dearne. As a result of its historical neighbours, the dyke is mostly man made, and in poor condition.
Yorkshire Water are undertaking research at this site, looking at natural ways to improve the quality of the water body. Due to its history and poor state, Cudworth Dyke makes the perfect case study for this research.
In 2013 we carried out an initial project to look at the pressures acting on this water way, including our own, and what could be done to improve water quality. We did this in conjunction with the Cudworth Dyke stakeholder group, our design specialists ARUP and government agencies such as the Environment Agency.
Following this research several practical habitat restoration actions were suggested. We will be trailing these in the upper section of the stream called Sandybridge dyke.
The Restoration of Sandybridge Dyke
Existing research published by the Journal of Applied Ecology suggests that restoration of rivers will deliver benefits to water quality. However due to the long term nature of the data sets required this has only rarely been demonstrated.
The restoration of Sandybridge Dyke will provide much needed data on whether river restoration can improve water quality.
With the kind permission and help of the landowners, The Land Trust and Barnsley Council, and with the support of Groundwork Dearne Valley who manage Rabbit Ings, we will be carrying out this restoration work from February 2014.
This will involve creating a new double meander in the dyke, altering a weir and digging out a dried reed bed, to bring faster flows and more oxygen to the waters. The new river route has been designed to take key detours, so that we don't damage the existing water vole population or the favourite roosting trees of key owl species who take up residence in the winter.
We are investiating how to best tend this type of work to reach key specialist contractors and partners to provide us with high quility outputs and the lowest cost.
We have two year post monioring of key water quality metrics chemistry, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes and fish and aim to publish our findings good or bad to share this important test of river restoration to improve water quality.
Environmental Science in Action.
A key component of this project is monitoring of the water quality and the number and type of residents living in the river.
For two years before and two after our habitat restoration work on Sandybridge dyke, we have been and will continue to undertake detailed monitoring to be able to assess the impact of habitat restoration on water quality.
The data will contribute key evidence to support river restoration as a means to improve our post-industrial Yorkshire streams.
O
Section of the Ouzel in Milton Keynes. The river has modified in the past, for example, channelization works have created a more uniform channel cutting off meanders and reducing hydromorphological diversity in flow and channel bed forms.
Works over an 80m section included 3 single and 1 paired deflector. The aim of these works was to increase diversity of flows and bed profile over this section. It is anticipated that over time, underlying gravels, currently overlaid by fine sediment will be kicked up by localised scour (from deflectors) and also improve habitat quality for invertebrates and for fish spawning. +
F
Seven fish passes were built on Marta River, to improve the biological continuity.
The sites are:
- San Savino dam I
- San Savino dam II
- San Savino dam III
- Fioritella
- Tuscania paper mill
- Spina wading
- Tarquinia paper mill
There were built both technical passes (similar to civil engineering works) and semi-natural passes (whose appearance mimics as much as possible the natural characteristics of natural river, creating rapids, small tributaries…) +
R
Several actions are performed to restore river continuity.
Obstacles (weirs, sluices, dams) are opened,
removed or fitted with fish passes.
Before the first fishway on the Calonne in 1982,
some fifteen or so obstacles in the Touques basin
had already been dismantled or opened to facilitate
flood evacuation. Almost 30 years on, 71 other obstacles
have been redeveloped, i.e.:
• 33 weirs removed, lowered or opened including the
removal of the Lisieux flap gate dam (implementation:
2007, project owner: commune of Lisieux - see
the corresponding example from the collection).
