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R
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) sets out a legislative framework for the analysis, planning and management of water bodies. In England it is delivered through River Basin Management Plans (RBMP), which describe waterbody conditions and objectives for their improvement.
The River Nent is ranked as the most impacted catchment in the Northumbrian River Basin District and the 2nd worst in England with respect to mine water related pollution. The River Nent waterbody is assessed in the current RBMP (2015) as failing to achieve the required WFD objective of ‘Good Potential’. For the River Nent to achieve the required objective, the levels of zinc, cadmium and lead need to be reduced, together with other measures to improve its quality.
There have been lead mines in the Nent valley since Roman times, and over 90 mine entries have been recorded throughout the area. As technology advanced in the 1700s and 1800s and longer tunnels and drainage levels could be constructed, the centres of activity became concentrated around Nenthead and Nentsberry. The Nent Force drainage Level was constructed in the 1800s and runs over 7 miles from the Nenthead mines and discharges to the River Nent at Alston. By the 1920s mining had ceased, but during the second world war spoil heaps were reworked for lead and zinc, leaving behind large tailings dams downstream of Nenthead village. In 1998 these dams were capped and stabilised by Cumbria County Council.
The history and extent of mining here has left large areas of contaminated spoil with little vegetation cover; as a result, spoil is being eroded by high rainfall and washed into the River Nent. Two sites in the catchment are listed on the MINING WASTE DIRECTIVE INVENTORY since they cause serious pollution. Many of the spoil heaps are protected as Scheduled Ancient Monuments for industrial heritage and/or Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as the high metal levels allow rare calaminarian grasslands to flourish.
The mining industry has left a huge underground network of mine workings. The workings drain different parts of the Nent catchment and also act as a preferential pathway for groundwater to reach the surface. These drainage pathways allow the water to come into contact with the mineral veins that were mined and with mine waste stored within the mine workings. This causes the water to become rich in metals like zinc, cadmium and lead. The water from the mine workings discharges at several locations throughout the Nent valley. There are four known main discharges that contribute significant amounts of metals to the River Nent: two at Nenthead, (Caplecleugh and Rampgill adits), one at Nentsberry (Haggs adit) and the Nent Force Level at Alston.
The many inputs of metals into the River Nent cause average concentrations at Alston to exceed Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) by up to 57 times (57 times for zinc, 28 times for cadmium and 3 times for lead according to the EA catchment characterisation report). Due to this high level of pollution, very little invertebrate life can live in a 10km+ stretch of the river. The River Nent joins the River South Tyne at Alston, bringing the pollution with it and causing the River South Tyne to also fail EQS for zinc and cadmium for 60km downstream.
Investigations by Newcastle University indicate that the River Nent contributes over 50% of the total metal load (lead and zinc) reaching the South Tyne every year. Reducing the impacts from mines in the Nent valley would improve the water quality of the River Nent and all of the downstream waterbodies, and would be a significant step in achieving EQS in the South Tyne.
The Environment Agency has teamed up with other partners to look at ways to reduce the polluting effects of the mines on the River Nent, with funding from Defra. We're working with the Coal Authority and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty partnership (AONB) to find ways of removing metals from mine water discharges at three of the four main discharges. We're also working with the Tyne Rivers Trust on ways to reduce the amount of metal-rich sediments that get washed into the river – for example willow planting. Without any action, these mines will continue to pollute the Rivers Nent and South Tyne for centuries to come.
There are so many point and diffuse sources of zinc, cadmium and lead in the area that we're unlikely to be able to achieve EQS in the River Nent itself. However, we hope to be able to significantly improve water quality and therefore achieve good status in around 60 km of the River South Tyne. Other benefits of tackling these sources of pollution include improving habitats for aquatic life, increasing biodiversity and protecting Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
Treatment schemes will be required to clean up all these discharges and the spoil heaps, and we’re investigating the best ways of doing this. We expect the first scheme will be to treat the Haggs discharge. The treatment scheme is being designed to remove at least 90% of zinc and cadmium from the mine water – making a significant improvement to water quality in the Nent at Alston and also the South Tyne.
What technology is available?
One treatment technology that is available is a Vertical Flow Pond (VFP) and a wetland, similar to the scheme at Force Crag mine in Cumbria, the first treatment scheme of its type in the UK. The shape and size of the Nent schemes will be different, and is likely to look like a series of large ponds, along with a wetland containing reeds and other plants.
The VFPs work by using a combination of compost, limestone and woodchip to encourage microbial activity to bind the dissolved metals as sulphides, trapping them in the compost mixture. The water is then passed through a wetland to re-oxygenate the water before finally being discharged to the River Nent.
E
The East Devon Rural Diffuse Pollution Project was a one-year initiative aimed at reducing the diffuse pollution arising from rural land use, in particular the growing of maize, in the East Devon river catchments of Clyst, Axe and Otter.
The primary driver for the Catchment Based Approach is the need for the UK to meet its water quality obligations under the Water Framework Directive.
This is an approach to avoid detrimental damage to our drinking and bathing water supplies, by stopping pollutants entering watercourses. This project supports farmers who are based upstream of key water supplies, providing them with advice to manage their farms and businesses with clean water, and avoid negative environmental impacts.
The project aims to identify and address potential sources of pollution on farmland, in order to protect water quality and wildlife habitats. The project is helping farmers reduce the amount of pesticides and fertiliser they use on their fields, constructing riverside fences, better drainage to prevent run-off into adjacent streams, soil management strategies, and habitat enhancement.
