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The Test and Itchen River Restoration Strategy is a long-term project being carried out on these two world-renowned chalk streams in Hampshire. The Rivers Test and Itchen are legally protected as SSSI’s as they are two of the best remaining examples of chalk stream river types and associated habitats and species. However, condition assessments undertaken by NE of the riverine Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) units in March 2006 on the River Test and March 2010 on the River Itchen, the outcomes showed that both the SSSI’s are in unfavourable condition. The key reasons for this include historical modifications to the physical structure of the channel, banks and riparian zone. The Wildlife and Country side Act 1981 and the Water Framework Directive (WFD) require the rivers are returned to favourable condition and good ecological status, respectively.
The aim of the T&I Strategy is to appraise the geomorphological condition of the rivers, identifying the condition of the rivers in relation to their ‘natural benchmark’. From this starting point river restoration, rehabilitation and conservation/ enhancement actions can take place to restore the SSSIs and bring them into favourable or unfavourable (recovering) condition. This includes the following specific objectives.
1. Determine the impacts of physical modification on the geomorphology and ecology of each river;
2. Provide an outline restoration plan for each river on a reach by reach basis;
3. Identify potential delivery mechanisms to help achieve this.
The focus of any restoration project within the T&I Strategy is to ensure the condition of the habitat rather than the preservation of the species directly, with the principle being that good chalk stream habitat is more likely to support characteristic flora and fauna. Although the Strategy is primarily aimed at in-river characteristics, it’s also recognised that land management adjacent to the rivers has the potential to affect the quality of the in-river habitat and has been given due consideration to this throughout the project.
The main objective of the T&I Strategy is to deliver the recommendations and aims above by working collaboratively with landowners and fishery interests.
The T&I Strategy was first initiated in 2010 then due to unforeseen and tragic circumstances stopped. It was then re-started again in 2012. Given the scale of the T&I Strategy it is expected, all going well, that it will continue over the next 20-30 years.
The Test and Itchen River Restoration Strategy is a collaborative project between the Environment Agency, Natural England, local fisheries and riparian owners.
Presently the SSSI status of the Test and Itchen is in unfavourable condition. This is due to historic dredging, the number of structures, industry and historic management. The aim of the Strategy is to collaboratively work with landowners to restore both rivers so that they reach favourable condition in the future.
Up to June 2014, approximately 2km has been improved by bed raising, narrowing and encouraging a change in management. Five restoration projects were completed in 2013 and a further six are planned for 2014.
<i>Project 1: Old Station Beat restoration, River Test at Bossington (completed 2013)</i><br>
At the Bossington Estate, the Environment Agency and Natural England have worked with Cain Bio-engineering to narrow the channel considerably (up to 40-60% in some sections) to restore a more natural river which has already led to significant improvement in the variety of river bed heterogeneity and in-channel habitats observed. The Estate have supported the project as they would like to attract anglers who prefer fly fishing in a more ‘challenging’ environment, than on other sections of the middle River Test, to offer this in the Test Valley. The total cost of the scheme was approximately £40,000 for 450m of restoration.
<i>Project 2: River Test, Houghton Estate, close to Stockbridge (completed 2013)</i><br>
The Houghton Club, one of the first fisheries to establish in England if not the world, has been open-minded. They agreed to modify historic bank management practices to enhance the channel and side channel scrapes have been created to reconnect the river to its floodplain in strategic areas. Selective channel narrowing has also taken place. Flooding in winter 2013/4 immediately showed the benefits of reconnecting the river with the surrounding land (which is designated SSSI). From a flood risk management perspective, holding water on this land prior to the river reaching Stockbridge was noted to have had a positive influence on flood risk reduction in the village. The project was jointly funded by the Environment Agency and the Houghton Estate.
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The Threlkeld mines were worked for lead and zinc between 1661 and 1928. The mines have a long history of causing pollution and fish kills, and the owners were first prosecuted in 1890. The mines are a significant source of heavy metal pollution, particularly cadmium and zinc, in Gategill Beck and the River Glenderamackin, which fails to achieve 'Good' status for the North West River Basin Management Plan. The metal pollution also affects the River Derwent and Bassenthwaite Lake Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The main source of metals is the Woodend Low Level but there is also diffuse pollution from waste spoil heaps.
