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The Gorge was formed by deep erosion activity
of the Haluzice Stream. In the upper part on dolomite-limestone flysch bedrock, erosion gradually excavated
a 30 m deep, and a 100 m wide gorge, mostly without vegetation that gradually expanded. Due to weather
conditions, fine sandy material from the steep sidewalls eroded and formed embankment cones on the foot of
the gorge walls. Heavier surges of water transported material to lower parts where the debris created silt that
clogged fertile land in the village Štvrtok and retroactive erosion threatened the Haluzice part of the village.
On the slopes, ridges and ditches were formed that created new gorges.
The Haluzice Gorge belongs to Haluzice Village Cadastre, Nové Mesto nad Váhom District, and Trenčiansky
Region in the Western Slovakia. It has a total area of 3.5 hectares. The project included comprehensive technical
measures comprising stonewall weirs and stone steps. It also included non-technical measures, including
horizontal barriers made of wood sill to slow water flow, and tree and shrubs planting on terraces reinforced by
baskets made of willow tree to reduce soil erosion. Forest trail Haluzice Gorge was opened in 2011 with several
information panels. In addition, Lesy SR incorporated Haluzice Gorge in its network of significant forest areas.
These are monuments connected with the history of forestry in Slovakia in terms of natural, construction,
technical and artistic values.
The technical and non-technical measures constructed in the Haluzice Gorge have multiple purposes, ranging
from flood protection, water retention during dry periods, soil erosion reduction, forest ecosystem protection,
protection of cultural heritage, and local pathways for education and recreation. Weirs and stone steps retain
silt, caused by erosion in the upper part of the steam, as well as store high water levels during storms and slow
runoff and safely drain water.
The complex stabilisation system comprised of 8 stonewall weirs,
and 17 stone steps in the lower part of the Gorge. The slopes were stabilised by afforestation through terraces
reinforced by willow fences. Shrubs, trees and creeper plants were planted on the floor, on the sides and on
bare spots. During the following years, trees, shrubs and creepers gradually filled the whole surface of the
Gorge. The last 4 m high weir was constructed towards the end in order to stop erosion and protect Haluzice
Village, as well as a connecting local road with Štvrtok Village. Total length of modified Haluzický Stream
included in the Gorge is 1.5 km. Currently, there are 6 functional weirs in the Gorge on the Haluzický Stream,
4 are in the right side arm. The purpose of the weirs is to retain silt, caused by erosion in the upper part of the
steam, as well as retain the high water levels during storms. In addition, 17 stone steps slow runoff and safely
drain water.
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The Gozo Regional Committee held, within the Interreg Med Wetnet project, a series of participatory events for stakeholders in aspects affecting, or being a result of, the island's wetland context, with the aim of paving the way towards a Wetland Contract for the island of Gozo.
The process led to the definition and prioritisation of a list of actions that relate to the pilot areas, directly or indirectly. This was done through a concerted approach where all actors contributed, and constructive discussions were held in relation to potential barriers that could be faced if the actions were to be implemented. Some of the actions overlapped with the Eco-Gozo vision. In such cases, progress of implementation was discussed with the relevant entity, and fine-tuned to avoid overlap. For instance, Eco-Gozo already included the establishment of the “Made in Gozo” label, which was very similar to an action to brand local agricultural produce, however the entity had faced several legal barriers when trying to establish the label, but agreed that it may be worthwhile to re-investigate what the possibilities are. Hence, the action was reworded to fit. A similar approach was taken with other overlaps, and in some cases actions were toned down or broadened for entities to be comfortable in committing to sign the agreement. This was due to concern expressed by some entities. While the signed document is positive, and is evidence that the relevant entities are willing to collaborate and take it forward, further follow-up will be necessary after the end of the project in order to actually activate or continue collaborations, since the agreement does not involve time-frames or the assignment of resources. The Memorandum of Collaboration is the first step, of many necessary, towards a Wetlands Contract for the island of Gozo.
The Memorandum is signed by 5 local actors and it will be open to be signed by other actors by the end of the 2019. +
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The Great Ouse between Milton Keynes and Buckingham is a section of river that has historically suffered deterioration in, part due to the number of man-made structures on the watercourse. Following floods, these large structures prevent re-colonization of displaced fish and impound the river, reducing flows and sediment movement, with impacts on habitat quality and diversity.
