Martin Janes Managing Director The River Restoration Centre Delivering multiple benefits through effective river restoration UK & EU CIEEM Annual Conference Southampton 2013 rrc@therrc.co.uk 01234 752979 www.therrc.co.uk
20 years of River Restoration Isolated conservation efforts & trial approaches 1990 reach scale enhancement/single benefits 2000 new policy, catchments, Ecol Status, [but no funds..] 2010 strategic planning, RBMP & delivery SSSI & Prot. Area river restoration plans A WFD stated measure Investment bucking the economic trend Now a commonly used term
The River Restoration Centre Working with natural processes for healthy catchments Supporting projects through expert advice Making available knowledge & understanding Building the UK evidence base since 1992 Publishing best practice technical guidance Delivering training technical workshops A forum for the exchange of knowledge Independent, impartial, NGO, expert advice
Multiple benefits Biodiversity Access to wildlife and nature Flood risk management Climate change resilience Spatial planning and development Economics Fisheries Safety
Policy European Directives Urban Wastewater treatment Directive (1991) Habitats and Species Directive (1992) Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000) Floods Directive (2007) National Poilcy Espace de Liberté (France) Room for the River (Netherlands) Making Space for Water (Eng & Wales) Natural Flood Management (Scotland) Env. River Enhancement Prog. (Ireland) Other global and regional drivers Climate change (resilience), economy (fishing),..
WFD roundup Recent European EA assessment (2012) Germany, Netherlands & Belgium = 90% WB s less than GEP/GES Rivers have been identified as in a worse state than lakes Rhone river basin district better than the rest of France; Scotland better than rest of UK. Across EU, most freq. reported pressure physical modification Habs Dir & WFD - not enough coordination
UK. 2500 projects, Proposed and completed work, On-going update since 1997.
River Restoration Techniques Top 10 techniques used in the UK and Europe-wide river restoration River restoration techniques No. of UK projects (RRC) No. of EU projects (Wiki) River narrowing to increase velocity (by adding structures) 404 21 Lakes, ponds, wetlands restored or established 324 61 Obstructing structure replaced/removed 293 57 Bank re-profiling/hard bank removal 292 50 Riparian/floodplain vegetation (planting/management) 283 52 Re-meandering or restoring sinuosity 206 69 Daylighting/culvert removal 156 7 River-floodplain reconnection 129 15 Long section habitat enhancement (pool/riffle sequences) 154 53 Backwaters and pools established/reconnected 137 9
Working with natural processes Process driven dynamic system Hydrology input & transport (flow) Sediment input & transport (erosion & deposition) Resulting physical habitat & ecology Valleys, floodplains, wetlands, & channels Interactions of flora & fauna (fish, plants, humans) Longitudinal, lateral and internal processes Hydromorph, floodplain connection, life cycles
Restoration programmes Delivering catchment scale river restoration by working with natural processes England SSSI River Restoration Programme England Catchment Restoration Fund Scottish Water Environment Fund Welsh Wildlife & Habitat Management Fund?
SSSI & SAC 2200km total, to be underway by 2015 SSSI River Restoration Plans Restoration underway (strategy and works) = 83% (1500km)
Effective teamwork Multiple partners (funding and delivery) SSSI Rivers programme NE, EA, River Trusts, CLA, NFU, Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, Drainage boards, Water companies, private industry, fishing clubs, landowners, AONBs, National Parks, Forestry Commission New partners RESTORE events for landscape architects, developers, planners
Catchment Restoration Fund (CRF) 42 projects across England 89k to 2.1m Delivery by NGO s (Rivers and Wildlife Trusts, & other associations and partnerships) 24.75m committed (plus extra 5.25m partnership funding) Reporting to Defra, EA & NE national panel, advised by RRC
Aims of CRF Projects that work at a catchment level: restore natural features in and around watercourses reduce the impact of manmade structures on wildlife in watercourses reduce the impact of diffuse pollution that arises from rural and urban land use
Axe and Exe River Improvement Project
SEPA Water Environment Fund Physical improvement to Scotland s waters WFD (RBMP, no deterioration, human damage) 3.6M spend so far 2012 = 3000km passable from 14 barrier projects Single sites to multi-benefit catchment work (Natural FRM, barriers & invasives) 4 planned pilots : physical restoration + flood risk WEF Team of 6 providing technical project support
Rottal Burn, Glen Clova Restoration of natural river processes to a straightened channel Enhance Special Area of Conservation (SAC) habitat Rivers & Fisheries Trust 650m straightened channel New 1,200m meandering channel created Floodplain reconnection Connection to wetland areas Formation of backwater 2,000 trees planted Monitoring network installed Rivers & Fisheries Trust
Rivers & Fisheries Trust
Progression of Restoration Works Rivers & Fisheries Trust
Middle Reach Relict Channel Rivers & Fisheries Trust
Manual of River Restoration Techniques 64 examples, 37 projects, 6M of projects Design and application.
The European resource Large scale innovative projects inspiration Partnership working on a bigger scale Big research projects practical application RESTORE ECRR
River Skjern, Denmark Late 60 s Denmark s largest land drainage scheme, 4000ha wetlands lost. Deepened, straightened, embanked and pump-drained.. 2004 cost 22M. A sustainable solution. 1997, an environmental U -turn. Act of Parliament to restore the meandering river and 2200ha of wetands 2004 cost of 25M.
Total earth works: 3,000,000 m 3
REFORM applying the science EU FP7 funded 4 year research project - 2015 1. Understanding natural processes 2. Assessing morphological degradation 3. Restoration and mitigation tools Tools and procedures to increase success and costeffectiveness of river restoration measures Make knowledge of hydromorph and ecology interactions available to implememnt RBMP II Web based tools and scientific understanding to complement RESTORE river wiki of projects
www.wiser.eu
River Isar, Munich Improved protection from flooding; Development of a more natural river landscape; Improved recreational quality.
35m 55% State of Bavaria, 45% City of Munich
Europe 500 projects so far.
Sharing and using good practice Understanding the processes and pressures Setting clear and measurable objectives Design in multiple benefits Choose techniques to restore natural processes Long term success and low management needs Alter to make appropriate to the river type Monitor and evaluate their outcomes By making the effort to find out what others have done.