Please search for Threlkeld mines pollution to find out more. +
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The Tolka Valley Park along the River Tolka was constructed in 1999-2000 to address misconnections and domestic effluents as a result of poor management in the area. The project aimed to attenuate pollutants and reduce malodours in order to enhance the amenity value of the site by creating of a new park with wetland and ponds for local biodiversity and people. A pilot study was completed with insigths to develop the project plan for the Tolka Valley Park.
Restoration measures included riparian planting to slow flows and prevent erosion, installation of geotextile to help the drainage of paths, construction of wetlands and sustainable urban drainage ponds, remedial planting to take up leachates and creation of new habitat. Landfill management issues addressed were on-going leachate introducing gravel filtration strips and vegetation buffers, as well as associated issues (i.e. methane, anaerobic conditions and methane issues). Creation of the wetlands was a 3 stage process. Actions aimed to attenuate and treat road runoff external to site and capture runoff within the site while controlling flooding. The new wetlands provide more habitat diversity for wildlife with visual interest for people.
Restoration overview: The re-colonisation by young, wild Atlantic salmon was spotted by Inland Fisheries Ireland in 3 locations in the Tolka. This is attributed mainly to the removal and modification of weirs as part of the “Tolka River's flood relief scheme” to allow migratory species, such as salmon, to migrate along the river corridor. As salmon can only survive in clean water, their presence also reflects efforts to reduce pollution levels in the river and effectiveness of the restoration measures aiming to improve water quality. Dublin now has 3 rivers producing wild salmon stocks (the Liffey, Dodder and Tolka), making it the only European capital city to hold such an accolade. +
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The Tongelreep enters the Netherlands at the Achelse Kluis and then flows into the river Dommel near Eindhoven. The Tongelreep is part of the Dommel catchment. Since the 1990s, stream restoration measures were taken to allow the river more space to meander after it had previously, in the past century, been straightened for a faster discharges. As a result of this straightening, parts of woodland, moors and wetlands were at risk of drying out. In addition to these traditional restoration measures, Building with Nature measure were implemented. The Tongelreep is the only Dutch stream where, for building with Nature purposes, gravel beds were introduced near Aalst in addition to dead wood patches. This was done to enrich the stream flora and fauna. +
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The Tovensche Beek is a stream in an agricultural area on sandy soil. Part of the stream has been straightened, but a significant part still follows its original trajectory. The positive results of an experiment in the Snelle Loop led water authority Aa en Maas to perform additional experiments with dead wood in streams. Packages of dead wood were therefore introduced in the Tovensche Beek and macroinvertebrate presence will be monitored. +
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The Traisen is one of the largest rivers in Lower Austria. During construction of the Danube power plant Altenwörth, the Traisen was lengthened by 7.5 km and nowadays empties into the Danube downstream of the power plant. The riverbed used to run in an even, straight line through the floodplain between Traismauer and Zwentendorf. This section of river offered little habitat for typical animals and plants and was not connected to the surrounding landscape or the bodies of water in the floodplain. The ability of fish to pass through the area was complicated by obstacles and in some places impossible.
A natural river course with densely vegetated banks: that’s what the area around the mouth of the Traisen in Lower Austria looks like today. This was made possible by the LIFE+ Traisen project – Austria’s largest land restoration project to date. Many endangered kinds of flora and fauna have found a new home here. +
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The Trent Rivers Trust employs a dedicated project officer, Adrian Rochford, in the Tittesworth Reservoir catchment who is funded by Severn Trent Water. The role of the project officer is to work with farmers in the catchment to promote best farming practice to reduce the risk of diffuse pollution of nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates and crop protection chemical residues that could enter the water in the reservoir.
Adrian has been working in the catchment since 2011 and has developed excellent working relationships with almost every farmer in the area. By explaining to individuals how they can make a difference to water quality by changing their agricultural practices, Adrian’s advice has led to a fifty per cent reduction in levels of harmful chemicals in the water.
Adrian can also present an evidence based argument demonstrating to the farmer that by implementing the changes that he is recommending, they will also save money. Adrian has helped farmers to reduce their fertiliser costs by undertaking a soil analysis which has shown that phosphate and potash levels are adequate so a cheaper ‘straight’ nitrogen fertiliser can be used in place of a more expensive compound product.