To mitigate these pressures, a partnership project was formed by the Environment Agency and Milton Keynes Parks Trust. The works installed a fish friendly flow control structure at the upstream end of a previously disconnected paleo-channel allowing water to flow through it and around Stony Stratford Sluices which are currently impassable to fish. +
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The Groote Beek is a tributary of the river IJssel. It has its origin in the Zelhemse Enk and Kruisbergsche Bossen. The water authority used this stream to get some experience with main channel mowing. +
The Grote Aa was part of an experiment on the effect of vegetation removal on flow velocity variation and the abundance of fish and macroinvertebrates. For this experiment, different stretches of the stream were given a different treatment: the vegetation was either only mowed in blocks on one bank or only mowed in the middle of the stream. Both experiments were performed for a one year period in one stretch and a two year period in another stretch, so it could be determined how the vegetation, fish and macroinvertebrates would respond over various periods of time. +
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VALAGUA (Valorização ambiental e gestão integrada da água e dos habitats no Baixo Guadiana transfronteiriço) +
The Guadiana basin is one of the three major river basins shared between Portugal and Spain and the one that currently has more problems both in quantity and water quality. This is partly justified by the marked seasonality of precipitation, a strong inter-annual irregularity, and the predominance of drier weather conditions. This scarcity justified a strong regularization and use of available resources, which, however, created more pressure on the river systems due to increasing demand. In the current context of climate change, this picture tends to worsen, with the main scenarios pointing to a significant reduction in water availability.
In the southernmost part of the basin, where the river is bordered by the two countries, high climate vulnerability ineracts with significant water uses (irrigation, coastal tourism, urban supply), degradation problems and poor water quality, as well as important ecological and natural values classified by the Natura 2000 Network and representing transboundary spaces of great environmental value in the Iberian Peninsula.
The Valagua project addresses these issues, in a cooperation effort of Portugal and Spain, with the main goal of fostering research, knowledge, exchange and harmonization of information, as well as the implementation of good water and associated habitat management practices. The project main actions are:
• Production of knowledge on water quantity and quality, water use to safeguard habitats, and resolution of associated use conflicts.
• Implementation of functional and demonstrative actions for ecological restoration of riverine and riverine habitats, and awarenes raising in specific target groups to promote sustainable solutions.
• Creation of new ecotourism products, specific enhancement interventions, tour operators training and exchange of experiences.
• Development of integrated proposals for transboundary water and biodiversity management and their dissemination to policy makers, managers and other stakeholders.
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The HLF funded 'Living Heritage of the River Don' project saw fish pass solutions created on five unadopted weirs in Sheffield, aiming to return Salmon to the River Don for the first time in over 200 years. <br>
Visit the website - https://dcrt.org.uk/the-living-heritage-of-the-river-don/fish-pass-works +
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The HLF funded 'Living Heritage of the River Don' project saw fish passage solutions created for five unadopted weirs in Sheffield, with the aim of returning Salmon to the River Don for the first time in 200 years. +
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The HLF funded 'Living Heritage of the River Don' project saw fish pass solutions created on five unadopted weirs in Sheffield, aiming to return Salmon to the River Don for the first time in over 200 years. +
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The HLF funded 'Living Heritage of the River Don' project saw fish pass solutions created on five unadopted weirs in Sheffield, aiming to return Salmon to the River Don for the first time in over 200 years. +
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The HLF funded 'Living Heritage of the River Don' project saw fish pass solutions created on five unadopted weirs in Sheffield, aiming to return Salmon to the River Don for the first time in over 200 years. +
The Hampshire Avon has historically been dredged, over-widened and impounded in many places due to past river management. This has led to a reduction in the river’s geomorphological processes, which has, in turn, led to a decline in the habitat quality and quantity throughout the reach. This decline, despite recent sympathetic management, has continued due to the lack of variation in channel form and flows, as well as riparian land use.
'''Description of Works'''
This project focuses on two 750m reaches of the Hampshire Avon at Figheldean and West Amesbury, identified in the Strategic Framework for the Restoration of the River Avon (SFfRRA) as being in need of restoration for habitat quality. The restoration aims to return a more natural flow regime at the two sites, in order to promote natural bed scouring and increase riparian habitat for a variety of organisms. This will be achieved through:
*the narrowing of over-widened channels to promote bed scouring and increase Ranunculus growth;
*re-meandering of channelized sections, through the creation of berms and the use of woody debris, to restore natural deposition/erosion processes;
*introduction of woody debris to aid channel narrowing and create in-channel habitat for fish and invertebrates;
*creation of gravel riffles to create fish spawning habitat and flow variation;
*tree planting for channel shading and to provide future woody debris;
*riparian habitat creation/enhancement, such as scrape creation for invertebrate and bird life and bank re-profiling to reconnect the river to the floodplain (re-wetting wet woodland/pasture).