Initial visits by contractors to the farms in the catchment focused on analysing soil maps and discussing the farmers' plan for field management following harvest season. +
The Eddleston Water project is a partnership project led by Tweed Forum which is working to restore the Eddleston Water and its catchment for the benefit of the local community and wildlife, using an approach based on Natural Flood Management (NFM). Since 2010, a series of practical works have been taking place throughout the catchment as part of the overall plan to restore the river and its catchment; the effects of which are being closely monitored through a detailed and extensive research programme supported by The Sottish Government.
==== The Eddleston Water ====
The Eddleston Water is a tributary of the River Tweed, flowing 20 km north to south through its 69km2 catchment, before reaching the main river in the town of Peebles. Over time, the course of the river has been extensively altered and long sections were straightened and embanked in the early 19th century, cutting off connectivity with its floodplain and severely degrading the river channel. Other changes in land management, both in the river valley and on the surrounding hill slopes, have also altered how the land drains. Together, these changes have resulted in an increased risk of flooding to Eddleston and Peebles, as rainfall and flood waters travel ever more quickly and directly from the hill slopes and along the river channels towards these communities. At the same time, these changes have also damaged the river environment itself, leading to the loss of over a quarter of the river’s original length, and habitat loss for plants and animals, including salmon and trout, as well as rare and protected species such as otters and lampreys.
The landscape is typical of many Scottish catchments, with the most wide-spread land use being improved grassland (40%) and coniferous plantations (13%). Moorland and rough grazing occur predominantly on higher ground on the west, the uplands on the east having more coniferous plantations. The valley slopes are mainly improved grassland for grazing sheep and cattle, and valley bottoms improved grassland for grazing and silage production. Altitude varies from 600m to 160m AOD, and the catchment is largely underlain by fractured greywacke sandstones that have been eroded and partially infilled by subsequent glacial and alluvial processes.
The Eddleston Water falls within the EU Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for the River Tweed catchment. The river is designated for its salmon (Salmo salar), lampreys (Lampetra spp), otters (Lutra lutra) and aquatic plants (Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion). It’s qualifying habitat is “River with floating vegetation often dominated by water-crowfoot”. At the time of initiation of the project, the Eddleston was classified as in ‘Bad’ ecological condition under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), due to the extensive damage to the hydromorphology of the channel and banks, much of it a legacy from past ‘improvements’.
==== Project aims ====
The three main aims are:
*to assess the effectiveness of NFM measures to reduce flood risk to the communities of Eddleston and Peebles by restoring some of the original natural features of the catchment
*to assess the impact of NFM restoration on habitats and species; and
*to work with landowners and communities to maximise the benefits to them, while sustaining farm businesses.
==== Who is involved? ====
The project is a partnership initiative led by Tweed Forum as Project Managers, with a Project Board consisting of the Scottish Government, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Borders Council (SBC). The University of Dundee has been the main science provider, with additional inputs from British Geological Survey and other academic institutions. Other key partners represented on the Project Steering Group include NatureScot, Forest Research (FR), Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS) National Farmers Union (Scotland), Scottish Land & Estates, the Tweed Foundation and Environment Agency. The most important partners are the landowners and local community, with whom we work closely.
==== Funding ====
The Eddleston Water study is funded by the Scottish Government both directly and through relevant funding streams, such as the Scottish Rural Development Programme. From 2016–2020, funding also came from participation in the EU North Sea Region Interreg programme Building with Nature. In addition, very significant contributions have come from SEPA itself and from key partners, including Dundee University and BGS, not least in terms of in-house monitoring, research, analyses and advice. Other organisations, including SBC, NatureScot, FR, FLS, along with CEMEX, Scottish Power, Forest Carbon and Woodland Trust have contributed. Expenditure to date has topped £3million.
==== Project Development ====
The project began with a Scoping Study in 2010, produced by Dundee University, which also included a Restoration strategy, a Monitoring Strategy and a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy. The Restoration Strategy included a characterisation of the catchment and is focused on three main areas: the upper valley and hill slopes (which are the main sources of flood water running off in to the river); the valley bottom or floodplain; and the channels and habitats of the river itself. After a period of baseline monitoring, restoration activities began in 2013 and have been ongoing.
==== Monitoring ====
Monitoring the effects of these measures is an important part of this project. A comprehensive network of rain gauges and river level gauges along with water level recorders on selected flood storage ponds and groundwater wells was installed throughout the valley two years before any restoration activities began to capture baseline conditions. This one of the densest hydrological networks of its size in the UK and is being used to collect data on how the implantation of NFM affect river flows and flood frequencies. A parallel ecological monitoring programmes is recording what changes occur to the river’s habitats and wildlife, with a focus on the effect of re-meandering the river channel on riparian habitats and species, and on the biodiversity value of flood storage ponds. Full details of the monitoring programme are given below and in the paper Spray et al (2022).
==== Project Implementation and Delivery ====
Working with over 20 land managers we have been able to introduce subtle changes to current land management practices in order to slow water flow off the hills, temporarily store it and reconnect the river with its floodplain. So far, we have implemented:
*116 high flow log structures – to temporary hold back flood waters
*38 flood storage ponds – to temporarily store water
*3.5km of new river meanders – increasing river length and creating new habitats; and
*210 ha of tree planting (>330k native trees) – increasing surface roughness, evapotranspiration and infiltration.
In addition, we have built a detailed combined hydraulic-hydrological flood model of the catchment and undertaken studies of costs and benefits of the NFM measures installed.
