Case study:Fairham Brook Restoration Project

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Location: 52° 52' 10.74" N, 1° 10' 9.04" W
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Project overview

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Status Complete
Project web site
Themes Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity, Land use management - agriculture, Water quality
Country England
Main contact forename Rebecca
Main contact surname Brunt
Main contact user ID User:Jfreeborough
Contact organisation Environment Agency
Contact organisation web site http://https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency
Partner organisations Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Trent Valley Internal Drainage Board
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project
encompassing the following
projects
No
Installation of coir rolls at Gotham

Project summary

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To improve the ecology of the Fairham Brook working with local landowners. Remove branches from trees and bushes that have the potential to snag debris during flood events and clear a central channel in areas where reed and reed mace fill the brook bed. Install pre-planted coir rolls to create pinch points and speed up water flows, allowing the riverbed to be scoured, uncovering gravels which are used by breeding fish. Install a hard cattle drink to reduce the amount of soil leaching into the brook. Install a rock ramp to allow fish passage over a weir, which itself created a wildlife friendly pool.

Historic deepening and straightening of the brook’s channel has led to low ecological value through the straightened section. A new management regime is in place in addition to this project to implement habitat enhancements.

Future plans aim to restore the fen habitat by installing a number of ditches and ponds to re-wet the reserve, this is being taken forward by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

Monitoring surveys and results

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The coir is positioned to narrow and meander the channel to alter the flows and to scour and clean gravels. Improvements have already been noted.

WFD and habitat improvements and new management of the brook.

Lessons learnt

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Further elements were planned to be completed as part of the project but the landowner pulled out due to timing issues and weather, which may have affected his livery business.


Image gallery


Prior to the stakes being cut and wiring in the coir rolls.
This is the section of brook at Bunny prior to the installation of coir rolls.
during installation of the coir rolls
You can see from the photo above that restricting the channel width has quickened the flow to expose gravel.
After installation
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Catchment and subcatchment

Catchment

River basin district Humber
River basin Lower Trent and Erewash

Subcatchment

River name Fairham Brook Catchment (trib of Trent)
Area category 10 - 100 km²
Area (km2)
Maximum altitude category 100 - 200 m
Maximum altitude (m) 142142 m <br />0.142 km <br />14,200 cm <br />
Dominant geology Calcareous
Ecoregion Great Britain
Dominant land cover Arable and Horticulture
Waterbody ID GB104028053150



Site

Name
WFD water body codes GB104028053150
WFD (national) typology
WFD water body name Fairham Brook Catchment (trib of Trent)
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

Reach length directly affected (m)
Project started 2012/04/02
Works started
Works completed
Project completed 2015/03/31
Total cost category 100 - 500 k€
Total cost (k€) 126126 k€ <br />126,000 € <br />
Benefit to cost ratio
Funding sources Environment Agency

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

Mitigation of a pressure Diffuse Pollution - Rural
Hydromorphology
Biology
Physico-chemical
Other reasons for the project


Measures

Structural measures
Bank/bed modifications Diversification of in-channel features, Creation of fish passes, Cut back of trees
Floodplain / River corridor Tree management
Planform / Channel pattern
Other
Non-structural measures
Management interventions
Social measures (incl. engagement)
Other


Monitoring

Hydromorphological quality elements

Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result
Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative

Biological quality elements

Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result
Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative

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

Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result
Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative


Monitoring documents



Additional documents and videos


Additional links and references

Link Description
http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/maintenance-work-at-fairham-brook/ News release
http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/media/video/view/fairham-fish/ Fairham Brook fish video

Supplementary Information

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