• 38 weirs equipped with fish passes including a
multi-species fishway on the Breuil-en-Auge dam
(implementation: 1999, project owner: Fishing
federation of Calvados) and the development of
4 fish passes on the Cirieux (implementation: 2008,
project owner: commune of Saint-Désir) <br>
As progress has been made, grants received by project owners have supported this programme: The Ministry of the Environment, Conseil supérieur de la pêche (CSP - now Onema), the départements of Calvados, Orne and Eure, the fishing federations of Calvados and Orne, European funds. Currently: the Seine-Normandie and the Region of Basse-Normandie water agency +
Sharpsbridge is a road bridge, with two culverts that carry flow under the road and an island in the channel downstream. The footings of the road bridge are formed of a solid concrete slab which acts as a weir, backing up flow. The height of the drop between the concrete slab and the water level was causing a barrier to fish passage. Previous work was undertaken to place rubble rock at the downstream extent of the concrete slab to enable fish migration; however, this began to function as an additional barrier. The aim of this project was to improve fish passage in one of the culverts, to allow free movement of fish upstream. In order to eliminate the barrier to fish passage, the water levels in the downstream weir pool were raised by the addition of a rock ramp structure.
Preparation
* The western channel was blocked using temporary dams and pumps to move water through the eastern side of the bridge. During high water flows, the dams were periodically removed to prevent flooding.
Works
* The existing rubble rock weir was removed.
* A 4.5 m wide rock ramp was constructed in-situ, using granular fill and geotextile at the base, concrete at the upstream end, and rock armour forming the surface of the ramp.
* Kentish ragstone (a hard limestone) was used for the main perturbation boulders because of its durability.
* Rocks were positioned approximately equidistant, with increasing height of rocks upstream, to ensure a smooth gradient of flow over the former head drop.
Post-construction works
* Works to rectify the site compound were undertaken. Signs were erected to divert canoeists around the eastern channel. +
S
Sheephouse Wood mine water treatment scheme addresses a long-standing coal mine water pollution problem associated with the Sheephouse Wood adit, in South Yorkshire, England.
The mine water treatment scheme is built on the site of the former Hand Bank Colliery, which closed in the 1930s. Fireclay was also previously mined on the site.
The original discharge was via a drainage adit running under the site located at a depth of 30 metres. This adit discharged into a drainage channel, which extends for approximately 2km bypassing the Underbank Reservoir.
In February 2002, a sudden outrush of contaminated mine water occurred which damaged a section of the major trunk road between Sheffield and Manchester (A616).
This was caused by a collapse in the adit, leading to water pressure building up in the workings. Remedial works were carried out on the adit and to repair the road but in 2005 another blockage in the adit led to water levels rising. This resulted in the majority of the flow emerging from a second discharge located a short distance to the north. Flow from this discharge affected a stretch of the Little Don River.
The Coal Authority stepped in to construct a scheme to treat the mine water and control water levels and pressure, in order to prevent significant outbreaks of pollution which had occurred at this site in the past. The scheme comprises of two lagoons and a reed bed to remove iron from the water prior to it being discharged into the local watercourse. +
R
Shopham Loop is a section of the river Rother, West Sussex between Coultershaw Bridge and Shopham Bridge. A cut was created in the 18th century to bypass the meander and enable passage of boats upstream. However after navigation ceased, the locks were removed and the cut became the main river course with the meander (Shopham Loop) remaining as a backwater. Land use change to an intensive agricultural regime in turn led to shallower soils and increased siltation and the loop entrance became blocked with deposits preventing any flow from the Rother. +
S
Source to Sea Programme – 9. Kent, Leven and Duddon Estuaries beach cleans and volunteer ambassadors +
Significant areas of the Kent, Duddon, and Leven estuaries currently fail to achieve even moderate WFD status, predominantly due to water quality for shellfish. Discarded rubbish and plastics are also significant problems in these areas. There is poor public awareness of the issues affecting our estuaries.
This project will build awareness of the issues and build volunteer capacity. Volunteer teams led and hosted by Morecambe Bay Partnership will carry out beach cleans removing litter, especially plastics. The project will focus on coastal sections of the Bay that are currently failing. Additional training will be supported so we develop a network of volunteer champions/ ambassadors who will communicate constructive message with the press and with their local communities, raising awareness of water quality issues and able to highlight actions to address these.
Community Involvement - Engagement activities will include public consultations, practical volunteering activities like beach cleans, and tree planting, and awareness-raising through media and face-to-face contact. +