Each restoration project completed will act as an example to future projects in the area. Through appropriate publi-cation and engagement this project will help to raise awareness of river restoration techniques and implementation on the River Avon catchment.
Restoring natural functions to the river system will also increase the potential of the river to adapt to a changing climate in the future as part of a living landscape.
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The Haukås watercourse (Haukåsvassdraget) is located in the northern part of Bergen municipality. The catchment is just under 9 km2 and the length is about 6 km. There are large flood variations. The remnant population of the freshwater pearl mussel can be documented back to the 17th century by court records. Bergen municipality purchased a large wetland area, Haukåsmyrene in the early 1900s. Agriculture developed throughout the river area and resulted in the lowering of water levels, cultivation, canalization and drainage. Then came a period of strong urbanization and development. The mussels were thought to be extinct until 2002. At that point a few hundred old mussels were found - a typical sign that the water environment is too poor for recruitment. The water quality and possible inprovement measures were quickly identified during a close cooperation between the public management and the academic community.
Comprehensive mapping of both diffuse and point source emissions were conducted and requests where sent in order to stop or reduce pollution. Two important challenges had to be solved to save the mussel population: a) the mussels had to be helped with recruitment, b) the condition of the river had to be improved.
A nursery habitat for the freshwater pearl mussel was built in a side stream following a Czech concept. Based on experience, such nursery habitats create good growing conditions for both mussels and trout. When the mussels grow larger, they can release and settle in favorable locations in the main river. It should be mentioned that the Haukås marshes (Haukåsmyrane), which are central to the watercourse, have already been designated as a priority restoration area for wetlands. +
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The Healthy Rivers programme at Groundwork Wales carries out work on the rivers of the South East Wales with the aim of improving the river habitats so that they can support greater populations of native fish such as salmon, trout, eels and bull heads. The fish populations in many of the South East Wales rivers have depleted fish stocks due to pollution and man made modifications to the river channels that prevent fish accessing all the available river habitats. Due to depleted fish populations, many of the rivers in South East Wales are failing to achieve good status under the Water Framework Directive. The aim of the Healthy Rivers programme is to improve the river habitats so that they can support greater populations of fish by removing man made barriers to fish migration and creating new instream habitats. Healthy Rivers aims to engage local people in their local rivers by offering volunteer opportunities, community river care days and training opportunities, this instils a long term appreciation of the river habitats. Engaging local communities is essential for the conservation of the rivers, if they are engaged local people will appreciate the rivers and look after them in the future. Healthy Rivers also works with local primary schools to deliver salmon and eels in the classroom. This type of engagement with children is essential in ensuring that they understand the river habitats and look after them in the future. +
The Heiligenbergerbeek is a short stream that runs between Woudenberg and Amersfoort. Its stream valley mainly receives its water from seepage from the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, an ice-pushed ridge. The Heiligenbergerbeek also receives water from the sewage plants in Ede and Veenendaal. When water levels are low, it receives water from the river Rhine to flush the canals of Amersfoort, maintain sufficiently high water levels in the agricultural areas and keep the stream flowing. To ensure the stream keeps flowing, there are several weirs present. When water levels are high, part of the water is discharged by the Vosheuvelbeek and bypasses the city of Amersfoort. To meet WFD criteria, the mowing regime was altered to main channel mowing. Additonally, the stream was made wider in several locations, to allow for wider nature-friendly banks. +
The Houndsden Gutter is a tributary of the Salmons Brook, a small river running through Enfield which joins the Lea Navigation. Like many urban streams it suffers from pollution. Oils and heavy metals wash off the roads when it rains, flowing into surface water drains which lead straight into our streams and rivers. The plumbing in some homes and businesses is misconnected, sending water from appliances, sinks and sometimes even toilets into watercourses instead of the sewers.
In 2015 we worked with the London Borough of Enfield to create two rain garden systems to improve the water quality in the stream. They have been designed to treat water that runs off Houndsden Road every time it rains, taking run-off from a busy section of Houndsden Road, which previously flowed directly into the Houndsden Gutter. Water is directed along the verge where it infiltrates into the soil or, in high flow conditions, into the large, natural woodland treatment basin.
