Case study:UP! - The Usk Project

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Location: 51° 42' 12.72" N, 2° 54' 12.25" W

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Water quality
Country	Wales
Main contact forename	Stephen
Main contact surname	Marsh-Smith
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Wye & Usk Foundation
Contact organisation web site	http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/
Partner organisations	Environment Agency, Countryside Council for Wales, Forestry Commission Brecon Beacons National Park, University of Wales, Cardiff, United Usk Fishermen's Association, Keep Wales Tidy, Wildlife Trusts
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Upper Usk

Project summary

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Our first venture with the Usk owners and fishermen was the joint buy out of the putchers and nets in the Estuary in 2000. Working together showed how much there was in common with the interests on the Wye and at the end of an appropriate 'engagement', we merged. The first priority after joining forces was to submit a project under ERDF Objective 2 and Transitional funding as these sources of major funds for river restoration were coming to an end. After several months work, the Foundation succeeded in gaining approval for two paired projects in the Transitional and Objective 2 areas that jointly cover the Usk catchment from source to Abergavenny. The projects commenced in January 2004 originally to run until the end of 2006. Together they are called the Usk Project, or more simply UP! and have a total projected spend of £0.9 million.

In 2007, a year's extension was granted to UP! (above Brecon) taking the total budget to £1.12m. UP! funding was used to restore the degraded and inaccessible habitat on the Usk tributary streams and through the reopening of the blocked tributaries.

A marketing strategy similar to that set up in pHish was used to bring the benefits of river improvements to the rural economy with the ultimate goal of making these improvements self funding and sustainable. Our partners are listed below and includes for the first time Brecon Beacons National Park, through which most of the rivers involved in the project flow.

While the salmon fishing on the Usk may have improved since the 2000 net buy off (funded by Wye Salmon Fishery Owners Association, United Usk Fisherman's Association and the then Wye Foundation), there is still considerable scope for improvement and the famous Usk brown trout is not as numerous as it once was. Many regular fishermen are pointing out that while the average size of trout has risen dramatically (2lb fish are now common), numbers of small fish have declined. Stocking with hatchery reared fish is bad news for the river as it is expensive, fails to tackle the underlying problems and endangers the native populations. In addition, 'stockies' are no substitute for the famous native Usk trout.

Fishery scientists use the term 'lack of recruitment' to describe the phenomenon of poor juvenile fish production. The problem lies in the smaller tributaries. Siltation, diffuse pollution, habitat destruction and obstructions are the prime suspects and UP! is the means of putting right these evils.

UP! Project achievements:

Fish passes were built on:

Cynrig

Rhiangoll

Crawnon

Significant barriers to fish migration were removed on:

Cilieni

Menasgin

Sorgwm

Ychen

...while minor barriers were removed on:

Tarell

Menasgin (again)

Honddu

Grwyne.

Habitat restoration work was completed on:

Bran

Crai

Ysgir Fawr

Grwyne

Upper main stem Usk

Ethrim

Rhiangoll

Tarell

Honddu

Monitoring surveys and results

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Image gallery

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present 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 2004/01/01 Works started Works completed Project completed 2007/12/31 Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources 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 Barriers to fish migration, Habitat degredation, Siltation, Diffuse pollution Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Removal of fish barriers, Livestock fencing, Habitat restoration 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