Training events for farmers have been organised to provide guidance on the use of chemicals to ensure that farmers are using the most effective chemical at the correct application rates and are adopting best practice at all times. Adrian can also show the farmers that grazing and silage production will not be compromised when embracing these measures.
The Tittesworth project has also funded the purchase of a ‘Weed Swiper’ which facilitates large scale, low cost ‘spot spraying’ of glyphosate of docks and thistles on grazed pasture, using significant less chemical than would be required when using a boom spray. Farmers who have used the weed swiper have observed excellent levels of weed kill and reduced chemical cost.
The project works closely with the Peak and Dales Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative to avoid duplication of effort and so that the messages given to farmers are consistent and clear.
Severn Trent Water has also funded a number of high priority capital projects on farm to tackle potential diffuse and point source pollution risks such as field drainage issues and yard infrastructure improvements.
Visit the website - https://www.trentriverstrust.org/project/tittesworth-catchment-officer/
The Tubney Charitable Trust make grants to other charities that work within certain defined areas, supporting work that benefits species listed in the UK Biodiversity Plan (UKBAP). It has generously supported the Foundation with core funding for various projects.
Tubney Funding is improving the fortunes of Otters in the Wye and Usk. When we first applied in 2006, the application was made in respect of white clawed crayfish, (''Austropotomobius pallipes''), otter (''Lutra lutra''), shad (''Alosa alosa'' and ''Alosa fallax''), and freshwater pearl mussel (''Margaritifera margaritifera''). These were included in the UKBAP and all respond favourably to improvements in water quality, habitat restoration and reconnection of stream access. The fresh water pearl mussel has a life stage that is dependent on salmon or trout for upstream distribution. Otters depend on good habitat and an abundant supply of food - fish!
Each species is subject to specific pressures. For example, otter are frequent victims of road collisions. White clawed crayfish have serious problems with sheep dip and competition from its American rival, the signal crayfish.
In 2007, perhaps recognising both the importance of salmonids as indicators of riverine health, or just mindful of the Water Framework Directive, rivers and streams (not all!) have been added to the UK BAP list of habitats and atlantic salmon, brown trout, loach and eels are to be included in the UKBAP list of species.
Tubney's contribution goes towards the following specific areas of activity:
White clawed crayfish project: Habitat restoration (fencing and tree management) of those streams that still have a population of them, namely Builth Road Dulas, Llynfi Dulas, Sgithwen and Edw and eradication of signals in the Bachawy brook. By October 2007, 31,464 signals had been trapped and 6km double bank restored and stock excluded. Trapping is considered a holding operation pending a final solution.
Fish Access: Tubney's funding has enabled us to fully fund our ambitious projects that include building fish passes or removing barriers throughout the Lugg and Arrow, upper Wye and Usk catchments.
Water Quality: Funding is used to continue our acid waters amelioration programme which is proving very successful on the upper Wye and Irfon catchments.
Habitat Restoration: A common feature of our projects is a commitment to restore the habitat of the tributary system. The Tubney funding has enabled this to be carried out on a sufficiently large scale to make a difference on the huge catchments of our two rivers.
The Wye & Usk Foundation is very fortunate to be in receipt of this support as matching the EU and other inputs are crucial to the success of our mission.
The Tungelroyse beek is a meandering stream with a low flow velocity. It features several sand bars and overhanging banks. The upstream part of the stream was re-designed in a more natural way. Some weirs were removed and replaced with vegetation that provided resistance to the flow. The mowing regime was made less intensive. +
The Tungelroyse beek is a meandering stream with a low flow velocity. It features several sand bars and overhanging banks. Sixty oak trunks were introduced into this stream. +
The Twineham Weir Removal and In-Channel Enhancement project has seen multiple benefits delivered to the upper Adur in West Sussex which has, over many years, been dredged and straightened with numerous impoundments present along its course. In 2014 the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust (OART) led a project in collaboration with the Environment Agency to remove four weirs on the River Adur and Herrings Stream tributary. Due to the restricted availability of funding a novel approach was taken which saw OART employ the landowner as principle contractor to undertake the work resulting in a cost saving of over £160,000 and enabling work to be undertaken during suitable weather windows without incurring increased costs. The removal of these obstructions has restored river continuity, instigated a more natural dynamic flow regime and removed barriers to fish passage opening up 4.8km of unrestricted river.
