Case study:Greatham Managed Realignment Scheme

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity, Water quality
Country	England
Main contact forename	environment
Main contact surname	agency
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Environment Agency
Contact organisation web site	http://www.ecrr.org/Portals/27/Greatham%20North%20Managed%20Realignment%20Scheme.pdf
Partner organisations	natural england; RSPB
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Project picture

Project summary

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The Environment Agency identified that the implementation of the Tees Tidal Flood Risk Management strategy would result in in the loss of intertidal habitats which form part of the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site. In addition, the need for further coastal defence works necessary as part of the Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme also has the potential to cause a loss of SPA habitats.

The Environment Agency therefore had a legal requirement to deliver at least 20 ha of intertidal habitat within the Tees Estuary as compensation for the impact predicted as part of its flood and coastal risk management projects. The Environment Agency purchased 77 ha of land alongside Greatham Creek (part of the Greatham North flood cell) in order to

implement a managed realignment scheme and create the required habitats. The Greatham Managed Realignment Scheme allows future work to the tidal flood defences of the Tees Estuary to continue whilst providing long-term environmental benefit through the conservation of the integrity of the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SPA and Ramsar site. The scheme aimed to create a range of complementary habitats of benefit to a variety of wildlife, and ensure better access to for the public was available

Monitoring surveys and results

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• The scheme delivered 22 ha of intertidal habitat, comprising a mixture of saltmarsh and mudflats. In addition, other parts of the site delivered areas of saline and brackish water, rough grasslands and coastal and floodplain grassland.
• The borrow pits were restored to provide a minimum of 12 ha of freshwater habitat for species such as great crested newt, common frog and aquatic invertebrates and species rich and meadow grassland.
• No significant adverse impacts to the hydromorphology and sediment regime in the Tees Estuary are expected.
• Features of historic significance, such as salterns (sites historically used for salt making), will be returned to their pre-reclamation situation, reducing current pressures from erosion by burrowing and grazing animals. The regrading of the relic drainage system on site and the location of the breaches were designed, in part, to reduce erosion of the salterns

Lessons learnt

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Cumulative benefits can be achieved through undertaking managed realignment schemes for habitat improvements which also form part of the local areas flood defence strategy.

Image gallery

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Edit the catchment and subcatchment details (affects all case studies in this subcatchment) Catchment River basin district Northumbria River basin Tees Subcatchment River name Greatham Creek Catchment (trib of Tidal Tees) Area category 10 - 100 km² Area (km2) Maximum altitude category 100 - 200 m Maximum altitude (m) 149149 m <br />0.149 km <br />14,900 cm <br /> Dominant geology Calcareous Ecoregion Great Britain Dominant land cover Arable and Horticulture Waterbody ID GB103025076030 Other case studies in this subcatchment: Greatham Marsh Restoration Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information