Property:Monitoring surveys and results
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This is a property of type Text.
L
There has been a full pre-works survey conducted by Essex Ecological Consultancy service which has established a baseline index of key invertebrates and flora.
Post works it is hoped that this survey can repeated once the site has settled down to allow an accurate summary of the effect of the works. There will also be adhoc surveys of any flora development in time. +
'
There is an undeniable positive effect on stream ecology, with macroinvertebrates conforming to a Good Ecological Status. In 2018, the number of fish was still lower than would be expected for a stream with a Good Ecological Status.
Local backwater effects have been observed, with water levels locally rising about 5 cm. These effects quickly diminish in the upstream direction and are confined to the natural areas. +
R
There is not an integrated monitoring plan as part of the River Frome Rehabilitation Plan.
On a project by project basis one of or a combination of the following monitoring techniques is understaken; Fixed point photography Electrofish sampling Sediment sampling Condition Assessment )SSSI) +
S
There was no official monitoring at this site. +
M
There will be low key monitoring surrounding this project. Fixed point photography will be utilised to monitor any changes in vegetation and land forming.
There will be regular monitoring of riverflies in these reach, an improvement in these may point to an improvement in the water quality in this reach. +
These measures created a varied landscape with low natural levees. Some isolated meanders got a more grassy vegetation than intended because of a high nutrient load. +
This Environment Agency lead scheme has created a naturally functioning and developing mosaic of intertidal, transitional, freshwater and terrestrial habitats which will protect the regional integrity of N2K habitats along the south coast, and contribute to and enhance the conservation status of UK priority habitats and species. It will also contribute to the achievement of Biodiversity 2020. The habitats are designed to be resilient to climate change so that they are sustainable long-term. The originally intensively managed arable farmland which supported a vulnerable population of valuable farmland bird species is now converted to low intensity mixed farmland around the perimeter of the scheme. Birds such as corn bunting, grey partridge and lapwing will thrive in the new farmland mosaic, and ongoing sympathetic management will continue to protect these vulnerable species.
A genetic monitoring programme, undertaken in partnership with Brighton University, will provide valuable information about how well the founder population of water voles establishes in the new freshwater habitat. Genetic data has been taken from the water voles that were translocated and from others that remained in the site during the inundation. Future projects will therefore be able to use this information to help develop appropriate mitigation strategies for water voles.
The project team has worked with local voluntary groups and Universities, to involve students in long-term monitoring of the habitat and species establishment. Brighton University currently have masters and PhD students undertaking research that includes the Medmerry scheme. There is also the potential to include Medmerry in core environmental and wetland modules. The team continue to work with local wildlife and heritage groups to ensure their ongoing involvement in the site.
Further monitoring will be undertaken, as part of the RSPB management plan, to understand how the ecosystem services such as fish spawning and nursery areas and public enjoyment of the site develop over the coming years. d.
T
This action is very significant because it has been carried out in the urban section of a
medium-sized city, which means that the local population become accustomed to the
fact that these actions are carried out and are beneficial for both the river and the
inhabitants of the city.
The movement of the sediments has provided a more natural image to the river and
the native riparian vegetation is regenerating, creating a more natural fluvial
landscape.
Furthermore, the extraordinary flood of 25 years of return period occurred a year after
the demolition would have caused a flood in part of the city if this elimination had not
been done. It is therefore found that the removal of this weir has been beneficial to
the local population.
On the contrary, the longitudinal connectivity will need more time to recover due to
the great number of obstacles located in that section of the river. +
L
This allows to increase the diversity of habitats. Some alluvial deposits were created and riparian vegetation has developed.
The fish monitoring show a very important increase in the diversity of fish. +
P
This is a routine EA fisheries survey site so we will be able to monitor the long term impact of the changes over the next few years. The movement of gravel features is being monitored and post high flow events winter 23/24 we are seeing near bar and riffle features forming in the wooded section. +
C
This pass cannot be monitored. +
H
This project is still in progress. A success evaluation is planned ( +
This project is still in progress. To date we have restored 45m of channel and 200m of river bank. We have planted 190 trees. We have set up photographic fixed point monitoring sites for the river bank management work and after one season of regrowth the work is doing what we had hoped. We have 3 Riverfly monitors sampling on the burn and to date none of our intervention has had a negative effect. We have completed the preliminary electro-fishing surveys; the next permissible electro-fishing sweason is from July 2014. Another element of this project is also working with the local community to gather information on rainfall, river level, water temperature, turbidity, other chemical water quality measurements and fixed-point photography. +
B
This project will be monitored by electrofishing, habitat and fluvial as well as invertebrate counts. +
R
This restoration has reconnecting 1400 linear meters of stream. After draining the pond, the river quickly regained a sinuous channel. The substrate is unclogged and coarse aggregate appeared; also riffles and mouilles appeared upstream.
A post-work fishing monitoring shows clearly a recolonization of the brown trout upstream.
In 2008, during winter floods, the bed of the stream moves a few meters on the left bank, where the new pond was created. This was quickly picked up by the river. This has proven that the pond was created too early: It would have to wait until the stabilization of the river bed. This pond will be recreated when the bed is completely stabilized. +
S
This scheme has significantly improved the water over 2.4km. +
C
This video on the CRRS was created to demonstrate the works which had been implemented: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwchwblcMmc +
L
Throughout the construction, weekly design team meetings were held with the whole project team and twice weekly site walkovers were undertaken with both engineering and landscaping specialists. This ensured that the wider collaborative vision for the renaturalisation of the watercourse was achieved.
Further to this, regular calls with both the Environment Agency and Birmingham City Council, in their role as Lead Local Flood Authority, were undertaken; with the Environment Agency undertaking site walkovers throughout the construction of the river works to ensure any further design considerations could be realised prior to completion.
Throughout the design and construction of the works, priority has been given to realising the multifunctional benefits for both the river corridor itself and surrounding communities. At the heart of the restoration is the creation of new habitat, which has been monitoring and dynamically adjusted throughout the construction. The design principles of the river corridor allow for natural variation and adjustment of the watercourse, thereby ensuring longevity in the habitats created. +
F
To evaluate the success of Farming for Water (F4W) we monitor/record:
• Number of farms engaged
• Farmer feedback
• Independent audits – 10% of engagement audited each year by independent consultants
• Number of STEPS items taken up and their resulting pollution load reduction
• Soil monitoring for nitrogen at 22 sites
• In-catchment spot water quality monitoring – 96 sample locations, 12 samples taken per year
• Monthly water treatment works (WTWs) abstraction points
• Fortnightly metaldehyde monitoring (September – December) at 200 locations.
Enough data has been collected to evaluate the effectiveness of engagement with farmers, and the persuasiveness of incentives to change farming practice. Several WTWs have seen fewer pesticide exceedances since the start of F4W, but whether these improvements are due to the catchment schemes or natural variations is uncertain at this stage. Although the signs are encouraging, it is likely to take at least five more years of monitoring to be able to say with confidence whether F4W has been successful in consistently reducing peak pesticide concentrations. +
R
To find out what species were present on the site before works took place pre-river restoration monitoring was done. We monitored water quality (dissolved oxygen, water flow, conductivity, turbidity, water temperature and pH), invertebrates, water voles, other small mammals, macrophytes, terrestrial vegetation and fish.
Please see the attached document to the right of this page for more information and the results of the monitoring. We have also had post-river restoration monitoring for this project to find out what has changed and how the habitat has established. This document will be ready very soon. +