==== Dissemination ====
Sharing our results and spreading the word about River Restoration and Natural Flood Management is a key output for the project. In 2024, we were recognised as a UNESCO Hydroecology Demonstration site, the only one in the UK, and the project won two national awards at the CIEEM annual Award ceremony in 2023. We have hosted many visits from UK and international policy-makers, governments, local councils, environmental agencies, NGOs, farmers, universities and schools, to show what can be achieved on the ground to reduce the effects of flooding and enhance habitats. All our reports, publications and other outputs are freely available on the project website (see below).
==== Further Information ====
Full details of the project are available on our website, along with the Project Report and published papers at: at http://www.tweedforum.org/projects/current-projects/Eddleston
The project wishes to thank the farmers and landowners in the Eddleston Water catchment for their help and enthusiasm in taking this initiative forward.
We would welcome your comments and ideas:
Please contact:
*Luke Comins – Tweed Forum, Old Melrose Dairy Steading, Melrose, TD6 9DF (Tel: 01896 849723)
*Professor Chris Spray – Tweed Forum Eddleston Water Science Manager, UNESCO Centre for Water, Law, Policy and Science, University of Dundee, DD1 4HN (Tel: +44(0)7943 031433)
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C
The Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Plan (EARIP) process led to development of the approved Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Comal Springs and Comal River system (Comal system) in New Braunfels, Texas. In relation to the Comal system, the EARIP process and HCP identifies a variety of options to improve and increase habitat of threatened and endangered species, including the fountain darter (''Etheostoma fonticola''), Comal Springs salamander (''Eurycea sp.''), Comal Springs riffle beetle (''Heterelmis comalensis''), Peck’s cave amphipod (''Stygobromus pecki'') and the Comal Springs dryopid beetle (''Stygoparnus comalensis''). The aquatic vegetation restoration conducted in these two Project Areas in 2013 contributes to implementation of Phase I of the HCP. At specific locations within these Project Areas, non-native vegetation species have become predominant. Increasing native vegetation will benefit the fountain darter by increasing available habitat and improving the quality of existing habitat, potentially resulting in higher fountain darter densities in these areas. Improvement of, and increased areas of, fountain darter habitat is also beneficial to many other native aquatic species. During Phase 1 and beyond, the Aquatic Vegetation Restoration in Landa Lake and Habitat Restoration in the Old Channel are vital to provide the protection necessary to support the species of concern while uncertainty regarding habitat change, species’ response, and effects of other related HCP projects are being addressed. +
B
The Eefse Beek water body is classified as a river under the WFD system. It is an R5 category water body: slow-flowing middle/lower reach on sand. The entire Eefse Beek is managed by water authority Rijn en IJssel. The water body is located in the province of Gelderland, municipality Lochem. It is 12,1 km long and has a catchment of 4080 hectares. The water body is composed of the Eefse Beek and its tributaries, the Molenbeek and Huurnerbeek. The water body originates in its own catchment and discharges into the river IJssel via the Twentekanaal. Water levels in the Eefse Beek are managed with three adjustable weirs. None of these weirs are passable for fish. In the Eefse Beek water body, a single water level is pursued for each managed stretch. The Eefse Beek carries water all year, with an occasional dry period in summer. There are no sewage treatment plants present in its catchment.
Water authority performed several field tests with main channel mowing. The purpose of these tests was to create a validation data set with which the minimum required width of the mowed main channel could be tested. To this end, a different width was mowed in each test. +
E
The Enler River is a typical arterially drained channel with laminar flow, regular depth and silt deposition. Compensation money from a fish kill prosecution allowed fishery enhancement measures to be planned and implemented. These included deflector groynes to narrow the channel and creat a thalweg, addition of spawning gravels and plums, and the creation of deeper water via a small cross river groyne +
R
The Environment Agency and Natural England are working together with their partners to restore the river towards a more favourable condition and achieve their vision for the River Frome SSSI. In order to produce a plan for the physical rehabilitation of the River Frome SSSI, a catchment wide fluvial geomorphological study has been undertaken to assess the physical functioning of the river, and how it impacts on the river ecology.
Actions to restore the physical structure of the river to an improved condition for ecology have been set out in the River Frome Rehabilitation Plan. The plan aims to use the linkages between ecology and geomorphology identified in the accompanying Technical Report to identify opportunities and constraints for managing, conserving and enhancing the river and returning the SSSI to favourable or recovering condition. The plan suggests a range of catchment-scale and reach-based solutions that if implemented will help to restore the river to favourable condition. The plan then identifies the actions needed to deliver the solutions and prioritises which should be taken over the short, medium and long term. The ultimate goal is to move towards a more naturally functioning and un-constrained system that is able to adjust and respond to changes without constant management. +
The Environment Agency and the Earth Trust are collaborating to restore wetland features and threatened wildlife habitats along 2.5 km of the main River Thames in Oxfordshire, upstream of Shillingford.
The River of Life project will create a large area of biodiverse habitat, including backwaters and wetland scrapes, across approximately 50 hectares of Earth Trust land, with a vision to create a truly wild river reach.
Objectives
• To create a new landscape scale area of wetland habitats, including wet woodland, fen, reedbed, ponds and scrapes, backwaters and seasonally wet grassland and meadow.
• To address Water Framework Directive failure for fish along this section of the main Thames, by increasing the provision of backwater and sheltered habitat to act as spawning areas for fish and provide refuge areas at times of high flow, thereby improving the ecological status.
• To engage people with habitats by providing access routes, opportunities for volunteering and learning. By providing boardwalks, viewing platforms and linking with the Thames footpath to encourage exploration and engagement with water.
