Case study:Highland Water at Warwickslade Lawn
Project overview
Status | Complete |
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Project web site | |
Themes | Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity |
Country | England |
Main contact forename | Sarah |
Main contact surname | Oakley |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | Forestry Commission |
Contact organisation web site | http://www.forestry.gov.uk/ |
Partner organisations | Natural England, Environment Agency, Alaska Environmental Consulting |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
As part of a EU Life project there was a programme of habitat restoration in SSSIs, into which the Highland Water at Warwickslade fell. The project looked to return the river to it's historical course (determined through the study of historical maps), including re-meandering. A number of work measures were undertaken to reduce the speed of the flow, subsequently reducing bank erosion, and to improve the habitat quality.
Highland Water is a small headwater sub-catchment (0.25m3) of the Lymington River. Prior to restoration the channel was up to 1.2m deep and 4m wide restricting the natural seasonal flooding of the surrounding forest. The previously wet woodland and mire habitat had dried out and the increased channel size presented a barrier to freely roaming animals across the forest due to channelization in the 1850’s. Construction was carried out using an innovative tramway system to import material to the site, removing the need to drive heavy machinery across the fragile forest environment, which helped to achieve rapid visual recovery once works were complete.
A variety of morphological features and in stream habitats have re-established and floodplain connection has been restored through more regular bank overtopping, which has helped to re-wet the surrounding woodland habitats. These enhancements have been quantified by a recorded improvement in SSSI condition scores for the area.
The work has been well received by the local communities with excellent media coverage. The success of the scheme has facilitated negotiations for future works at other locations across the New Forest.
Monitoring surveys and results
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