Case study:Broadwater Brook

4.50

(2 votes)

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

Location: 50° 49' 32.02" N, 0° 21' 3.73" 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 Broadwater Brook\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 Urban\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E","title":"Broadwater Brook","link":"","lat":50.825562316007,"lon":-0.35103608905918,"icon":"/wiki/images/a/af/Red_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	Habitat and biodiversity, Land use management - agriculture, Social benefits, Water quality, Urban
Country	England
Main contact forename	Peter
Main contact surname	King
Main contact user ID	User:Oartpk
Contact organisation	Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust
Contact organisation web site	http://www.oart.org.uk
Partner organisations	Sompting Estate Trust, Environment Agency SSD, Heritage Lottery Fund
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

New River Channel

Project summary

Edit project overview to modify the project summary.

This urban chalk stream project has realigned the course of the Broadwater Brook, removing it from underground pipes and setting a new route through agricultural fields. Previously degraded from pollution entering from industrial areas and the main road network we have installed sediment traps at the upstream extent and have ensured vegetation establishment in the channel to further filter pollutants. Allowing for low flows (as a ephemeral stream) the stream is narrow with marginal shelves to provide wetland habitat whilst being flooded during heavy rainfall. The surrounding land has been transformed from arable maize fields into 6.9ha of wildflower meadow with 2.2km of new hedgerow and 500 trees forming a shaw woodland. Additional habitat in the form of three ponds, a re-wilding zone and scrapes have been formed along the riparian zone. The project tackled land contamination from neighbouring landfill along with accumulations of arsenic from previous land use. A mains sewer was realigned and mitigation for a chemical effluent pipe and mains power cable were also needed to complete the project which also had to content with a 1:3000 gradient and artificially raised ground through the centre of the site.

The project has been co-designed and delivered with the local community with numerous activities and events inspiring and raising awareness of chalk streams and the impact of urban living which has inspired behavioural change. Over 1000 members of the local community have been involved in the project whether through volunteering on practical tasks, attending educational events or being involved in one of the citizen science monitoring programmes. The site is now open to the public for the first time along a newly created Sompting Brooks River Trail which includes interpretation and artworks depicting the areas historical association with water.

Monitoring surveys and results

Edit project overview to modify the Monitoring survey and results.

We have been monitoring the effectiveness of silt traps within the system along with taking water sample for chemical analysis. In addition we have undertaken BMWP sampling for freshwater invertebrates as well as ecological surveys for reptiles and amphibians, fish, birds, dragonflies, bats, harvest mice and macrophytes. All of these were also undertaken for 2 years before the project started to generate a baseline status for the site. Results show that, across all parameters, water quality is significantly improved and that the sediment traps are working in all but the most extreme flow conditions. Species diversity across the site has grown from a recorded 100 species in 2017/18 to 535 species in 2021. Five fish species have been recorded within the new channel (from none within the old channel). The site has also recorded the first Scarce Blue Tailed Damselfly in Sussex for 125 years, one of 18 species of Odonata now recorded on the Brooks. Water quality sampling has revealed significant amounts of nitrate being released from the aquifer over winter which has highlighted a need for further investigation of land management practices to the north of the project area.

We have also been monitoring impacts on the local community and results show a better appreciation and understanding of the water environment, that co-design and delivery has ensured guardianship of the site into the future and that providing outdoor opportunities in heavily urbanised areas is of great value to wellbeing and community cohesion. All results of the project will be available on the website from January 2022 - www.oart.org.uk/epic

Lessons learnt

Edit project overview to modify the lessons learnt.

• We used local contractors to provide ECI assistance during the development of designs, this resulted in large costs increases (even from the ECI) at tender and we would ensure that more consideration is given to the right contractor providing this advice from the beginning of the project.

• Relied on existing relationships and partnerships to provide solutions to constraints on site which meant no legal framework was in place for agreed actions and organizations changed their approach to elements of the project at the last minute. In future we would ensure that legal agreements are in place around service mitigation prior to appointing a contractor.

• We did not appreciate or appropriately consider the ground contamination constraints at an early enough stage. A lack of prior experience of these issues and relying on previous reports led to misunderstanding the costs and constraints this would cause. For future projects we would ensure, where potential land contamination is present, that early involvement of experts is obtained, and budgets reflect possible additional costs.

• We have also learnt that, through perseverance, projects which many believe to be unachievable due to costs and constraints can be delivered in a manner which is cost beneficial and provide multiple benefits to people and wildlife.

Image gallery

Edit Image gallery

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 Teville Stream Area category 10 - 100 km² Area (km2) Maximum altitude category 200 - 500 m Maximum altitude (m) 240240 m <br />0.24 km <br />24,000 cm <br /> Dominant geology Calcareous Ecoregion Great Britain Dominant land cover Improved grassland Waterbody ID GB107041011940 Site Edit site Name Broadwater Brooks WFD water body codes GB107041011940 WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Teville Stream Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body Yes National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Yes Invasive species present Yes Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate Clay, Sand River corridor land use Intensive agriculture (arable) Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) 5.05 m <br />0.005 km <br />500 cm <br /> Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) 0.40.4 m <br />4.0e-4 km <br />40 cm <br /> Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Less than 0.001 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 01/01/2017 Works started 2019/06/10 Works completed 2019/08/16 Project completed 2021/12/31 Total cost category 100 - 500 k€ Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources National Lottery Heritage Fund, Environment Agency, Rampion Offshore Wind Ltd Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design 10 - 50 k€ Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust Peter King Stakeholder engagement and communication 1 - 10 k€ Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust Peter King Works and works supervision 100 - 500 k€ Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust Peter King Post-project management and maintenance 10 - 50 k€ Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust Peter King Monitoring 10 - 50 k€ Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust Peter King Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Continuity of sediment transport Biology Fish, Invertebrates Physico-chemical Nutrient concentrations, Oxygen balance Other reasons for the project Recreation Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Channel realignment Floodplain / River corridor Channel realignment, Conservation measures and environmental improvement, Creation of multi stage channel, Habitat creation Planform / Channel pattern Channel realignment, Creation of new channel, Habitat creation, Habitat restoration, Improvement of channel morphology Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Agricultural business changed its way of working, Arable reversion to wildflower meadow, Clean-up days, Diffuse pollution mitigation, Easier management, Ensuring biodiversity, Monitoring strategy Social measures (incl. engagement) Active involvement of local interests groups and land owners, Agreement with the owners, Awareness raising, Awareness raising by a sign, Citizen participation in the restoration project, Community Education, Community Events, Community Litter-picking work, Community based management, Community consultation, Community education (talks and workshops, Community involvement, Creation of a path alongside the river, Decreased flood risk, Engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, Engagement with schools, Improved public access, Information panels for people 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 Continuity of sediment transport Yes Yes No Yes No Improvement Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Fish: Species composition Yes Yes No Yes No Improvement Invertebrates: Taxonomic composition Yes Yes No Yes Yes Improvement 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 Nutrient concentrations Yes Yes No Yes Yes Improvement Oxygen balance Yes Yes No Yes Yes Improvement 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 Bat Survey Yes Yes No Yes No Improvement Birds Yes Yes No Yes No Improvement Concentration phosphate, Chloride and Nitrogen Yes Yes No Yes Yes Improvement Macroinvertebrates (IBMWP) Yes Yes No Yes Yes Improvement 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