• To enhance the value of ecosystems services, including the provision of: biodiverse habitat, fish refuge, recreation, flood alleviation, flow regulation, water and soil quality improvement and carbon sequestration.
Design and technique
The project has been three years in planning, from 2010 when the Earth Trust purchased the site to October 2013 when construction began. Since works began, seven new ponds, two reed beds and five new backwaters have been created at the site. Over 15,000m3 of soil has been removed from the floodplain to land in the upper catchment also owned by the trust, helping to create additional flood storage. In total the finished scheme hopes to create c. 34,600 cubic meters of extra capacity within the one in five years flood zone. The project plans outline four main breaches. All backwaters will be linked to the main Thames, allowing fish to move in and out freely.
The project has taken place in three phases; firstly the hard landscaping to excavate backwaters, scrapes and ponds, which is now complete. This phase was led by the Environment Agency. The second phase which will begin in the spring of 2014 will encompass more detailed habitat creation, such as planting of willow, reedbed, wet woodland and grassland restoration. Finally the site will be made ready for general public access by installing information boards, creation of new footpaths linking to the Thames footpath and coordinating events and activities. The last two phases of the project will be led by the Earth Trust.
Pre-project site investigations allowed palaeo-channels to be identified and incorporated into the project design. An Eco-hydrologist was appointed at the design stage to assess the best locations for the different habitat types. Monitoring was undertaken for three years to ensure the best way to use water on site to sustain key habitats, without the need for significant intervention through water level management. Monitoring was provided free by Earth Trust volunteers.
The new habitat area will link to Wittenham Wood SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and SAC (Special Conservation Area). Together, this area will now form a continuous expanse of 150ha of diverse wildlife habitat.
The site is in a Biodiversity Opportunity Area identified by Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre. It will benefit many BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan) priority species including; seven species of birds, seven species of invertebrate, four herptiles, as well as brown hare, otter, water vole, brown long-eared and soprano pipstrelle bat. Pre-project investigations included ecological monitoring of the site, including mapping of protected, rare or locally significant species.
The vision at the heart of the project was to convert species poor grassland in the floodplain to a biodiverse wetland habitat, whilst still maintaining productivity of the site for arable and pastoral farming. During construction, all material generated from excavations was successfully reused on site and no material needed to be bought on site, with the exception of some “type 1” hardcore to form haul roads. Careful management of this material during construction meant that it will be reused to improve access roads. This significantly increased the sustainable credentials of the project, also reducing the carbon footprint. Top and sub-soils were spread on arable fields owned by the Earth Trust, outside the floodplain, and will be ploughed into existing soils. Gravel extracted whilst excavating the deeper features has been used to line fen habitat areas, create a surface for footpaths across the site and provide shallow beach features along the margin with the main Thames. Clay has been used to line ditches which channel water to reedbeds.
The project was undertaken in an area of high archaeological interest, therefore requiring pre-construction archaeological investigations. To mitigate for this a buffer was established around areas of greatest archaeological risk. The project only had one short delay due to the excavation of Roman human remains. This was dealt with quickly thanks to the county archaeologist.
Monitoring will be undertaken to demonstrate benefits provided by the project, specifically relating to water quality, catchment run-off rates, as well as assessing productivity of farming when working side by side with environmental enhancement. A project specific engagement programme “Water for Life” will ensure positive engagement with interested parties and will be led by the Earth Trust.
The River Restoration Centre would like to thank the Environment Agency and the Earth Trust for providing the information, pictures and plans for this case study.
T
The Environment Agency are part of the Defra Group who aim to protect and improve the environment. Locally, our commitment to improving our rivers led to the development of the Test & Itchen River Restoration Strategy which identified measures to improve the physical condition of the rivers. In this, the Tichborne Stream was identified as requiring significant improvement measures to restore the SSSI/SAC and bring it into favourable condition. At the same time, the Trustees of the Tichborne Estate expressed a desire to remove silt from an on-line lake within the grounds of Tichborne Park. The lake falls within the River Itchen Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Subsequently, Aquascience Ltd, a company specialised in river restoration, produced an appraisal of the proposal to remove silt to investigate whether there were opportunities to benefit the SSSI features of the site. Aquascience’s investigations quickly recognised that the lake was a dominant component in the SSSIs unfavourable status. Their recommendations were to investigate the removal of impoundments and restoration of the chalk stream channel thus providing an opportunity to create a sustainable landscape with improved ecology which would rectify the issues identified as causing the unfavourable status of the SSSI.
This river restoration project is located on the Cheriton Stream (SU5733930218), a tributary of the River Itchen. The primary objectives of the restoration project were to create a sustainable environment to move the SSSI unit towards favourable condition and enhance the condition of the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) status by:
• Restoring natural chalk stream characteristics, e.g. gradient, sinuosity, profile, substrate <br>
• Removing obstacles to fish passage<br>
• Reducing/eliminating the need for human intervention of water level/flow management<br>
• Maximising physical and ecological diversity and <br>
• Reconnecting the river with the floodplain and wider landscape. <br>
With this in mind Aquascience were employed to design a scheme which reinstated the river channel to a natural course in the flood plain, utilising relict channels wherever possible. The designs ‘off-lined’ the lake converting it to fen meadow and reed-swamp, two habitats which are features of the SSSI. The designs excluded any form of water level management structures and sought an outcome which would function as naturally as possible within this environment. One fixed impoundment and two adjustable sluices were removed. Overall, within the site 825m of channel were either reinstated, created or were enhanced with restored gradient and/or increased flows. In addition, a further 640m of channel were preserved as backwater features with connection to the main channel.
