Case study:River Rhee
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Project overview
Status | Complete |
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Project web site | |
Themes | Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology |
Country | England |
Main contact forename | Nick |
Main contact surname | Elbourne |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | River Restoration Centre |
Contact organisation web site | http://www.therrc.co.uk |
Partner organisations | |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
Prior to the restoration works, the River Rhee was a typical example of a degraded lowland agricultural river. The river, a base fed brook, had become lost in its channel and was suffering severe siltation problems. Also, the populations of wild brown trout had been in a state of decline.
The restoration project aimed to increase velocities to allow scour and maintain a central, silt-free channel, diversifying the habitat whilst ensuring there was no increase in flood risk. This was achieved through re-grading of the bank to create a shelf as an aquatic plant habitat and a spawning area for a number of fish species. The shelf also narrowed the channel, increasing flow and clearing silt. Stretches of the river were also re-meandered to further diversify flow and, on existing bends, wetlands were created on the inside bend to provide a new habitat. Finally, a backwater was created to provide fish with a refuge during high flows, and habitat for fish fry and invertebrates.
Monitoring surveys and results
Lessons learnt
Catchment and subcatchment
Edit the catchment and subcatchment details
(affects all case studies in this subcatchment)
Catchment
River basin district | Anglian |
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River basin | Cam and Ely Ouse (including South Level) |
Subcatchment
River name | Cam |
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Area category | 100 - 1000 km² |
Area (km2) | |
Maximum altitude category | Less than 100 m |
Maximum altitude (m) | 2525 m <br />0.025 km <br />2,500 cm <br /> |
Dominant geology | Calcareous |
Ecoregion | Great Britain |
Dominant land cover | Arable and Horticulture |
Waterbody ID | GB105033042750 |
Site
Name | River Rhee at Wendy |
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WFD water body codes | GB105033038030 |
WFD (national) typology | |
WFD water body name | Mill River |
Pre-project morphology | |
Reference morphology | |
Desired post project morphology | |
Heavily modified water body | No |
National/international site designation | |
Local/regional site designations | |
Protected species present | No |
Invasive species present | No |
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
Reach length directly affected (m) | 2000 m2 km <br />200,000 cm <br /> |
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Project started | 2001/09/01 |
Works started | |
Works completed | |
Project completed | 2002/09/30 |
Total cost category | 10 - 50 k€ |
Total cost (k€) | 19 k€19,000 € <br /> |
Benefit to cost ratio | |
Funding sources |
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 | |
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Hydromorphology | Continuity of sediment transport |
Biology | Fish: Abundance, Fish: Species composition |
Physico-chemical | |
Other reasons for the project |
Measures
Structural measures
| |
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Bank/bed modifications | Bank re-grading, Construction of meanders |
Floodplain / River corridor | Creation of backwaters |
Planform / Channel pattern | Channel narrowing, Increase in sinuosity |
Other | |
Non-structural measures
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Management interventions | |
Social measures (incl. engagement) | |
Other |
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 | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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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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