Case study:River Skerne- Life project

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Location: 54° 32' 15.84" N, 1° 32' 0.35" W

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Economic aspects, Habitat and biodiversity, Social benefits, Water quality
Country	England
Main contact forename	RRC
Main contact surname	River Restoration Centre
Main contact user ID	User:NickRRC
Contact organisation	Life Project
Contact organisation web site	http://www.therrc.co.uk
Partner organisations	River Restoration Centre, Darlington Borough Council, Environment Agency, Natural England
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Aerial view of the completed Skerne works

Project summary

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The Skerne demonstration site is located in the town of Darlington, County Durham and demonstrates what can be achieved in an urban environment. The Skerne has been straightened and enlarged to reduce flooding and to drain the surrounding urban area. Much of the floodplain has been raised by old industrial waste tipping, with gas and sewer pipes running alongside the river. As a result of these constraints, restoration opportunities were severely limited - typical of urban rivers elsewhere.

A 2km length of the river has been restored. Four new meanders have been formed in a remaining section of floodplain used as open parkland. The excess soil was used to landscape nearby steep slopes. Riverbanks have been strengthened with willow and reeds to prevent erosion. Thirteen ugly surface water outfalls have been replaced with underground inspection /collection chambers that firstly intercept pollution and then discharge the water into the river below water level.

Elsewhere, where the river could not be re-meandered, it has been enhanced by reshaping and narrowing the bed to vary the flow and to allow riverside plants to flourish. New footpaths and planting schemes complete the theme of "bringing the countryside into town", which locally has been greatly appreciated.

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Image gallery

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Skerne River - RRC

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 Tees US Low Worsall Area category 1000 - 10000 km² Area (km2) Maximum altitude category 100 - 200 m Maximum altitude (m) 152152 m <br />0.152 km <br />15,200 cm <br /> Dominant geology Calcareous Ecoregion Great Britain Dominant land cover Arable and Horticulture Waterbody ID GB103025072593 Site Edit site Name River Skerne at Haughton le Skerne WFD water body codes GB103025072593 WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Tees US Low Worsall Pre-project morphology Straight Reference morphology Sinuous Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body Yes National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present No Invasive species present No Species of interest Dominant hydrology Quick run-off Dominant substrate River corridor land use Urban 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) 2000 m2 km <br />200,000 cm <br /> Project started 1995/01/01 Works started Works completed Project completed 1997/01/01 Total cost category 5000 - 10000 k€ Total cost (k€) 27502,750 k€ <br />2,750,000 € <br /> 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 Riparian development Hydromorphology Quantity & dynamics of flow, Width & depth variation, Structure & condition of riparian zones Biology Fish: Species composition, Invertebrates, Macrophytes Physico-chemical Oxygen balance Other reasons for the project Bank erosion, Landscape enhancement, Recreation Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Re-grading and lowering, Deflector structures Floodplain / River corridor Lowering of floodplain, Revegetate riparian zone, Creation of small wetlands Planform / Channel pattern Introduction of sinuosity, Introduction of backwaters Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Participation in works, Information provision, Participation in design, Consultation 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 Fish: Species composition Yes Yes Yes Improvement Invertebrates Yes Yes Yes Improvement Macrophytes Yes Yes Yes Improvement 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 Public use of community park Yes Yes Yes Improvement Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description http://http://www.therrc.co.uk/projects/skerne brochure.pdf RRC report http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River Skerne Wikipedia link http://wiki.reformrivers.eu/index.php/River Skerne EU-LIFE project REFORM link Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information