The project was delivered in Spring 2017. This involved significant movements of excavated materials on site, many of which were used to partially fill the lake to create fen meadow. Material movements were undertaken using a mono-rail system and tracked dumpers working on bog mats. These measures ensured minimal impact on the terrestrial SSSI features. Trial holes had identified that a deposit of angular gravel was present throughout the project area at the desired elevation, thus relict features were simply excavated within their perceived planform down to the existing gravel.
Sediment mobilisation was carefully managed throughout the delivery using a combination of managing flows within site channels, sediment barriers and the pumping of turbid waters onto flood meadows.
Plant rich sward was stockpiled and used in the final stages of the project to instate characteristic plant material to the new channel banks and the fen meadow constructed within the lake.
Channel profile and dimensions were designed after locating suitable reference sites up and downstream. However, the excavator operators were encouraged to be somewhat creative in the execution in order to create physical diversity in channel size and bank gradients.
Aquascience is a small company specialising in river, lake and wetland creation, restoration and management. Previous notable projects have included the Heritage Lottery funded (HLF) Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail Project and the urban river restoration project, Market Harborough on behalf of the River Welland Rivers Trust. Their role was to carry out an options appraisal, feasibility assessment and creation of subsequent detailed designs for the preferred option. They were also the principal contractor for the project. They have been involved at every stage of the project.
Natural England were integral in the development of the project through the development of the Test & Itchen River restoration Strategy. They were a key partner in fulfilling the obligations to improve the condition of the SSSIs which is a fundamental objective of the England Biodiversity Strategy.
Trustees of the Tichborne Estate and the landowners, Anthony and Catherine Louden oversaw the entire construction phase of the project. They contributed extensively to the options appraisal and development of the designs. Their vision for the site was evident and their commitment to the project was cemented with their substantial financial contribution to the works.
The first visit to Tichborne occurred in January 2014 shortly after Aquascience had been asked to look at the lake with a view to removing silt.
The Tichborne Lake and River Restoration Feasibility Study was finalised in March 2014.
The Tichborne River Restoration Design Rationale was finalised in April 2014
The process of compiling detailed designs was undertaken in the Spring of 2016 after which the applications for the Environmental Permit and Planning Permission were submitted.
The project was delivered between the end February and June 2017.
G
The Environment Agency identified that the implementation of the Tees Tidal Flood Risk Management strategy would result in in the loss of intertidal habitats which form part of the Teesmouth and Cleveland
Coast Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site. In addition, the need for further coastal defence works necessary as part of the Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme also has the potential to cause a loss of SPA habitats.
The Environment Agency therefore had a legal requirement to deliver at least 20 ha of intertidal habitat within the Tees Estuary as compensation for the impact predicted as part of its flood and coastal risk management projects. The Environment Agency purchased 77 ha of land alongside Greatham Creek (part of the Greatham North flood cell) in order to
implement a managed realignment scheme and create the required habitats. The Greatham Managed Realignment Scheme allows future work to the tidal flood defences of the Tees Estuary to continue whilst providing long-term environmental benefit through the conservation of the integrity of the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SPA and Ramsar site. The scheme aimed to create a range of complementary habitats of benefit to a variety of wildlife, and ensure better access to for the public was available +
Q
The Environment Agency implemented a scheme to increase the level of flood risk protection to homes and properties along the Quaggy River from Sutcliffe Park downstream to Clarendon Rise in Lewisham, a length of some 4km. The Quaggy is a tributary of the River Ravensbourne, it rises as the Kyd Brook in Bromley and flows over a length of 13km through Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham to join the River Ravensbourne at Loampit Vale. The River Ravensbourne joins the River Thames at Deptford.
In 1968 extensive flooding affected over 400 residential and commercial properties, and flooded Sutcliffe Park. Serious flooding occurred in June 1992 when about 100 residential and commercial properties were flooded. The solution originally proposed to address this flooding called for large scale channel works to accommodate the predicted flood flows. These works would have required considerable widening and deepening of the river and the construction of significant lengths of retaining wall, leading to the loss of a large number of trees, and other natural features of the river.
'''The flood alleviation scheme for the Quaggy was the key driver to restoring this river.'''
'''Sutcliffe Park & Weigall Road Flood Storage Areas:
When in use as a flood retention area, the park will hold up to 85,000m3 of flood water. The flood storage area located downstream at Weigall Road, provides a flood storage volume of 65,000m3 in an area currently used as a sports field, allowing for dual use of an open space.
The overall Quaggy FAS includes two upstream flood storage areas in urban open spaces at Sutcliffe Park and Weigall Road Sports Ground, which significantly reduced environmental impacts by minimising the need for works (wall raising) downstream. The flood storage reservoirs hold the peak flows, thereby reducing the flow downstream and the levels required for flood protection. Through this scheme the London Borough of Greenwich has allowed the Environment Agency to ‘make space for water’ in Greenwich to reduce the risk of flooding to the residents of Lewisham. See Figure 2 for locations.
Sutcliffe park operates as part of the flood alleviation scheme providing flood storage when required. The original concrete box culvert is still utilised as part of the flood defence and, with additional control structures within it and attached to it, the culvert directs floodwater into and out of the park, see Figure 4. Downstream of the low flow inlet a small weir within the culvert directs the low flow continuously through the park. Downstream of the high flow inlet a flume constructed within the culvert constricts high flows and forces water into the lake. During flooding, the park is designed to fill up from the centre to prevent the creation of islands within it. If the storage area were to reach capacity a spillway directs the overflow back into the culvert.
