E n v ir o n m e n t A g e n c y

Environment Agency - a better body', which means that the environment in and Wales organisation works for the public and for present and future generations. has specific duties and powers.

The Environment Agency is one of the The Agency has funding of about world's most powerful environmental £585 million, 75 per cent of which is watchdogs, regulating air, land and funded from its own charges and the water. As 'guardians of the rest from Government. environment' the Agency has legal duties to protect and improve the Nationally, around 15 million hectares environment throughout England and of land are managed by the Agency Wales and in doing so contributes along with 36,000km of rivers and towards 'sustainable development' - 5,000km of coastline, including more meeting the needs of today without than 2 million hectares of coastal harming future generations. waters.

Created by the 1995 Environment Act, There are eight the Agency started work in 1996. It is regional offices officially a 'non-departmental public which are split into 26 area offices. Southern Region covers the counties of Kent, Sussex, and the . f c /- i — Rivers of the—

T h e New Forest is unique. acorns in the autumn), It was established as a 'royal fuelwood, marl (the right to dig forest' primarily for hunting by clay for improving agricultural William the Conqueror more land) and turbary (the right to than 900 years ago. This large cut peat for fuel). area of 450 km of woodland, heath, grassland and marsh has Commoners have to apply to survived when so many other the Verderers' clerk if they wish parts have been completely to exercise their right of altered by man's activities this common pasture. They will be century. allocated a brand for their animals. The forest is almost a piece of Medieval England, still with The ponies have been called the unenclosed heath and woods, 'Architects of the Forest', for it is with its commoners and stock through their browsing and administered by the Crown grazing that the lawns and the (albeit in the shape of the trees look as they do today. Forestry Commission) and by a Without their 'work', and that Verderers Court descended from of the cattle and deer, the the ancient forestal courts. Forest would soon be Commoners of the New Forest overgrown with brambles, gorse are those who occupy the land and other coarse herbage. or property to which there is The forest is one of the major attached one or more rights lowland pasture woodlands in over the Forest. These rights Europe, and has great are common of pasture (ponies, recreational and ecological cattle, donkeys and mules), value - all thanks to pasture for sheep, mast (the commoning. right to turn pigs out to eat Rivers of the New Forest

The Court of Verderers, a corporate The Agisters have an intimate body set up by the 1877 New Forest knowledge of the area and the Act, is responsible for managing the workings of the Forest. Their work is commoning in the Forest. They have arduous, with long hours as round the had various other responsibilities clock coverage is needed. Their busiest added over the years, including the time is usually the spring when the investigation of reports of illegal animals can quickly lose condition. inclosures (fenced off areas). Currently, the Court consists of 10 Most of the ponies are descended Verderers, five of whom are elected from animals that are well suited to and five appointed. local conditions. In the late summer and autumn 'drifts' or round-ups are The Verderers also monitor held throughout the Forest. Mares and development within the Forest. foals which will remain on the Forest They work with English Nature and in the winter are marked, the foals are Forest Enterprise, an agency which branded and the tails of the mares are administers Crown lands on behalf of cut in a distinctive pattern that tells the nation. the Agisters at a glance that the animals has been paid for and in The Court of Verderers meets every which area the owner lives. The ponies month, except in August. They meet are also wormed and any to be sold at 10am on a Monday in the middle of can be held. Seperate drifts are held the month, and every other month for cattle. members of the public can make presentations to the Court. The Forest is divided into areas with an The Verderers employ six Agisters who Agister overseeing each one. The ride the Forest daily and look after the Agisters are able to call on each other welfare of the Commoners' stock. or the head Agister for assistance. They check the condition of the land and stock, and advise and assist On average, one animal is killed or owners in the welfare of their animals. injured on the Forest roads every other They also collect the 'marking fee', a day, despite strict speed limits. The payment that helps offset the costs of Agisters deal with such deaths, and their employment and the running of can be contacted through the police the Court of Verderers. They tell the emergency service by phoning 999. Verderers about unmarked stock and impound illegal animals. e Conservation

