Property:Monitoring surveys and results
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This is a property of type Text.
B
'''Enhancements'''
* Breach of existing defence and creation of tidal backwater providing increased flood storage and wildlife habitat.
* The backwater area and new reedbeds represent a new, highly valuable feeding and refuge area for fish. Recent studies have shown that both juvenile and adult fish move into these areas as soon as they are inundated. They feed extensively on the invertebrates present within the reedbeds. Such habitats are increasingly thought to significantly enhance the juvenile survival of commercially important fish such as bass. The Thames Estuary is now recognised as an important nursery area for this species.
* Retreat and renewal of flood defences to provide current standards of flood risk allowing for changes due to climate change.
* New site entrance and access route through site.
* Creation of new seating and viewing areas.
* Interpretation boards installed with the aid of Lee Rivers Trust and local school children helped design the boards +
C
'''Enhancements'''
* Enhanced planting within site including black poplars
* Creation of riverside seating/viewing area
* Provision of site wildlife and historical information boards
* New wheelchair friendly site entrance and access route
* Interpretation boards installed by just ecology +
O
'''Macrophytes''' showed a change in assemblage structure after the measure was implemented. The overall abundance remained relatively low, specifically for the characteristic species who are only found at low densities. The general consensus for the WFD is that the BQE macrophytes is not positively or negatively affected by the measure.
'''Benthic invertebrates''' showed an increase in species diversity a few years after the opening of the channel. The species diversity was roughly equivalent to the diversity found prior to opening of the channel. This can be explained by the loss of stagnant water species when the channel was opened up. A significant increase in rheophilic taxa was visible; increasing from 4% of the total amount of found taxa prior to the opening of the channel to 14-21% after the opening. Subsequent years of monitoring have led to the conclusion that the benthic invertebrates have been positively affected by the measure. Rare rheophilic species have not been found at the site.
'''Eurytopic fish''' species were dominant in abundance throughout the side channel. This was the case for both the age-0 and the age-1+ fish. The site showed a significant increase in rheophilic fish species, including a number of rare fish that are uncommon in the Dutch rivers. Limnophilic species decreased and become (nearly) absent in the years after the measure was implemented. This was in line with the expectations however, as the measure led to the destruction of stagnant water habitats. It can be stated that fish were positively influenced by the measure.
'''Wading birds''' the habitat needed for seasonally migrating wading birds is available in the side channel; the very shallow waters and gradually increasing banks serve as ideal habitat. Despite this the number of wading bird species observed showed high fluctuations throughout the years. This may in part be related to the breeding success of wading bird colonies throughout the years. Different species made use of the area in different months of the year, conform their migratory behaviour.
'''Hydromorphology''' has not been monitored specifically. What can be noted is that the hydrology in terms of flow conditions (stagnant water - flowing side channel) has been altered by the measure.
Q
'''Sutcliffe Park'''
*The number of park visits increased by 73%
*People stay longer, on average 47 minutes per visit compared to 34 minutes
*Total time spent in the park per person per month increased by more than 3.5 hours
*28% of people surveyed started visiting only recently, due to the improvements
*More people visited more often, stayed longer and were more likely to visit to exercise and for health
*Analysis showed that visitors’ self esteem increased the longer they had spent exercising in the natural environment.
*Local green spaces are an important health resource for surrounding communities.
''83% of visitors feel differently in the park now the River Quaggy runs though it, because of increased biodiversity, better opportunities for recreation, and the peacefulness and relaxation of being near water.'' +
N
'''What will success look like?'''
Delivery of these projects will represent a significant step in the restoration of these nine unique rivers and will contribute towards improvements in Water Framework Directive classifications. Enabling the rivers to function naturally will improve habitat for plants and animals both in the river and on the floodplain, including trout, eels, native crayfish, water-voles, wet-meadow flora such as marsh marigold, and birds such as lapwings, snipe and avocet. +
W
* Creation of a range of intertidal habitats in an otherwise biodiversity-poor area of the constrained Rivers Wandle and Thames.
* Improved access to the River Thames and River Wandle, bringing residents and members of the public closer the watercourse.
* Provides access to the watercourse for local wildlife.
* The site links in within green roofs and other green infrastructure designed as part of the redevelopment master plan creating an extended green network.
* The site acts as a showcase to demonstrate what can be achieved on tidal rivers.
+
G
* The intertidal terraces provide valuable habitat for fish and other animals and birds, as well as creating a new landscape feature for people to enjoy.
* Flood defences designed to protect from tidal flooding with an allowance made for the future effects of climate change.
* Surface water flood risk reduction on each plot will be provided in line with the London Plan policies.
+
C
* https://www.simpsonhaugh.com/projects/chambers-wharf
* http://newlondondevelopment.com/nld/project/chambers_wharf
* https://www.peabody.org.uk/homes-in-development/southwark/chambers-wharf
+
O
*Pre-enhancement fish survey undertaken.
*Post-enhancement surveys planned.
*River habitat assessment survey (Central Habitat Assessment)
+
L
*Surveys indicating that the public’s perception of the park in terms of recreational value and safety has improved. Now 78% visitors feel safe (in comparison to 44% before the restoration), and use of the park has increased over 2 and a half times.
*survey results indicating a near 100% increase in the number of species present in the park (in particular fishing birds), which are benefiting from the greater range of habitat types now present following the restoration works.
+
G
*The scheme delivered 22 ha of intertidal habitat, comprising a mixture of saltmarsh and mudflats. In addition, other parts of the site delivered areas of saline and brackish water, rough grasslands and coastal and floodplain grassland.
