Case study:River Quaggy- Chinbrook meadows

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Location: 51° 25' 45.54" N, 0° 1' 38.18" E

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Habitat and biodiversity, Social benefits, Water quality
Country	England
Main contact forename	Dave
Main contact surname	Webb
Main contact user ID	User:Ascarr
Contact organisation	Environment Agency
Contact organisation web site	http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Partner organisations	QWAG, Lewisham Council
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Chinbrook Meadows soon after the works had been completed

Project summary

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This project is an excellent example of a partnership initiative that has not only restored the river and floodplain, but has also paid careful attention to improving the park amenities. The channel work was completed in spring 2002 and by September that year there had already been considerable movement of gravels. Natural geomorphological features including a pool/riffle sequence, gravel bars and steeper banks had formed. The pond has been colonised by invertebrates and the vegetation planted along the banks is now providing good cover in both the planted and unplanted sections.

Site background This section of the River Quaggy, with a flashy flow regime, was channelised and straightened between 1960-1970 as part of a flood alleviation scheme. Prior to restoration it was encased in concrete with fences and high privet hedges near to each bank. It could neither be accessed nor viewed by the public and was devoid of natural fauna and flora.

Objectives To reintroduce the floodplain as a natural flood storage area as part of a larger catchment flood alleviation plan; to enable the River Quaggy to become accessible to the public and hence create a local amenity; to create an environment where native fauna and flora could colonise and allow for natural channel processes.

Design

• The concrete channel in the park was replaced by a sinuous channel, allowing easy

access. It was (except where the cost of moving existing sewage drains prevented this) cut to follow its path prior to channelisation.

• Whilst cutting the channel old gravels were evacuated and sufficient ‘room’ was left

along the river corridor to allow for natural adjustment.

• The margins of the channel were planted using a reputable source of native wetland

plants (including iris, water mint and reeds), a wetland grass and wild flower mix was also sown. One section downstream has not been planted since there was a request from the local group to allow natural colonisation.

• Flood storage ponds were included in the scheme and at the upstream section a

boardwalk, pond dipping and educational area, were incorporated to attract local school children.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Lessons learnt

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Catchment and subcatchment

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Site

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Name	River Quaggy
WFD water body codes	GB106039023290
WFD (national) typology	Calcareous
WFD water body name	Quaggy
Pre-project morphology	Straight, Revetments
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	Artificially regulated, Quick run-off
Dominant substrate	Bedrock
River corridor land use	Urban
Average bankfull channel width category	2 - 5 m
Average bankfull channel width (m)
Average bankfull channel depth category	0.5 - 2 m
Average bankfull channel depth (m)
Mean discharge category
Mean annual discharge (m3/s)
Average channel gradient category
Average channel gradient	0.3
Average unit stream power (W/m2)

Project background

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Reach length directly affected (m)	300 m0.3 km <br />30,000 cm <br />
Project started	2002/03/01
Works started
Works completed	2002/10/01
Project completed	2002/04/02
Total cost category	50 - 100 k€
Total cost (k€)	100 k€100,000 € <br />
Benefit to cost ratio
Funding sources	Environment Agency

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

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Mitigation of a pressure	Riparian development
Hydromorphology	Quantity & dynamics of flow, Channel pattern/planform
Biology	Invertebrates, Macrophytes
Physico-chemical	Oxygen balance
Other reasons for the project	Landscape enhancement, Flood risk management

Measures

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Structural measures
Bank/bed modifications	Removal of revetments, Introduction of gravels, Planting of native species
Floodplain / River corridor	Removal of embankments, Creation of wetlands, Creation of ponds
Planform / Channel pattern	Introduction of sinuosity
Other
Non-structural measures
Management interventions
Social measures (incl. engagement)
Other	Information provision, Consultation

Monitoring

Hydromorphological quality elements

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quality elements

Element	When monitored		Type of monitoring		Control site used	Result
	Before measures	After measures	Qualitative	Quantitative

Biological quality elements

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quality elements

Element	When monitored		Type of monitoring		Control site used	Result
	Before measures	After measures	Qualitative	Quantitative
Invertebrates	Yes	Yes		Yes		Improvement
Macrophytes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Improvement

Physico-chemical quality elements

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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

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Element	When monitored		Type of monitoring		Control site used	Result
	Before measures	After measures	Qualitative	Quantitative

Monitoring documents

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Image gallery

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The river Quaggy in Chinbrook meadows before restoration

Additional documents and videos

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Overview leaflet

leaflet on social benefits

Better Place to Play case study

Additional links and references

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Link	Description
http://www.therrc.co.uk/case studies/chinbrook meadows.pdf	RRC site description
http://www.restorerivers.eu/Publications/tabid/2624/mod/11083/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3123/Chinbrook-Meadows----A-better-place-to-play.aspx	Video on Chinbrook meadows
http://www.qwag.org.uk/quaggy/restoration.php	Quaggy Waterways Action Plan link
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/openspaces/parks/Pages/chinbrook-meadows.aspx	Lewisham Council's link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinbrook Meadows	Wikipedia link
http://www.greenchain.com/learning/sites/chinbrook-meadows.php	Green chain link

Supplementary Information

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