Rather than developing a programme of in-channel enhancements prior to removing the weir structures, the partnership decided it would be better to wait to see how the site developed for six months to ensure that any further works were necessary and would be located in appropriate sections of the river. Throughout this period, along with fixed point photography to monitor changes to bank profiles, the local angling clubs were consulted to ensure their requirements were considered within the framework of the enhancement programme. It was clear from an early stage that the main constraint on anglers as a result of this project was reduced water levels limiting access to the river.
To fund the proposed in-channel works the local Environment Agency team negotiated a £15k contribution from Rampion Offshore Wind LTD, a joint venture between EON and the green investment bank, to enhance the upper Adur through the sections impacted by these weir removals on the Herrings Stream and River Adur. A number of previously unknown features had been uncovered through the reduced water levels and a number of the enhancements expected to be necessary could now be removed from the list. The project partnership, in consultation with the Wild Trout Trust, angling clubs and the landowner developed a programme of enhancements which has seen a dozen features created along 2.8km of channel combined with extensive tree planting on the banks and surrounding floodplain to provide natural recharge of woody debris to the channel. Again this work was undertaken by the landowner and his team, building on the relationships developed during the weir removals and allowing limited funding to maximise benefits.
A number of volunteers, including members of the angling club, assisted in the creation of the in-channel features as well as providing essential manpower to plant a trees along the river bank and surrounding floodplain. The overall outcomes of this project are;
* Four weirs removed from the upper Adur, including the priority structure listed in the South East River Basin Management Plan for this catchment.
* Five backwaters have been dug to provide shelter for small fish in times of flood and warm conditions in the shallow backwaters will provide an ideal nursery for fish, invertebrates and amphibians.
* Six berms have been installed along a 1km straight section of river which has narrowed the channel, sped up flows and increased morphological diversity which will in turn improve the ecology.
* 10 tonnes of gravel placed in two sections of river to improve spawning opportunities for fish, habitat for invertebrates and replacing gravel lost over the centuries due to dredging of the river.
* 800 trees have been planted to provide shading, bank stabilisation and additional wildlife benefits such as habitat linkage.
The Umbusi River is a tributary of the Pedja River in the lower course and it is located entirely in Jõgeva county. The length of the Umbusi River is 34 km and its catchment area is 159 km2. The upper course of the river is located on the plains of Central Estonia and the lower course is located in the Lake Võrtsjärve depression.
The Umbusi Rivers water was slightly alkaline in the summers of 1988 (pH value was 7,8) and 1994 (pH value was 7,7). There is no data about the mineral content of the water. The total content of organic matter in the water varies from high to low, depending on the location.
Various reports suggest that the Umbusi River is a habitat for roach, ide, perch and brown trout, minnow, pike. The Umbusi River’s middle and upper course areas with their cold water are known as highly valued places for trout fishing.
Recent work that has been done on the river: streambed redevelopment, renewal and construction of culverts, rocks, rapids in the streambed, sedimentation tank in the Kablaküla main ditch, the clearing of Lustivere barrage lake from sediments, the construction of 3 fish passes and 11 spawning beds.
The construction on those began in July 2010 and ended in November 2010. The total cost of it was 274 000 euros.
The construction on the spawning beds took place in the summer of 2013 and the total cost was 48 000 euros. +
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The University of Antwerp leads the research and management of the project. The research fits mainly in the framework of OMES (a multidisciplinary research study on the environmental effects of the SIGMA plan on the estuarine environment of the Belgian part of the Scheldt), which is funded by W&Z (the Flemish Agency for Waterways and the Brussels-Scheldt Sea Canal).
