Case study:River Adur - Shipley weir removal

5.00

(one vote)

To discuss or comment on this case study, please use the discussion page.

Location: 50° 59' 2.61" N, 0° 22' 1.40" W

Edit location

Loading map...

{"format":"googlemaps3","type":"HYBRID","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"limit":50,"offset":0,"link":"all","sort":[""],"order":[],"headers":"show","mainlabel":"","intro":"","outro":"","searchlabel":"... further results","default":"","import-annotation":false,"width":"auto","height":"400px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":14,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[""],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"showtitle":false,"hidenamespace":true,"template":"Location map popup","userparam":"","activeicon":"","pagelabel":false,"ajaxcoordproperty":"","ajaxquery":"","locations":[{"text":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProject Title:\u003C/b\u003E River Adur - Shipley weir removal\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECountry:\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"/wiki/index.php?title=England\" title=\"England\"\u003EEngland\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProject Status:\u003C/b\u003E Complete\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThemes:\u003C/b\u003E Hydromorphology\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E","title":"River Adur - Shipley weir removal","link":"","lat":50.984059211376,"lon":-0.36705493927002,"icon":"/wiki/images/c/ce/Green_marker.png"}]}

Left click to look around in the map, and use the wheel of your mouse to zoom in and out.

Project overview

Edit project overview

Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Fisheries, Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology
Country	England
Main contact forename	Gareth
Main contact surname	Williams
Main contact user ID	User:Glwilliams
Contact organisation	Environment Agency
Contact organisation web site
Partner organisations	Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust, Royal HaskoningDHV
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects

Shipley weir

Project summary

Edit project overview to modify the project summary.

The Adur Restoration of Physical Habitat Action plan (ARPHA) aims to improve riparian habitats, restore natural river and floodplain processes, reduce downstream flooding and improve biodiversity.

The latest success for this project is the removal of Shipley tilting gate. This Environment Agency owned and maintained structure on the Knepp estate on the Western arm of the Adur was preventing fish passage and impounding the river upstream. In partnership with the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust (OART) the South Downs Fisheries and Biodiversity team led a project to remove the gate and stabilise the clay banks with brushwood terracing. This not only removed a significant barrier to fish passage but it has also helped restore natural river processes which will be beneficial to wider biodiversity as whole. The Arun and Adur operations field team with specialist help from the Ouse operations field team were the main contractors. Using their experience of the Knepp restoration project just downstream they carried out a very professional job and were praised by the designers, OART and everyone else involved with the project. The Arun and Adur Asset Performance Team helped with the engineering aspect as well as contractor management and finance.

This project has achieved Water Framework Directive (WFD) objectives for this waterbody and is an excellent example of another successful partnership project with OART.

Monitoring surveys and results

Edit project overview to modify the Monitoring survey and results.

A fish survey was carried out before the structure was completely removed and this data will be used to compare future surveys and monitor the effects this project has had on the existing fish communities and whether the work has increased the diversity of species present in this stretch of the Adur.

Lessons learnt

Edit project overview to modify the lessons learnt.

Starting this project late in the year meant we had had to pull out when the weather turned. The welfare unit left on site was repeatedly flooded costing the project up to £40,000. Lesson learnt, try and secure funding as early as possible so you can programme the works to co-incide with the nice weather.

Image gallery

Edit Image gallery

Shipley weir in Winter

Dam removal

Digger work

Restored section looking downstream

Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Edit the catchment and subcatchment details (affects all case studies in this subcatchment) Catchment River basin district South East River basin Adur and Ouse Subcatchment River name R. Adur West Area category 10 - 100 km² Area (km2) Maximum altitude category Less than 100 m Maximum altitude (m) 8585 m <br />0.085 km <br />8,500 cm <br /> Dominant geology Calcareous Ecoregion Great Britain Dominant land cover Improved grassland Waterbody ID GB107041012290 Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes GB107041012290 WFD (national) typology Low, Small, Calcareous WFD water body name R. Adur West 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) 10001,000 m <br />1 km <br />100,000 cm <br /> Project started 2013/08/08 Works started 2013/08/28 Works completed 2014/03/10 Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) £77k"£" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property. Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Adur and Ouse WFD pilot catchment Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Environment Agency Gareth Williams Stakeholder engagement and communication Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust Peter King Works and works supervision Environment Agency Damon Block Post-project management and maintenance Environment Agency Gareth Williams Monitoring Environment Agency Gareth Williams Supplementary funding information £37k was spent on replacing a welfare unit that was damaged in winter flooding. Cost of project would have been £40k otherwise Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Barriers to fish migration, Impoundments (not hydropower) Hydromorphology Biology Fish, Macrophytes Physico-chemical Dissolved oxygen, Phosphates Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Weir removal, Deculverting, Weir modification Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other 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