*The borrow pits were restored to provide a minimum of 12 ha of freshwater habitat for species such as great crested newt, common frog and aquatic invertebrates and species rich and meadow grassland.
*No significant adverse impacts to the hydromorphology and sediment regime in the Tees Estuary are expected.
*Features of historic significance, such as salterns (sites historically used for salt making), will be returned to their pre-reclamation situation, reducing current pressures from erosion by burrowing and grazing animals. The regrading of the relic drainage system on site and the location of the breaches were designed, in part, to reduce erosion of the salterns
2024
Fish are thriving for a second year in a saltmarsh created to offset industrial impact. Surveys were carried out by the Environment Agency (EA) at Greatham, Teesside, which was created to restore habitats, so migratory fish that had been absent for hundreds of years could return. Last year's survey recorded the highest diversity of species since monitoring began, and that was maintained this year, the EA said.
Flounders, herring, thin-lipped grey mullet and more than 1,000 healthy crabs were among those species found. The Tees estuary is one of the most industrialised in the UK, according to the EA.
The saltmarsh was completed six years ago as part of the Greatham North managed realignment scheme, external and the Port Clarence and Greatham South Flood Alleviation Scheme, external, to restore habitats which had been lost in the creation of flood defences.
+
W
*WFD Baseline data
*Fixed point photos before and after
*Aerial photos before and after
*river profile survey taken before
Bioblitz identified good fish stock eg lots of predatory fish. Lots of Bullhead, an LBAP species which is sensitive to water quality and European Eel a protected species.
Botanical survey showed natural regeneration of floodplain meadow indicator species eg Greater Burnett.
+
G
*Water quality improvements
*Biodiversity River Units
*Biodiversity Area Units – including intertidal habitats and with unrestricted inland migration
*Nutrient reduction in Tees catchment subject to Nutrient Neutrality advice from NE
*Climate change through reduced operational carbon emissions and sequestration in habitat
*SPA SSSI improvement – unfavourable declining SSSI Unit die to excess nutrients, SPA objectives to reduce nutrients and restore extend intertidal habitats
Nature based solution through increased river channel capacity
+
L
LIFE REWETLAND - A wide-area programme for improving the quality of surface water in the agro pontino by means of natural purification techniques +
- Construction of a shared strategy for a wide-area environmental restoration through a participatory planning process, combining the demands of local stakeholders;
- cross-sectoral approach for the resolution of specific territorial problems;
- Identification of solutions to local problems by involving multi-sectorial stakeholders;
- promotion of public-private partnerships for the resolution of environmental criticalities;
- innovative and effective environmental campaign for scholars and citizens. +
R
- Pre-restoration aerial and ground survey undertaken - to be repeated summer 2015.
- Fixed point photographs.
- Further geomorphological surveys also on-going. +
- Pre-restoration aerial and ground surveys, to be repeated in 2015. +
B
1. Baseline data includes fish surveys and other ecological parameters, topographical and bathymetrical surveys, drone surveys and walk over fluvial audits.
2. Post-removal data collection continued immediately after the weir removal to track the immediate change in river processes and hydrological conditions.
3. Continued collection and analysis following geomorphologically effective flow events has provided valuable monitoring data to identify positive changes in the river dynamics, improved sediment flux through the system, enhancement to the now varied ecosystem. +
A
Aesthetic vs. functional restoration of urban and peri-urban rivers: the Manzanares River in Madrid +
1. The restoration projects under execution or recently implemented
in the urban and peri-urban reaches of the
Manzanares River in Madrid have shown the high capacity
of historically degraded rivers to enjoy a fast recovery of
many important functions and services, following a correctly
designed hydromorphological and ecological restoration
or rehabilitation.
2. Even the more constrained urban reaches may sustain interesting
aquatic and riparian habitats, and attract many
different floral and faunal species. This is the case of the
urban downtown reach of the river, which has bloomed
in terms of bird and fish communities immediately after
the restoration of some basic hydrogeomorphic patterns.
In this case, the maintenance of a managerial approach
strictly based on certain aesthetic values would have involved
keeping the river in a very poor condition, with no
natural processes attached and a total lack of relevant biotic communities.
3. Restoration of a minimum functionality of urban reaches
requires restoring, as far as possible, the dynamics of the
peri-urban reaches both upstream and downstream. The
urban reach must not be an isolated water shackle, unable
to constitute part of a river corridor which offers a
large diversity of functions and services to the city and to
its citizens.
4. The legal, scientific, technical and social advances recently
developed in the approach to rivers must be reflected in
their management. Strictly engineered solutions are frequently
not cost-efficient, since they use to leave aside a
wide number of the rivers´ functions and services. Selfmaintenance
or self-restoration of rivers is also not an
appropriate solution in most cases, since the pressures
and constraints around rivers require active managerial
approaches. Green infrastructures and natural water retention
measures, as presently considered in the literature
and in the legal context, may guide the efforts to restore
urban and peri-urban rivers, because they involve
multi-functional solutions, and can create the necessary
links between the many different laws and policies which
nowadays rule urban and peri-urban rivers.
L
100% successful fish passage has been achieved +
E
1600m of bankside fencing was installed to reduce cattle poaching. Soil management and water quality issues discussed with 46 farm businesses. Over 1000m farm tracks surfaced - to limit sediment laden run off. 2 water troughs and 1 pasture pump installed. +