The low level footpaths are above the 1 in 1 year event flood level, hence minimising regular disturbance to users.
'''Sections 2,4 and Manor Park
The Quaggy River between the Weigall Road flood storage area and the confluence with the Ravensbourne is dominated by narrow concrete and brick-lined channels running primarily between rear gardens, with occasional small sections of naturalised banks along rear gardens and open spaces, see Figure 6. It is a typical urban river with a very restricted floodplain, numerous properties and riparian owners and a wide uniform river bed.
The overall design aim for Sections 2 and 4 was to achieve a 1 in 70 year level of flood protection by incorporating flood defences set back from the river in all possible areas including in rear gardens, enhancing retained hard structures through the careful incorporation of environmental features, retaining as many trees in the river corridor as possible through sensitive design and improving the geomorphology of the channel upon completion of the works.
A reduced scope of works at these downstream locations was possible due to the implemented flood storage areas upstream. The reduced flows downstream also give the scheme the characterisics of an integrated urban drainage solution through Lewisham as there is capacity in the river for storm water overflows.
Two stretches of natural riverbank along this section of works were lower than the necessary level for a 1:70 flood protection, thereby affecting properties, mostly terraced homes, to a high risk of flooding. Historically, this problem was addressed on the Quaggy by providing concrete or brick river walls at the bottom of gardens to contain flood waters. This solution was deemed unacceptable on this project for environmental, social and flood defence reasons. Instead an innovative solution was proposed whereby flood defences were to be incorporated into garden structures through careful design. This provided exciting garden designs for residents and improved levels of flood protection for these properties, flood storage areas within gardens and preservation and enhancement opportunities along natural riverbanks. HDA Landscape Architects have been responsible for the revised garden designs.
In one location consisting of ten properties, these set back defences were incorporated into existing decks and included features such as steps or planting beds, giving them the appearance of new and interesting garden features, see Figure 7. In the other location of set back defences, consisting of twelve properties, many of which have been sub-divided into flats with very deep and often subdivided gardens, the set back defence took the form of a low wall within the garden. In some properties, this wall acts to provide divisions between gardens of differing ownership, and in others it divides formal garden areas from wilderness areas associated with the river. In all instances, the walls incorporate planting beds, steps and other features as requested by residents. The riverbank in these two sections of properties will be secured by coir rolls pre-planted with locally sourced flowering plants and grasses to enhance the residents’ enjoyment of their river access and hopefully increase awareness of the river in general.
In both of these areas, residents were asked to contribute as much as they were willing to the design of walls, garden features and planting plans to ensure long term designs which met multiple objectives of flood defence, community involvement and environmental benefits.
Other factors which increased the risk of flooding along this section of river were crumbling river walls falling into the river and creating blockages, pipes and low footbridges crossing the channel above mean water levels causing blockages during flood events, and steep earth banks subject to scour, thus undermining existing trees and causing blockages. To address these concerns, existing poor quality walls have been repaired or replaced with landowner input into reinstatement; pipes have been buried; a footbridge lifted and related ramps and steps constructed. Banks were stabilised with coir rolls to reduce the risk of scour and to enhance the channel by restricting the width in localised sections.
Prior to construction, eleven baseline surveys were carried out including surveys of riverine flora, trees, bats, fish, birds and mammals to inform designs in progress and enable the process of environmental impact assessment. As a result of these surveys, working methods on site have sought to identify key environmental features and to retain them where possible. This has meant educating the contractor’s staff through toolbox talks and site supervision, leading to site staff who recognise some of the locally rare plants and adopt sensitive methods when working near them.
H
The Environment Agency worked with local stakeholders to improve habitat quality on a side-channel of the Great Ouse.
Like many of our rivers, the Houghton 'trout' stream, has been significantly modified over many years. These modifications include impoundment, channelization and tree clearance. These pressures have reduced the resilience of the channel to wider catchment scale pressures from water quality and sediment.
As a result of these modifications, there is insufficient flow and energy within the channel at many times of the year to move and redistribute sediment within the channel. This has meant that this 'naturally' gravelly river has an overlying layer of fine sediment. This significantly reduces the likelihood of successful spawning by species such as chub, dace and barbel, the latter of which has not been seen on the river for over a decade.
Such habitats are particularly important to retain on this side channel, as the main river is navigable, heavily impounded, and cannot provide the diversity of habitats found on this channel, all of which are vital to many species at different points in their life cycle. Furthermore, due to navigation on the main channel, options to enhance or restore it are limited.
The Environment Agency surveyed the side channel and put together a series of enhancement options to address the deterioration, which were then shared and discussed with the local Angling club and landowners. These included: Improving flow over an upstream weir, tree planting, retaining woody material, fencing, gravel jetting, and installing deflectors to keep areas of spawning gravels free from silt and excessive vegetation growth. Both landowners and Angling Club were keen to see these improvements made and offered both their time and money to see them implemented.
Partnership was vital to success of the project. Very little money was spent on these enhancements with most contributions coming from volunteer time. The angling club have helped with planting of trees (willow whips sourced from local trees), gravel jetting (using agency equipment), and will share the cost of installing fencing with the local landowners Smith & Smith. The Agencies Fisheries and biodiversity team cleared vegetation blocking an upstream weir and installed flow deflectors, again using wood sourced from locally fallen tree that identified for removal as it was blocking a nearby drainage channel.
