]> 2026-04-20T03:03:36+00:00 Case study:Cannop catchment natural flood management 500 en Draft construction of bunds 1.4 No Yes Yes Improvement No Fish,Yes,No,No,Yes,Yes,Improvement Fish Yes Gloucestershire County Council Forestry England Great Britain Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid RFCC Local levy council Yes No Yes No No No No ,No,No,No,No,No, No Cannop project picture Joe Baker 10 - 50 k€ gloucestershire county council gloucestershire county council Gloucestershire County Council Forestry England Use larger woody material for leaky dams. Ensure stone blockages are installed above flood level to prevent scour and the the clay covering the bund from being washed away. 51.81006,-2.56809 Joe.Baker02 Joe Gloucestershire County Council Baker construction of bunds,Floodplain reconnection, Introducing large woody debris, Large scale planting of native species, ,,engagement, Joe Baker 10 - 50 k€ Gloucestershire County Council The project monitoring comes in the form of: • Repeat aerial drone surveys • MoRPH surveys • Local volunteer surveying • E-fish surveys • River gauge reviews and assessments from flood events • Anecdotal reports from local residents and local flood groups Data so far suggest that wetting of the wider valley floor has been particularly successful with numerous palaeo-features now active along the restored reach. The rapids now provide additional higher energy habitat contrasting with the large pool areas. Work to create a high terrace cliff face has been particularly successful and is now forming a home for several bee and spider species. The large wood has also introduced a local complexity to the system encouraging both erosion and deposition helping retain important smaller grained material in the bed which was previously flushed through the system. The works at the Lido have maintained the habitats that had previously developed in the low energy area with the riffle-rapids installed downstream helping maintain water and energy levels and the downstream works have colonised rapidly and now blend into the landscape. A viewing point across the works was also constructed to allow the public to see and understand the restoration and this has proved very popular. Wet woodland rejuvenation at the bottom of reach three has also worked well with permanent and seasonal flow routes established across the entire valley floor. Organic materials are accumulating locally forming small flow obstructions, further adding to the diversity of the system and larger wood accumulations are developing well. Public access through the sites continues to be encouraged with bridges and stepping stones allowing river crossing and usage by the public has been high with a generally positive response to the works. Joe Baker No No No No ,No,No,No,No,No, No 28839 Forestry England No No No No ,No,No,No,No,No, No 10 - 50 k€ Forestry England 2029-03-30Z 2462225.5 2023-01-02Z 2459946.5 In progress GCC Flood Risk Management Team have embarked on an ambitious and groundbreaking project in the Forest of Dean, working with natural processes to increase biodiversity, sequester carbon and reduce the impact of the climate emergency by reducing peak flood flows. Lydney, in the Cannop catchment, is one of GCC’s highest priority and most frequently flooded communities. In seeking to address the impact on homes and businesses, the FRM team carried out a wide-scale hydrological modelling study to identify flood risk mechanisms and test opportunities to mitigate the risk. As a result of the study, the most beneficial option was shown to be creation of upstream attenuation through the application of natural flood management (NFM) techniques. Forestry England (FE) own much of the land upstream of Lydney, including 25 of the 29 watercourses and tributaries that flow through the area into many at-risk communities including Lydney itself. Due to the hard work and commitment of key individuals within both organisations, GCC and FE have developed a regionally, if not nationally unprecedented partnership model to deliver NFM measures throughout the catchment and reduce downstream flood risk, building on and augmenting the objectives of FE’s Catchment Management Plan. These measures are diverse and numerous, but all seek to mimic and enhance the way nature works with water. They include approaches such as large ‘woody debris dams’, wetland creation, bankside buffer planting and river restoration. The project will slow the flow of water, reconnect floodplains, increase habitat connectivity and diversity and help build a more climate-resilient catchment. For example, the buffer planting will allow for the future reintroduction of beavers, a keystone species which will sustainably manage the catchment in years to come, building on the successful enclosed release of two pairs of beavers in the area which are already having a positive effect on habitat and peak flows. Key statistics include: • 8 hectares of wetland to be created • 5 hectares of wet-woodland habitat to be created • 15 reaches buffer-planted • 1,000 leaky dams created so far, with at least 4,000 more to come • 40,000 trees (native species) to be planted, and non-native species removed • 74.5 Km of river restoration • 4 years project lifespan remaining, with potential to extend • £888,000 funding bid submitted, augmenting existing GCC capital and revenue commitment. Cannop catchment natural flood management cannop catchment natural flood management 74.5 Severn Vale Severn Floodplain reconnection Introducing large woody debris Large scale planting of native species Cannop Bk - source to R Severn Estuary cannop bk - source to r severn estuary engagement Joe Baker 1 - 10 k€ gloucestershire county council 10 - 100 km² 243 200 - 500 m Cannop Bk - source to R Severn Estuary GB109054032640 Environmental flows and water resources Flood risk management Habitat and biodiversity Hydromorphology Land use management - forestry Water quality 500 - 1000 k€ Joe Baker 838 Gloucestershire County Council 2023-05-18Z 2460082.5 2026-02-25T15:24:37Z 2461097.1420949 2026-02-25T15:55:59Z 2461097.1638773 Cannop catchment natural flood management 500 1 plainlist 5 [[Category:Case study]] [[Project title::!Cannop catchment natural flood management]] [[Subcatchment title::Cannop Bk - source to R Severn Estuary]] Cannop catchment natural flood management# QUERY5432a30484df5d57dac82206c4403c05