In the first system a two metre wide swale was created along the verge using a low impact digger. A footbridge was created to allow the swale to continue into the natural basin of the spinney. Kerbs were dropped at two points along the verge to allow water to enter the swales from the road. Finally, the road gully just up from the top of the system was filled so water would be redirected into the swales.
Further down same road a second rain garden system was implemented in September 2015, made possible with match funding from LBE. These roadside rain gardens have allowed for another road gully to be filled and more road run-off off to be filtered before entering Houndsden Stream. This scheme consists of a swale and two rain gardens taking water from Houndsden Road. In low rainfall conditions water is temporarily stored in the rain garden basins and slowly infiltrates into the verge. In high rainfall conditions, and when the basins reach a critical limit, water is transferred through a pipe, under the footpath and into the natural woodland basin in the spinney.
The water treatment occurs in two ways. In the natural woodland basin of the Spinney, chemicals which would pollute the river are naturally and safely used by plants to grow or broken down by bacteria in the soil. The swales have been planted with sedges and native grasses to slow water flow and begin the treatment, and the woodland basin planted with suitable native seed mixes. Water will then naturally soak into the soil, recharging the water table. This is particularly important during times of summer drought. These rain gardens prevent oils and heavy metals washing into the Houndsden Gutter. The stream supports a small fish population, and fish are seriously impacted by such pollutants, so reducing the pollutant levels in the stream is of great importance.
In addition through this project we flagged up a highly polluting outfall, which was then investigated immediately and rectified, having an enormously positive effect on the health of the stream.
Interpretation will be created to showcase the benefit of rain gardens for rivers, as well as access improvements in the woodland to allow more people to get close to the stream.
The Hunze is a lowland stream with a low flow velocity. Originally a meandering stream, the Hunze has been straightened in many places to facilitate peat transport, agriculture and other economic efforts. There are now various plans to reform the Hunze valley to a state that is closer to its original, natural conditionn. The objective is to restore meanders and create floodplains where possible and promote biodiversity. Vegetation removal in the stream has been minimized. Small patches of vegetation are removed when there is a risk of the stream getting blocked. +
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The ISAC Project
The EU Life+ fund supports bids in two categories - nature and biodiversity. The former enables actions to be taken to restore Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), such as the Wye and Usk. In 2008 the Wye & Usk Foundation submitted a bid and, after a rigorous justification phase, we were fortunate to be one of just four successful UK candidates. We chose the Irfon as it had all the SAC species present - though only just with some! Our partners include the Environment Agency Wales, The Rivers Trust and the National Museum of Wales. We are also assisted with matching funds by Countryside Council for Wales. In 2013 Environment Agency Wales and Countryside Council for Wales merged to form Natural Resources Wales.
Project Summary
Water Quality
The plan included both specific actions for the listed SAC species and two main areas of work. In the upper Irfon above Llanwrtyd Wells practically all of the river and its tributaries drain uplands that are heavily afforested. In our pHish project, we set about correcting the low pH - and hence restoring invertebrate and fish life - of both the Irfon and upper Wye catchment. We achieved success in the upper Wye, Tarenig, Bidno and other streams in the area and salmon are now present in good quantities. We were, however, only partially successful on the Irfon. This was for two reasons. Firstly, a smaller proportion of the upper Wye catchment had been forested than the Irfon. Secondly, the Wye had many more hydrological sources where powdered limestone could be introduced. On the Irfon, however, these were largely obliterated by extensive forestry drains, which also compound the pH and hydrological problems by accelerating run off. Within ISAC we worked with both the private and public forestry interests to recover these crucial wetland areas and to correct the effects of the severe drainage system. Coniferous trees were removed and forest design plans altered to keep these restored wetland sections wet.
Habitat Restoration
The other essential part of the project was the restoration of the riparian habitat of the main tributaries of the Irfon. Double bank fencing, erosion repair, coppicing and introducing instream features and water gates comprised the bulk of the work. In all 32km of SAC designated sections of the Cledan, South Dulas, Cammdwr, Cammarch, Cynffiad, Garth Dulas and Chwefru were restored.
New techniques for pleaching riparian trees into the channel and soft revetments using hawthorn were developed during the project and proven be effective on a catchment scale.
