Case study:Wellow & Cam Initiative

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Location: 51° 19' 24.94" N, 2° 22' 28.24" W

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Project overview

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Status	In progress
Project web site
Themes	Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Land use management - agriculture, Monitoring, Social benefits, Water quality
Country	England
Main contact forename	Simon
Main contact surname	Hunter
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Contact organisation web site	http://http://www.bristolavonriverstrust.org/
Partner organisations
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects

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Project summary

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On 2nd February 2013, a slurry incident along the Wellow Brook in Somerset caused a major fish kill and was reported by the Environment Agency as one of the worst pollution events in many years. The Wellow Brook has been designated a score of ‘Poor’ and the Cam Brook ‘Moderate’ in 2016 under the European Water Framework Directive (WFD).

From a small donation of £5,000 for the Enforcement Undertaking, BART has raised over £100,000 towards the project to date. BART has delivered the following:

Habitat assessments along the length of the Wellow and much of the Cam.

Mapped all barriers along the Wellow.

The removal of three boulder weirs that were impounding flows and smothering potential spawning substrate with sediment throughout ~8km reach.

Removal of 1 small weir and re-profiling of 2 boulder weirs in the lower Cam Brook

Pre-feasibility assessments for a large weir at the confluence of the Wellow Brook

Pre-feasibility assessments for a ford which is presenting a barrier to fish on the Wellow Brook

SNIFFER fish passage assessments on 3 weirs in the urban section of the Wellow

~20km of habitat improvements with LWD and coppicing

A successful partnership project with Midsomer Norton Town Council to improve a section of river which has now been turned into a Local Nature Reserve.

3 Riverfly monitors monitoring the Wellow on a monthly basis as well as several more BART Beacons

A pre-barrier removal electrofishing survey which we will aim to follow up with a further survey shortly to assess ongoing improvements in future years

The creation of a Friends of river group with Shoscombe Parish Council

Riparian fencing and buffer strip creation on the Cam Brook and Norton Brook

The installation of formalised cattle drinking areas to reduce poaching on the Cam Brook and Norton Brook

A programme of coppicing and LWD along a 2km reach of the Cam Brook

Strategic discussions with the Environment Agency about removing a redundant asset as a result of opening up the river to this point via BART’s work to date.

Engagement with over 250 local people, through river sessions, ‘Yellowfish’ antipollution projects and public talks.

Several litter picks, including a recent one where over 200 plastic bottles were removed and turned into a plastic fish which has attended many local events

A Challenges and Opportunities report outlining key issues and potential work-packages throughout the Wellow & Cam Brooks.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Further monitoring will be needed to deduce the level of improvements resulting from our works. However, as a start, BART note the following:

Electrofishing surveys at 5 sites along the Wellow Brook (pre-barrier removal and woody habitat installation)

Visibly improved flow diversity – levels dropped by 0.5 metres and new gravel bars and riffles exposed

Visibly reduced sedimentation of the riverbed in the weir removal project areas which will result in improved spawning potential in the coming years.

Local angling club feedback: “Mayflies absolutely off the chart at the moment, free rising trout and a squadron of ducklings in the background at the end of the clip. Heaven. The Wellow is having a super year @Bristol Avon Rivers Trust thanks for all the in-river improvements, they really seem to be having an impact!”

We have had a huge amount of positive feedback from our engagement sessions, including: “Thank you … it was a brilliant day. All the staff are now talking about taking their classes down to the river back and feeling more confident about the activity. The children learnt a lot about the creatures living in their local river and the parents thought it was a really well organised event.”

Lessons learnt

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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 Works started Works completed Project completed 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 Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications 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