Case study:River Trent, Bucknall Park

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Location: 53° 1' 32.35" N, 2° 9' 7.59" W

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Habitat and biodiversity, Social benefits
Country	England
Main contact forename	Mel
Main contact surname	Westlake
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Staffordshire Trent Valley
Contact organisation web site	http://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/staffstrentvalley
Partner organisations	Environment Agency, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Friends of Bucknall Park, Staffordshire Trent Valley, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, AECOM, Mark Stubbs Contracting Ltd
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

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Project summary

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The River Trent rises at Kynpersley and flows through the heart of Stoke-on-Trent. It has had a chequered history and has been subjected to man-made interventions and high levels of pollution. As a consequence of this Environment Agency monitoring data shows this section of the River Trent is failing UK environmental standards for phosphate levels and the low presence of invertebrates and fish. Additionally, man-made structures within the watercourse act as barriers to habitat connectivity and prevent free passage for fish migration.

The River Trent flows through Bucknall Park, a popular recreational green space in Stoke-on-Trent. There is a partially collapsed weir within the watercourse at this site which is the last remaining barrier in the headwaters of the Trent. Removal of this weir would remove this barrier and also address health and safety concerns held by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the Friends of Bucknall Park, a community group affiliated with the site.

In 2017 funding was provided by the Environment Agency under its Water Environment Improvement Fund to allow for the removal of this weir. The design of the scheme was carried out by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Staffordshire Trent Valley Catchment Partnership. A number of partners have been involved through the design and delivery of this project and are credited below.

Summary of the Scheme Delivery Objectives

• Removal of the partially collapsed weir to restore the natural dynamic processes of the river and remove the physical barrier to aid fish passage.
• Improve in channel habit by introducing woody debris which will act as a sediment trap and hold fine gravel both of which are important requirements, for example, for brown trout and brook lamprey.
• Provide access to the river for local residents and visitors to be able to enjoy and reconnect to their waterways. To also allow access for local schools and other non-uniform groups to provide an educational resource.
• Provide access to the watercourse for the Friends of Bucknall Park to be able to undertake RiverLife monitoring on site as part of ongoing monitoring of invertebrates.

Consents / Constraints / Other Issues

Flood risk consent was required from the Environment Agency to undertake the in channel work.

There was a very small window of time in which to complete the work as we had to avoid bird nesting season, trout spawning season plus spend the money within the required financial period of the Environment Agency. This timing meant that there was a likelihood of high water levels which may have prevented the project delivery.

Non native species. The river has been colonized by a large population of American signal crayfish. The banks also have some stands of Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed. The method statement and risk assessment for the scheme delivery ensured strict disinfection routines and Check, Clean, Dry to avoid the risk of accidentally spreading these species (and/or crayfish plague) to other sites.

Summary of other project benefits – social, economic, etc. • Removal of a physical barrier has improved the habitat along a 10km stretch of the Trent
• Improved access to the river for schools and non-uniform groups for educational purposes
• Re-connecting local people to the river within a popular greenspace
• Access to be able to undertake invertebrate monitoring with the Friends of Bucknall Park
• New WFD demonstration site in Staffordshire Trent Valley Catchment area

Monitoring surveys and results

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The Friends of Bucknall Park, supported by the catchment partnership will carry out RiverLife monitoring 4 times per year. The Environment Agency have carried out Electrofishing surveys on site. Local sighting or issues are reported via the catchment coordinator.

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name Humber RBD / Trent Source to Sow Operational Catchment/ River Trent WFD water body codes GB104028053271 WFD (national) typology Moderate for Invertebrates and Fish, Poor for Phosphate WFD water body name 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 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 Barriers to fish migration Hydromorphology Biology Fish: Abundance, Invertebrates: Abundance Physico-chemical Phosphate Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Weir removal Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Partnerships 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