Case study:Telford Catchment Restoration Project

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Location: 52° 40' 42.31" N, 2° 26' 42.93" W

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Social benefits, Water quality, Urban
Country	England
Main contact forename	Pete
Main contact surname	Lambert
Main contact user ID	User:PeteLambert
Contact organisation	Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Contact organisation web site	http://www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk
Partner organisations	Environment Agency, Telford and Wrekin Council, Severn Trent Water, Stirchley and Brookside PC, Ricoh RPL, BESST, University of Wolverhampton, Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, Wrekin Forest Volunteers
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

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Project summary

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Over 250 years of industrial activity and regeneration have heavily modified Telford’s urban catchments. Under the Water Framework Directive assessments the Lydebrook and Madebrook catchments are failing. Macroinvertebrates communities are fragmented and prone to local extinctions. The watercourses are overloaded with urban diffuse pollution via misconnections, road run off and the legacy of the townships industrial past. Water is a fundamental part of the green infrastructure of urban Telford , Shropshire Wildlife Trust have been championing the positive care of Telford’s green network for decades and now the two come together in the catchment based approach to urban diffuse pollution. In close partnership with Telford and Wrekin Council, Severn Trent Water, Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, local community groups and with the support of the Environment Agency we are working to lift the fortunes of the two catchments. Description of Works The Lydebrook catchment has been massively disrupted by industrial activity. Where we can get access to the water we are planning to install new aquatic vegetation to help self-clean the water, work on riverside trees and hedges to reduce sedimentation from erosion and improve ground cover. Hedge laying has been used to address erosion, pre-planted coir rolls utilised to create new wetland edge to provide habitat and water cleansing capacity to the series of balancing pools and channels. The interventions are targeted at three balancing pools and short stretches of stream channel. In the headwaters area we shall be investigating the potential of a SuDS system to treat road-off. On the Madebrook catchment we are designing and installing four new rock cascades to improve oxygenation and ecological connectivity. Over 400m of de-culverted watercourse will be created through the Madebrook and Stirchley Dingle proposed Local Nature Reserve. The new watercourse will be allowed to naturally re-vegetate and strengthen the isolated aquatic community found on this section of the much modified water course. The new channel will include features to encourage educational access, promote stream dynamics and enhance invertebrate populations. We are also working with Telford Angles Association to improve disable angling access. We will be promoting the Retro fitting of SuDS in urban Telford in a number of ways. Working with RICOH ltd we aim to have a small scale SuDS feature fitted, we are exploring SuDS feasibility at the Halesfield Industrial Estate via a PhD research project and we are working with the BESST network via their seminar programme to promote wise water management to their members. Volunteers are integral to the Trust approach and the CRF project will see volunteers leading the sampling and monitoring and carrying out small scale remedial works throughout both catchments. Our Education Team are developing a ‘River Rangers’ school resource which is being trialled through two schools (one per catchment). The schools scheme includes exploring their local water course, conducting a school water audit and finally designing and with our support constructing their own rain garden or other SuDs feature. All the community consultation in regard to the engineering works is being supported by more general community events to promote and engage local residents in the care of the rivers and streams in their neighbourhood.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Monitoring of public responses to the project has shown good support and understanding of the reasons for the works. Volunteer engagement has been of a high quality and helped immensely in realising the broader aims of the project.

Fixed point photography has demonstrated the quick recovery rate of new earthworks and features.

Aquatic and chemical water quality monitoring results are awaiting post project analysis.

Lessons learnt

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The main flagship site at Madebrook involved the design, planning and construction of a new de-culverted watercourse in an urban setting. The technical challenges were many and steadily overcome by the project team. Costs were high and this made budgeting a challenge, good collaboration and flexible design allowed the project to proceed to a successful conclusion. Involving the local community at an early stage and keeping them involved is key in a project which will at times disrupt the local area. Good liaison has helped maintain good will and has helped build confidence as we move on to new projects in the local area.

Image gallery

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Edit the catchment and subcatchment details (affects all case studies in this subcatchment) Catchment River basin district Severn River basin Worcestershire Middle Severn Subcatchment River name Wesley Bk - source to conf R Worfe Area category 10 - 100 km² Area (km2) Maximum altitude category 200 - 500 m Maximum altitude (m) 202202 m <br />0.202 km <br />20,200 cm <br /> Dominant geology Calcareous Ecoregion Great Britain Dominant land cover Arable and Horticulture Waterbody ID GB109054050060 Other case studies in this subcatchment: River Worfe Restoration Initiative Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes GB109054050060 WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Wesley Bk - source to conf R Worfe 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 Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started 2012/07/02 Works started Works completed Project completed 2015/03/31 Total cost category 100 - 500 k€ Total cost (k€) 493,000493,000 k€ <br />493,000,000 € <br /> Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Defra Catchment Restoration Fund 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 Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Continuity for organisms, Structure & condition of riparian zone Biology Invertebrates Physico-chemical Oxygen balance Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications 4 rock ramp cascades will be installed and over 400m new de-culverted madebrook watercourse created Floodplain / River corridor The plantation of trees and hedges on the Lydebook riverside to reduce sedimentation from erosion and improve ground cover Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Schools resource pack produced - River Rangers, Community awareness of urban catchment challenges Other Trained volunteers leading project sampling and monitoring Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit 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 Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information