The Lippenbroek Regulated Tidal Exchange (RTE) scheme is a pilot scheme for the so-called controlled reduced tide (CRT) concept which Belgian authorities are planning to apply to (sections of) numerous flood storage areas in the near future to create tidal habitats (e.g. at Kruibeke, where the first inundation will likely occur in 2011). The CRT concept involves the use of two exchange mediums, one high inlet medium (e.g. a weir/spillway or sluice/culvert), and a lower outlet medium, which may be capped with a gravity controlled sluice gate. As the CRT technique is relatively new, it had to undergo thorough testing before it could be applied on a large scale. For this reason the 10ha Lippenbroek scheme was implemented in the freshwater tidal part of the Scheldt Estuary in 2006. As it was to be a pilot for CRT in a flood storage area, construction included the building of an overflow dike as well as a high inlet sluice for the CRT function.
The high inlet sluice (see pictures below) has an invert level of approximately 4.8mTAW (the Belgian Ordnance Datum) – which equates to approximately 1m below the level of Mean High Water Springs (MHWS). The inlet structure is 12.75m long; the three culverts it contains are each 0.75m wide and 1.1m high. Shot beams front the inlet structure and enable fine-tuning of the invert levels.
The most suitable sluice configuration was determined through several test wettings. For the outflow, a pre-existing outfall sluice, which is about 10m to the left of the inlet sluice structure, is utilised. Its invert level is at 1.5mTAW; the pipe is 40.2m long and has a 1.5m diameter. An artificial creek was dug connecting the inlet sluice level with the existing polder ditch. The danger of channels short-circuiting was diminished by subduing the channel along the foot of the ring dike(personal communication with Tom Maris, University of Antwerp; Cox et al., 2006). An intensive monitoring programme was initiated, and the first results are now available.
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The Upper Witham has been subject to significant changes which have modified the river and its hydrological functioning. These legacy interventions have been damaging to habitat and with serious pollution incidents, climate change implications and invasive species threats, native species such as White Clawed Cray-fish and Brown Trout are at risk of local extinction. A ground water fed system has now also become far more reactive in response to an increase in storm intensity across the area.
Habitat improvement, rejuvenating a self-regulating functional active river system has been an aspiration for stakeholders working in the catchment for some time. Initial attempts at improving in-channel habitat from 2013 (EA, WTT and GAAFFs) used hinged trees and berms to narrow the river and scour pools. In the lower reaches, downstream of Grantham, this provided habitat in a system where it had previously been removed and was a good addition. Reviews of work did however indicate that this approach was not always having the desired effect; linked to very resistant clay bed and banks, poor gravel supply, and a lack of floodplain connectivity.
Lessons were learned and subsequent landowner and flood risk engagement took place. These were applied in the EA and NT’s Belton project which began in 2016 with imported gravels added at the time. This worked well and provided a blueprint for works in the nearby urban setting of Wyndham Park, Grantham (EA and SKDC in 2017). More urban projects in the town followed from the Rivers Trusts (Dysart Park 2020) and most notably the Blue Green corridor project led by SKDC with more gravels added, trees hinged, berms created, and wildflower and wetlands introduced widely along the river. Belton was revisited in 2023 where floodplain connectivity was increased through strategic floodplain lowering and reconnection using live and dead woody material as the driver for change.
The scale and ambition of individual projects increased with a more recent focus on larger scale projects connecting rivers with their floodplains more frequently. Manthorpe flood bank removal in 2020 (WTT and EA), Upper Cringle Brook ‘stage 8’ 2022 (EMRT), Grange Farm Stage 0 restoration (EA 2021) and Colsterworth (EMRT 2023) system reactivation, as well as innovative techniques such as smaller size gravel augmentation downstream of weirs (2023, WTT and GAAFFS at Papermill weir). Three large scale weir easement projects have also taken place at Aubourn (2016), Great Ponton (2015) and Easton (2014).
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The Upper Witham is the ground water fed headwaters of the Witham supporting important species including Native Crayfish and Brown Trout. Historic changes to the river for milling and land drainage have however degraded habitat especially in urban areas such as Grantham.
The project aimed to restore habitat in an over widened, shaded section of river running alongside a public park in the town. This was done by hinging trees to form berms which helped to narrow the channel and provide lighter. As well as benefiting the habitat, this made the river more visible to near-by residents and park users.
This work reduced the need for EA maintenance of the trees in this section of river. +
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The Val de Choues stream is a tributary of the Ource and is 5.5 kilometres in length.
