Practical, cost effective measures:

The challenge of modified watersDavid Baxter

Head of Catchment Management

Successes

7000 Combined Sewerage Overflows have been improved

Bathing water quality improved from 78% to 98%

Chemistry improved from 55% to 95%

Biology improved from 63% to 73%

Otter populations have increased ten-fold in the last 30 years

7000 Combined Sewerage Overflows have been improved and we’ve restored sustainable abstraction at 315 of our most important conservation sites

2009 2015

© Environment Agency copyright and / or database right 2009. All rights reserved. This map includes data supplied under licence from: © Crown Copyright and database right 2009. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey licence number 100026380. Some river features of this map are based on digital spatial data licensed from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, © CEH. Licence number 198 version 2.

GQA and WFD Water Quality Assessment

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1990 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Year

Percen

tag

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Surface water bodies at goodecological status (WFD)

River length in England at goodchemical quality (GQA)

River length in Wales at goodchemical quality (GQA)

Diffuse - agriculture

250

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1000

Number of water bodies

Land Drainage

Water storage/ supply

Abstraction

Urbanisation

flood Protection

Reasons for Failure

CSO

Barriers

Wider environment

Mines

Mines

Mixed urban runoff

0

Light colour = suspectedDark colour = confirmed

recreation

Fin fisheries

Inland navigation

sewage works

Coastal Erosion

Shell fisheries

Less stringent objectives?Evidence and engagement will be key

Meeting the Challenge?

Engage

FCRM Opportunities

Share knowledge

Make it relevant to local development

Value the system, not just “Good”

CatchmentEngagement

Translating our evidence

• Not just sharing data

Building delivery partnerships

• Not just good status

Walkovers and 3rd party data

• Follow-up breaches

Learn and test approaches

• Catchment plans

• Innovative delivery

River Petteril Trial

River Petteril – consensus

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River Restoration – achieving ‘Good Ecological Potential’

Long Preston Deeps, near Settle was classified as ‘heavily modified’ due to flood defences constraining the channel. High flows on the River Ribble in early 2011 punched a hole through a flood bank providing a rare opportunity to put in place a sustainable restoration solution for a 200m section of the river.

Work and associated benefits include:• Removing the breached flood embankment and creating a new one further back to allow the

river to reconnect to the flood plain.• Creating chutes to increase flood storage and habitat whilst preventing erosion• Reconnecting historical natural features.• Creating wetland scrapes and wet woodland planting creating habitat and shade for the

river.• Installing fencing to control livestock grazing and allow natural regeneration of flood plain. • Redistribution of rock boulders that were no longer providing erosion protection to create

river bed variation. • More land now within Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship scheme.• Decreased siltation.

Working in partnership The project worked in partnership with land owners and utilised the established Long Preston Deeps Wet Grassland Group - the group includes partners such as, RSPB, Natural England, The Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust, North Yorkshire County Council, local landowners, The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, The Ribble Catchment Conservation Trust.

The works had to be completed in a very short timescale. Major constraints that were overcome include:•SSSI constraints•Archaeological surveys•Vegetation•Fishing rights•Land access•Balancing legal duties (CDM – CDM 2007) with the timescales and ecological constraints of the site.

What’s next This is just one small section of the 7km of the River Ribble that has been improved and it is hoped that this will act as a demonstration site to show other land owners and groups what can be achieved by working with rather than against, a river.

We will be proving updates on the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust website and feeding this work into the WFD Ribble Pilot.

RESTORE

The RESTORE project is made possible with the contribution of the LIFE+

financial instrument of the European Community

partnership for sharing knowledge & promoting best practice on river restoration in Europe

and works in partnership with

www.restorerivers.eu

Challenges

• Limited awareness of planners and practitioners

• Insufficient access to best practice

• Geographical variation in understanding and capacity

Consensus on river restoration good practices to support European policy goals

The River Quaggy and Sutcliffe Park restoration

Some local authorities get it – but why?

Before After

Some local authorities get it - why?

Before After

Support policy makers and practitioners to make more informed decisions

• 1. Consensus on river restoration good practice- What is good river restoration practice and how is this needed by different countries?

• 2. Communication of information to key target audiences- Engage stakeholders, establish networks and build information resource

• 3. Stimulate integrated catchment approaches

Solutions and Way forward

RESTORE Outputs

36 events in over 10 countries next two include a CIWEM event in Lille, spatial planning event in

Arnhem and the RRC conference in Nottingham in April

1200 persons engaged through events500 case studies on the WIKI database90,000 persons through project outreachInternational River Restoration Conference

www.restorerivers.eu

Healthy rivers,Healthy cities

Connecting people to rivers brings major gains

Eg Mayesbrook - £4m project, £27m benefit to quality of lives & economic opportunity

2nd Cycle Plans - Goals

The healthiest water environment that society can sustainably achieve by 2021 and 2027

Clear framework for decision making

Presented in a more user-friendly way

Wide debate on appropriate responses

Integrated with other water planning process

Appropriate mix of national and local engagement

More naturally functioning catchments

Better balance for people and wildlife

£

£

£