]> 2026-04-07T03:07:10+00:00 Case study:Whit Beck River Restoration Project 500 en Whitbeck RRS Project Summary Oct 2014.docx Approved Improvement of natural flows Recovery of channel morphology Introducing sediment Channel naturalisation Re-meandering West Cumbria Rivers Trust Natural England & Environment Agency Great Britain Environment Agency Natural England Yes No Yes false Stream ds B5289.JPG DSC09114.JPG Box cut Reach 3 looking up towards Oak tree.JPG Substrate being placed in Reach 2 in Hullary Wood.JPG Construction of box cut channel Reach 3 as leave Hullary Wood 280714.JPG Reach 3 Site 5 channel ds 220914.JPG DSCF1852.JPG Picture 20140613 123148.jpg Picture 20140919 092057.jpg The heavily modified raised river channel During construction of new channel Box cut channel - Reach 3 Unconsolidated mixed substrate in channel bed First cut box excavation Channel following diversion - no geomorphological floods Channel following geomorphological floods Reach 3 ptc new channel Reach 3 new channel No • Need for guaranteed funding over the life of the project (year to year) – possible delays • The need to be flexible, projects drop out (cost implication) prior to agreements being signed • Need to confirm ownership and vested interest in land (e.g. pension fund / banks / trusts etc) • Valley bottom land is vital for the farming business to succeed in upland areas • Complications caused by multiple landowners – e.g. access provision (cost implications) • Still belief in farming community that the continued maintenance of watercourses are vital • Agricultural schemes can be inflexible and can result in increased costs & complexity • Disturbance payments may be necessary as a form of inducement and to cover period of construction and recovery (short and long term losses) • Need to comply with State Aid rules • Constraints and compromises – they will significantly affect the detailed design (e.g. agreeing route of new channel with landowners, footpath temporary closures / re-routing etc) • Question of liability for new channel once handed back to landowner • Scale of engineering required in new channel design and at point of break out • The need for sufficient mixed bed substrate to enable natural processes to sort and deposit • The necessity for appropriate land licence agreements and construction contracts to protect all parties • Planning permission (National Park) – could be significant delay and is an additional cost • Flood risk (significant flooding in 2005 and 2009) – may require detailed flood risk assessment and associated public consultation (takes time) • Weather conditions during construction (delays) and land area required for de-watering (potentially additional costs and risk) • Commuted sum required for new bridge construction under roads • Demand for public access to site once scheme completed • Need for future monitoring (harder to secure funding for) • Need a means to access funding for any unforeseen future liabilities 54.611350475273,-3.3120258897543 Ian Creighton Ian West Cumbria Rivers Trust Creighton Improvement of natural flows, Recovery of channel morphology, Introducing sediment,,Connection to wider floodplain,,Channel naturalisation, Re-meandering, ,,Community involvement, Community consultation,, Monitoring being undertaken in partnership with Aberystwyth University - preliminary results not be available until late 2015 <br> https://www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/news/fish-populations-receive-vital-boost-following-river-restoration 20904 Natural England & Environment Agency, DSC09120.JPG 2013-10-01Z 2456566.5 In progress Whit Beck was an ambitious major pilot river restoration project undertaken by West Cumbria Rivers Trust on the behalf of the Environment Agency and Natural England summer 2014. This project was undertaken on Whit Beck, a fast flowing spate tributary of the River Cocker (River Derwent SSSI) in the English Lake District. A 350m section of heavily modified raised river channel was successfully diverted to natural self-sustainable diverse watercourse. The benefits include: • Restoration of natural river processes and associated features (WFD requirement) • Increase in stream length (over 3 fold - 1205m) and channel area (4/5 fold) • Provision of a wider range of habitats enabling fish to carry out the various stages of their life cycles within the new reach • Significantly improvement in floodplain connectivity (flood storage) • Increased in channel storage for gravels • The provision of wildlife corridors (plants, insects and animals) • Increased flood proofing for fish redds • New deciduous woodlands and woodland strips • Enhanced landscape There were four parties with a vested interest in Whit Beck, two farmers, one tenant and an independent landowner. The scheme was entirely voluntary and all parties had to be on board for the project to get off the ground and succeed. It took two years of planning, investigations and engineering to complete. The total cost over the life of the project is in the vicinity of £700k. Construction was completed by the end of September 2014. Whit Beck River Restoration Project whit beck river restoration project No Derwent (NW) North West Connection to wider floodplain Whit Beck whit beck Community involvement Community consultation Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) Otter (Lutra lutra) Floating water-plantain (Luronium natans) lamprey 10 - 100 km² 785 500 - 1000 m Whit Beck GB112075070380 Environmental flows and water resources Flood risk management Habitat and biodiversity Hydromorphology Land use management - agriculture Land use management - forestry 500 - 1000 k€ Mid Small Siliceous GB112075070380 Whit Beck 2014-10-03Z 2456933.5 2014-06-16Z 2456824.5 2014-11-11T11:40:30Z 2456972.9864583 2019-07-31T11:07:03Z 2458695.9632292 Whit Beck River Restoration Project 500 1 plainlist 5 [[Category:Case study]] [[Project title::!Whit Beck River Restoration Project]] [[Subcatchment title::Whit Beck]] Whit Beck River Restoration Project# QUERY94cce4adb03fe52c6e59245bc850155a 500 [2,"smw_unitnotallowed","kmincreasedto1.2km"] Whit Beck River Restoration Project# ERR3c0885da27fa84338e1a96c45015f564