While enhancements such as tree planting will take many years until benefits from increased cover, shelter shading, and supply of woody material to the channel are realized. Already, the benefits of the gravel jetting and flow deflectors can be seen. Following the work, the areas of clean gravels have remained, while other areas in the channel (not yet enhanced) have become covered with sediment and clogged with reed growth.
For the first time in many years, large numbers of fish have been seen congregating around the deflectors in preparation to spawn, including many large chub. Furthermore, we have also seen River Lamprey (a formerly declining species) making use of the clean gravels for spawning.
This project demonstrates that correctly targeted low-cost measures, undertaken in partnership with committed stakeholders, can make significant improvement to river channel habitat and fisheries value.
Follow link for YouTube video of spawning gravel enhancements: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubVX4pla10Y&list=UU8XLubOua8P9B1hT0Qb5Tbg
S
The Environment Agency's Fisheries & Biodiversity and Operation team along with Milton Keynes Park's Trust repaired a section of eroded bank on the Great Ouse at Stony Stratford.<br>We used soft engineering in the form of willow bundle revetments to reinforce and protect a section of bank that had become eroded as a result of livestock poaching and flow pressures from Stony Sluice. +
R
The Erft River was heavily trained in the 1960s to provide a higher discharge capacity for flood prevention and to make it easier to mechanically maintain the river. High dams were built along the river banks and the river bed was secured with large rocks. This river training resulted in a river with few structures ans a low morphological diversity.
The restoration project has been implemented in Cooperation of the Landesbetrieb Straßen NRW (the state road authority) and the Erftverband (water board in the Erft watershed) to compensate the impact on nature and environment caused by the construction of a new road. The measure has been necessary to reach the Good Ecological State of the Erft required by the WFD. By adressing the need for compensation with a river improvement measure, inefficiencies in public spending has been avoided.
The project started in April 1995 and aimed at developing a structure-rich, ecologically permeable stretch of the river with regularly flooded meadows and a high potential for self-development. About 10 hectares of cropland were bought and turned into a meadow on the left hand side of the river, towards the lowest part of the valley. The dam along the Erft separating this meadow from the river has been removed. The rocks securing the river bed on that side have been removed and groynes have been built in the river bed to add morphological diversity and initiate lateral erosion. The groynes have been designed in cooperation with the local fishery association, and according to their observation, young fish which have been drifted away by floods in the past are now able to stay in the area. +
G
The Esk is a river of both ecological and economic importance at a national scale. It is the principle river in Yorkshire for Atlantic salmon and sea trout and is one of only two rivers on the east coast of England to have known populations of the freshwater pearl mussel, one of the most critically endangered bi-valves in the world. However, siltation and excessive suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) have been attributed to causing their
decline. This has led to local conservation and restoration efforts being driven by the National Park over the last 20 years.Previous research has highlighted the Glaisdale subcatchment as a key contributor to fine sediment fluxes in the Esk catchment. Through local surveys, a critical source area of fine sediment supply to the beck was identified. This was a section of exposed, near-vertical, ∼ 3 m high channel banks ∼ 100 m in length consisting of unconsolidated sediments and overlain by shallow surface vegetation, which is regularly accessed by livestock. The availability of accessible material is also exacerbated by progressive movement of a large hillslope failure complex which supplies large quantities of easily eroded sediment directly to the river channel. Such failures are well documented in the North York Moors. It was deemed that this combination of factors limited the potential for success of traditional channel margin stabilization approaches. Following consultation and the presentation of available options, the competent agencies decided the most appropriate course of action was to divert the existing channel away from the toe of the large hillslope landslide,
and re-establish the stream course further to the north. The impact of this management was considered from a biotic and geomorphic viewpoint through the collection of data between 2007 and 2014.
Works included: Diversion of the existing channel away from the toe of the large hillslope landslide. +
D
The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is a native species to Britain. After an absence of around 400 years, it is has returned to being wild in the British landscape at 2 core locations in Scotland and as a free living population on the River Otter in Devon (Map 1). Devon Wildlife Trust has also been running a beaver project in a securely fenced, private site in western Devon since 2011. The site provides an ideal location to carry out detailed scientific studies into the impacts of beavers on hydrology and water quality. This work complements the catchment-scale data being secured through the monitoring strategy applied to the free-living beavers that form part of the River Otter Beaver Trial in east Devon. This covers the entire 250km² of the Otter catchment containing 594km of watercourse. More information on both the Devon Beaver Project and the River Otter Beaver Trial can be found on the Devon Wildlife Trust's website (http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/our-projects).
Since their introduction into the enclosed site, the beavers have:
• constructed 13 dams holding up to one million litres of additional water within ponds on the site
• influenced an area of 1.8ha equating to 56 litres of surface water storage per m² of land (during storm events, peak flows have been 30% lower on average leaving the site than entering)
• delayed the lag time between peak flow into the site and peak flow leaving the site (on average, one hour over a distance of 183m)
• reduced peak flow even in saturated conditions and for the largest monitored flood events (due to the hydraulic roughness of the dams and felled trees, and the leaky nature of the dams)
• resulted in significant and constant base flow from the site (even in periods of drought) through water storage and gentle release effect <br>
Funding - In 2016, Devon Wildlife Trust launched a crowdfunding campaign to encourage the public to donate to the project in return for a series of unusual things such as beaver chips, guided walks or the appearance of the Nora the beaver mascot at an event.
