Case study:The River Deerness Project 2
Project overview
Status | In progress |
---|---|
Project web site | http://http://www.wear-rivers-trust.org.uk/content/deernessrestoration |
Themes | Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Water quality |
Country | England |
Main contact forename | Steve |
Main contact surname | Hudson |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | Wear Rivers Trust |
Contact organisation web site | http://http://www.wear-rivers-trust.org.uk/ |
Partner organisations | Durham County Council, Durham University |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
The Old Durham Beck catchment, to the east of Durham City and covering 55 km2, has been heavily modified by mine workings and railway infrastructure and is one of the most intensively farmed Wear tributaries. It is categorised as having moderate to poor ecological status, failing for fish, ammonia and phosphate. Walkovers identified a series of culverts obstructing fish passage. In November 2011 approximately 50 congregating salmon were observed unable to make their way upstream.
The outcomes of the project are the following: enhanced habitat connectivity throughout both catchments allowing all fish species, migratory and non-migratory, maximum scope to spawn and feed; improved knowledge of fish populations and behaviours through baseline and postimplementation monitoring and evaluation; progress toward/achievement of Good Ecological Status and focus on any residual water quality issues required to achieve good status; establishment of partnership working and joint delivery to be extended under the auspices of the Wear Catchment Management Plan.
Monitoring surveys and results
The Wear Rivers Trust operates fish and inverte-brate surveys to assess fish populations and water health in both catchments. Under CRF a Durham University PhD student, with WRT and volunteer support, will survey below and above each obstruc-tion both before and after restoration activities to measure impacts on those animal groups. Changes in invertebrate communities are not expected as a direct result of the restoration activities but they can inform on the wider food web for fish feeding opportunities, and provide biotic indices of water quality, giving wider insight into local environmental quality. Waste water management is significant across the Lower Wear system, including these two catchments. Supplementary projects, based on a separate volunteer walkover programme, will be developed under the auspices of the Wear River Catchment Management Plan to identify and address point and diffuse sources of pollution, in order to augment CRF actions for improvement to fish movement within these catchments.
Lessons learnt
Image gallery
Catchment and subcatchmentSelect a catchment/subcatchment
Site
Project background
Cost for project phases
Reasons for river restoration
Measures
MonitoringHydromorphological quality elements
Biological quality elements
Physico-chemical quality elements
Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic
Monitoring documents
Additional documents and videos
Additional links and references
Supplementary InformationEdit Supplementary Information
|