Protecting Annex II Species
Amongst the species that benefited, Atlantic salmon (Salmon salar) are perhaps be the most obvious as both the acid waters work and habitat restoration increased the survival rates of juveniles. These works also benefited the other SAC species, including white clawed crayfish(Austropotamobius pallipes), freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera), the lampreys (Petromyzon marinus, Lampetra fluviatilis, Lampetra planeri) shad(Alosa fallax, Alosa alosa) bullhead (Cottus gobio), otter (Lutra lutra) and rannunculus sp.
Captive breeding programmes were also established within the project by Natural Resources Wales at Abercynrig hatchery for white clawed crayfish and freshwater pearl mussel.
Monitoring
Whilst ISAC was primarily a 'doing' project, some monitoring was required to guide actions and quantify results. Fish populations were studied by annual electrofishing surveys, a baseline having been established by Natural Resources Wales in 2010.
Acid waters monitoring by the National Museum of Wales comprises a network of 22 sites recording pH, diatoms, water chemistry and invertebrate analysis. Further to this, otter and rannunculus distribution was assessed during the project.
The Rivers Trusts were responsible for disseminating the findings and results of ISAC using their links with other EU projects and rivers' trusts.
This project allowed us to protect what we had and to restore what we might lose in this important sub-catchmnet of the Wye SAC, so by enhancing some of the most important species and habitats in the UK.
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The Ilabekken brook is a small watercourse in the City of Trondheim. Since the early 20th century the area of the brook has urbanized. Because of the urbanization and loading from the sewage waters there has been loss of habitats and natural biodiversity in the brook. The sea trout (Salmo trutta L.) population had disappeared, in addition to other aquatic organisms and birds.
Local actions were taken during 2005-2008 to restore the area. Dedicated plan for the whole Ila valley was done integrating the needs of many different stakeholders. Large construction projects, especially the construction of a new ring road system around the town centre required relocation and upgrading of sewage and water works. The idea of opening the old water course of Ilabekken brook was assessed early in the planning process
The aim of the restoration was to improve the whole Ila valley area for recreation and well-being. The object was to reopen the Ilabekken brook and to stop the loading from sewage waters. Also habitat adaptations were made to recover the biodiversity in the brook for example creating more spawning and living places for sea trout and aquatic organisms by adding stones and gravel in the stream.
After the restoration the area of the Ilabekken brook has been a popular respite site in the city. The content of phosphorous and other pollutants have decreased in to the natural levels and populations of pollution sensitive species has recovered. Salmonid fish has rehabitated the brook and right after the restoration spawning and reproduction of trout has been also successful. Also macroinvertebrate communities have been re-established after the restorations. Monitoring studies performed by NIVA from the last 5 years have showned rapid recolonization from upstream during the first year. And maintaining this biodiversity will reflect to more pristine streches upstream. This is in accordance with the enhanced water quality, more steady water level (during winter) and habitat improvement measures that have been taken during the restoration project.
The restoration of Ilabekken brook has been a good example of good co-operation between different stakeholders. There were open and broad channels of communication with the local population and other actors throughout the planning process.
The Ingarskilanjoki River is 50 km long and runs into the Gulf of Finland. The Ingarskilanjoki River is the only river in Finland where the population of extremely endangered migrating sea trout (Salmo trutta) is natural, not from stocking. Due to flooding of the fields the river was straightened and dredged in 1988. The river was restored in 2002-2007 to recreate habitats for trout and its reproduction for the whole river length. The goal of the restoration was to increase the morphological diversity of the river by e.g. creating more variation of depths and meanders and adding gravel for fish spawning. The goal was also to enable the trout to migrate between the river and sea. In addition buffer strips were created to the catchment to decrease the nutrient loading from arable areas and to decrease turbidity of the river water. The local land owners and river side inhabitants were interviewed in order to take into account their opinions due to restoration. To ensure the recovery of the natural sea trout population, the trout fishing was prohibited in the river after the restoration. Before the dredging of the river, natural trout were caught and raised for further farming. After the dredging, the trouts that were caught from the natural population were stocked back into the river. However, because of the clearing and lost habitats, the reproduction of the trout had been weakened. The key success factor was that the decision of the preservation was made by the local fishing society. This is most likely the reason for that the fishing restriction has been obeyed which again has been crucial for balancing the reproduction and population of the sea trout. Since strict fishing restrictions, restorations and additional fish stockings, the local trout population has grown. These results shows that the restoration as a whole was succeeded. +