Case study:Eden Crayfish Restoration Project
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Project overview
Status | In progress |
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Project web site | |
Themes | Economic aspects, Habitat and biodiversity, Social benefits, Water quality |
Country | England |
Main contact forename | Joanne |
Main contact surname | Backshall |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | Eden River Trust |
Contact organisation web site | http://www.edenriverstrust.org.uk/ |
Partner organisations | Defra, Environment Agency |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
This project will improve the habitat and water quality of rivers within the Eden catchment in Cumbria. The River Eden is of international importance for its wildlife and is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). It sup-ports many significant species including white-clawed crayfish, salmon, trout, eel, bullhead, lamprey, otter, water vole, invertebrates of river shingle and water crowfoot. The Eden is the best remaining stronghold of the endan-gered white-clawed crayfish, which is threatened and declining across the UK and Western Europe.
The Eden catchment comprises 98 water bodies. Under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) classification 59% of these fail to achieve Good Ecological Status and none of them are in “high” condition.
Problems within the Eden are due to agriculture, sewage, septic tanks, urbanisation, invasive species and poor quality habitats along and within rivers.
The project will restore more natural features in and around rivers and reduce the impact of diffuse pollution arising from agriculture. It aims to protect and expand populations of white-clawed crayfish as well as those of other valued river species.
Monitoring surveys and results
Lessons learnt
Catchment and subcatchment
Site
Name | Eden River |
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WFD water body codes | |
WFD (national) typology | |
WFD water body name | |
Pre-project morphology | |
Reference morphology | |
Desired post project morphology | |
Heavily modified water body | No |
National/international site designation | EU - Special Area of Conservation |
Local/regional site designations | |
Protected species present | No |
Invasive species present | Yes |
Species of interest | |
Dominant hydrology | |
Dominant substrate | |
River corridor land use | Intensive agriculture (arable) |
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
Reach length directly affected (m) | |
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Project started | |
Works started | |
Works completed | |
Project completed | |
Total cost category | 500 - 1000 k€ |
Total cost (k€) | 550550 k€ <br />550,000 € <br /> |
Benefit to cost ratio | |
Funding sources | Defra |
Cost for project phases
Phase | cost category | cost exact (k€) | Lead organisation | Contact forename | Contact surname |
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Investigation and design | |||||
Stakeholder engagement and communication | |||||
Works and works supervision | |||||
Post-project management and maintenance | |||||
Monitoring |
Reasons for river restoration
Mitigation of a pressure | Agriculture, Urbanisation, Sewage, Invasive species |
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Hydromorphology | |
Biology | |
Physico-chemical | |
Other reasons for the project |
Measures
Structural measures
| |
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Bank/bed modifications | |
Floodplain / River corridor | Planting, Installing riverside fencing |
Planform / Channel pattern | |
Other | producing 20 farm assessments in areas of crayfish populations; carrying out improvement work on 20 farms to reduce diffuse pollution; carrying out instream habitat improvements at 5 locations. |
Non-structural measures
| |
Management interventions | |
Social measures (incl. engagement) | |
Other | There will be a greater under-standing and stewardship of the river environment amongst farmers and other land owners, volunteers and the general public. |
Monitoring
Hydromorphological quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Biological quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
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
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Monitoring documents
Image gallery
Additional documents and videos
Additional links and references
Link | Description |
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Supplementary Information
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