L
The European Commission has approved the LIFE+ Project “Conservation of the Saramugo (Anaecypris hispanica) in the Guadiana basin (Portugal)” (LIFE13 NAT/PT/000786), whose acronym is LIFE Saramugo, coordinated by the Liga para a Protecção da Natureza (LPN) in partnership with public and private institutions, namely the Universidade de Évora (UÉvora), the Instituto para a Conservação da Natureza e Florestas (ICNF) and the company Aqualogus – Engenharia e Ambiente, Lda.
The main aim of the project is the enhancement of the saramugo’s populations by improving their habitat especially in three sub-basins of the Guadiana river (Xévora, Ardila and Vascão) located in 3 different Sites of Community Importance (SCI) of the European Natura 2000 Network (namely Guadiana, Moura/Barrancos and São Mamede).
The LIFE Saramugo Project focuses the reduction of the negative effects of the major threats to the survival of this small Iberian fish (namely of the degradation of water quality and riparian habitats, the invasion by non-native species and extreme climate events) and raising awareness and environmental education are also some of the project’s priorities.
To improve habitat suitability, in order to promote the species abundance and its expansion, the project develops different types of hydromorphological river requalification interventions, such as silt removal (especially in “pools” areas), recovery of the riparian vegetation through planting and / or cuttings, and rehabilitation of slopes with consequent improvement of the riparian curtain. For this purpose natural engineering techniques were applied, such as Salix wattle fences, vegetated crib walls and live single slope gratings. +
F
The Fingringhoe Intertidal Habitat Creation Project has created 22ha of new, internationally important intertidal habitat on the Colne estuary in Essex (Map 1). The project was managed through a central partnership between the Environment Agency and Essex Wildlife Trust, with additional partners coming on board at different times. These included Natural England, neighbouring landowners and around a hundred volunteers. This project was conceived in 2011 and implemented in 2015 when a 300m breach in the seawall was constructed at Fingringhoe. This landscape-scale conservation project not only enhances biodiversity improvements onsite, but also supports internationally and nationally designated sites. Working in partnership has meant it was possible to create some of the most cost-effective intertidal habitat in the country. +
L
The Foundation carried out its first organised litter clearances in 2004 and 2005 when groups of volunteers and staff from WUF and Keep Wales Tidy were involved in several exercises on the upper reaches of both rivers. Analysis of origins of the litter collected from these first efforts was revealing - that a high percentage of the litter (up to 76%) was from agriculture, usually in the form of silage wrap, feed bags/buckets and baler twine. Further single site clear-ups were carried out over the next four or five years but in 2010, Tony Norman (one of WUF's Trustees), took on the considerable challenge of organising the first large-scale litter clean-up exercise with an ambitious goal of clearing the whole Lugg and Arrow catchment in 10 weeks. Starting in March 2011, Tony and 220 volunteers from conservation organisations, government bodies, NGOs, fishing clubs, canoe groups, local councils and others collected 671 sacks of litter and single items from the riverbanks. They also removed larger objects such as tyres, feed buckets, chairs, beds, a saddle and even a children's swimming pool and surf board. Powys County Council also removed 30 tons of rubbish from a Highways Agency depot on the banks of the Lugg in Presteigne, most of which would have eventually been washed downstream. They also took measures to prevent the site being used as a tip in the future. In all, over 100 miles of river was cleared.
Spurred on by this success, Tony then turned his attention to the upper Wye where he started a similar project in February 2012. Over 12 weeks, 123 volunteers, organised by Tony and WUF with support from Keep Wales Tidy (KWT) and the River Wye Preservation Trust (RWPT), removed litter from the river's source at Pumlumon (Plynlimon) downstream to Builth Wells and beyond, including the tributary streams. They collected 647 sacks of litter and larger items were removed from 103 miles of river and stream, including objects such as a car radiator, a lawnmower and a deep freeze. Even more worryingly, several drums containing agricultural and mechanical chemicals that damage the aquatic environment were also found. The collected litter was picked up and, where possible, recycled by Powys County Council.
Later in 2012, WUF, volunteers and Keep Wales Tidy got together with a group of canoeists to clean up the river Usk between Sennybridge and Brynich Lock, below Brecon.
From February to May 2013 Tony Norman and his volunteers braved the extremely harsh spring weather and took to the Wye between Builth and Hay, the Irfon, Ithon and other tributaries along the way. Again, support came from The Wye Preservation Trust and Keep Wales Tidy while Powys County Council picked up all the litter collected and, where possible, recycled it.
The litter clearing continued in 2014, despite the extreme wet conditions at the start of the year, on the Wye between Hay and Luggsmouth and the Monnow catchment, while various other areas of the catchments were revisited. In 2015 Tony and the volunteers will tackle the rest of the Wye, from Luggsbridge down to Chepstow.
So far, the totals are:
Over 900 miles of river bank cleared....
By over 800 volunteers spending nearly 4,000 hours....
Collecting over 3,000 sacks of litter and other items....
61% of which were of agricultural origin in number, although nearer 90% in volume and weight.
P
The Foundation was very fortunate to secure funding at a time when our substantial ERDF projects had been completed. This enabled the momentum of our habitat restoration to continue. The National Grid Enhancement Fund (christened the "Pipeline Project") and The Water Framework Directive Fund both made substantial contributions towards river restoration. For the first time, we engaged with the Monnow Fisheries Association to undertake habitat restoration in parts of the Monnow catchment.
Both these projects enabled us to target areas across the catchments that were in most urgent need of restoration. Both finished in 2009 and we attach detailed reports of actions taken as two PDFs:
http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/WUF-Report-on-National-Grid-Enhancement-Projects-2009.pdf
http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/WUF-Report-WFD-2009.pdf +