In 1968, with a view to salmonid farming, the ancient Narlin pond, originally created by the monks of a local abbey, was transformed into a complex of five ponds. This fish farm proved to be unprofitable and was abandoned in 1973. The fragmentation of the stream by the ponds modified the environment and increased the fragility of the crayfish population (the watercourse was cut off from its main tributaries, temperature changes occurred, there was influx of undesirable fish species and an obstacle was created to the free movement of fish and crayfish).
In the framework of the “LIFE” Nature Programme, this site was chosen for a project concerning the restoration of white-clawed crayfish.
The water bodies were drained in two phases. In June 2006, the three upstream ponds were drained and the fish were rescued. The embankments were opened in August. In September 2006, the two remaining downstream ponds, which until then had been acting as sedimentation basins, were drained and the embankments were then opened in November.
The most upstream pond could not be removed due to its major heritage value (historic and faunistic). This pond was linked to the other ponds by the watercourse and a parallel canal (created for fish-farming purposes). In order to reduce the drying out of the watercourse, the entire flow emerging from the pond was redirected towards the stream by dismantling the dividing weir that was responsible for supplying water to the canal and by partially filling in the upstream section of this canal. Developments were made in order to diversify the habitats in the original watercourse (laying of limestone blocks) and a gate was installed in the upstream water body. +
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The Vezouze River has a pluvial regimen and its flow is rapidly affected by the rainfall. This cause a recurring flood, often violent on the urban area of Lunéville. Several factors upstream (natural flooding areas reduction) and downstream (bad drainage conditions) make the situation worse. Thus bank protection and riprap were put in place and the riverbed was regularly cleaned up. After the great flood in 2006, the Lunèville community undertook a global protection program in order to reduce flood risk, including expansion areas restoration.
The restoration works include increase in riverbed width, removal of a protection bank on the left side, creation of two flood channels (one meter wide on average, on six hectares) with connected wetlands and revegetation of the riverbanks and the new channels.
The results are really satisfactory, regarding both the ecological and hydraulic aspects; the water level and flooded areas were clearly reduced on Lunéville. +
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The Viejas River has well preserved in almost all the way. 1.2 km from its mouth, longitudinal continuity is interrupted by the presence of a 7m high dam (small hydroelectric power plant), which also alter the natural flow regime is an obstacle to the fish fauna and sediment transport.
The main target was to give back to the river the natural features it had before the dam construction and to recover the longitudinal and transversal continuity. +
The Vienne is a tributary of the Loire and drains a catchment area covering 21,105 km². The Creuse, a main tributary of the Vienne, flows into it around fifty kilometres upstream of theconfluence of the Loire and Vienne. Situated approximately 250 km from the sea, both of these sub-basins historically attracted salmon, shad, sea lamprey and eels.
At the start of the 1920s, Maisons-Montrouge dam was built to a height of 3.8 metres over the Vienne in order to meet the power requirements of the paper mills. This dam created a blockage in both of these basins. The virtually stagnant impoundment caused by the dam was estimated to cover 15 km in total: 8 km on the Creuse and 7 km on the Vienne.
The consequences were immediate, because since the building of the structure, not a single salmon or shad had been caught in the waters upstream of Maisons-Rouges. The successive installation of three fish-passes had very little effect.
In 1948, EDF (French electricity supply company) took over the concession and automated the dam in 1980. In January 1994, a “Plan Loire Grandeur Nature” (long-term management plan for the River Loire) was launched; it included the removal of the Maisons-Rouges dam due to its numerous effects on river continuity and its low level of economic benefit.
The project did not meet with universal approval, but after four years of negotiations and enquiries, the removal of the Maisons-Rouges dam was scheduled.
The project consisted of partially removing the oblique dam and the mill building. The operation was carried out in three phases:
• Installation of protective dikes and removal of the transversal dam.
• Gradual lowering of the impoundment and removal of the protective dikes on the right bank.
• Installation of protective dikes on the left bank in order to maintain dry conditions on the worksite and for the demolition of the buildings.
The transversal dam, the three sluice gates and the flap were dismantled. A concrete slab was laid on the bottom of the river in order to limit the effects of bed scouring and slow down the downstream migration of sediments.