National Nature Reserves 1 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) 13 Water dependent SSSIs 13 Ramsar and/or Special Protection Areas (designated and proposed) 1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas 0

o Rivers of the New Forest

Facts at a glance Landscape Only half the area known as the New Area of 450 km2 New Forest Forest is actually wooded, the rest being composed of open heathland, Population 100,000 pasture and small settlements. The Length of main 215 km area can be divided into two quite river separate and distinct types. The Average 833mm Ancient and Ornamental woodlands annual rainfall are traditional forests of oak and beech Licensed 12735m3 and are open to the deer and abstraction per day Commoners' animals. The enclosures from river were initially established as timber producing areas, and are surrounded History by fences to keep grazing animals out. There is evidence of very early settlement in the area, including an Water Quality Iron Age settlement at , The Forest landscape is dominated by near . Although much of gravel terraces overlying sedimentary the history of the area is connected clays and sands. These affect the with the management of the New quality of the water which is very Forest, there are several important different from Hampshire chalk historical buildings. These include streams. religious buildings, such as the remains of the Cistercian Abbey at Beaulieu, Nutrients are leached out of the built in 1204. At Ashurst Lodge there gravels and sands, meaning that the are the remains of an Elizabethan nutrient status of the Forest's rivers saltpetre mine. There is also one of the and streams is low. Because of humic last working tide mills in Britain at acid in the peat, the pH of the water is Eling, near the mouth of Bartley Water also generally low. The Forest does not where the wheel is turned by the tide have intensive arable farming, which flowing out of the river. means that no inorganic fertilizers are used on the land, and hence no such During the Georgian and Victorian chemicals find their way into the periods, the coastal resorts also water. Stream waters are also usually became very popular and numerous clear, although a brown discolouration buildings remain from the period such associated with iron precipitate from as those near the beaches at Hythe. the gravels can be seen at certain o locations.

Rivers in the New Forest Within the New Forest several streams The underlying geology of the area is a drain the sands, gravels and peat. mixture of sedimentary sands and Some flow west to the Avon, while clays that have produced a diverse others flow into the Beaulieu or range of habitats. As the river has valleys, or directly to eroded through the different layers, . These include the Avon vegetation has adapted to the differing Water, Black Water, Highland Water soil conditions. and Ober Water, the latter being noted for its unusual vegetation and Most of these deposits are wildlife. impermeable and this can result in sudden increases in river flow and localised flooding after heavy rain. The Beaulieu River begins its journey to the sea in the centre of the New The land immediately next to the river Forest, near Bunkers Hill, just north of is mostly wooded with a mixture of Lyndhurst, 46 metres above sea level. deciduous and evergreen trees. Apart It flows eastwards 10 km before it from the numerous footpaths that swings south, passing through follow it, there are several fords and Beaulieu, towards the Solent. footbridges across the river.

fact files i Rivers of the New Forest

Lymington River The source of the Lymington River is in The tidal limit is marked by an artificial the north of the forest, just south of causeway with sluices to prevent , about 100 metres above sea saltwater flowing further upstream. level. Woodland surrounds the higher Just upstream of the causeway are reaches of the river as it flows south reedbeds, cropped to provide eastwards through , thatching reed. Downstream of this entering the Solent via a wide estuary point, there are extensive Environment near Lymington approximately 25 km Agency flood defences protecting the later. The impermeable rocks mean town of Lymington. that there is a risk of local flooding in the winter, when heavy rainfall rapidly Most of the rivers and streams in the runs off the surface. The river does New Forest have been modified by not dry up in the summer, when widening or straightening, resulting in rainfall is lower and evaporation is a loss of biological diversity and higher, because the sand and gravel traditional character. Gravel extraction aquifers and peat bogs in the lower and land drainage can affect the level reaches of the river supply modest of the water table and have led to low flows. flows in several of the rivers and streams.

fact files Rivers o f the New Forest

Ponds There are many ponds in the Forest - village ponds, farm ponds, decoy ponds and fish ponds. Most are on clay and sandy soils, although others are found on chalk. Some ponds are natural, the result of high watertables - these ponds often formed the centre of a village or farmstead and are ancient settlement sites. Others are the result of long abandoned clay or gravel pits, excavated to provide building or roadmaking materials. A few are the remains of dew or mist ponds constructed to provide drinking water for livestock. Some, like Hatchet Pond,were constructed to store water for the long defunct iron industry.

There are well over 50 ponds, of various sizes, on the open forest alone. Many of these are permanent, while

Bogs and Mires Bogs are found in areas such as the these bog communities are extremely New Forest where the water is acidic. stable. However, the bog surface can be easily damaged by activities such as When water flows through shallow digging peat, draining, burning, valleys with poor drainage soils, the overgrazing and trampling. ground is likely to become waterlogged. Water draining from the The Forest also contains about 90 heathland is low in plant nutrients, separate valley mires (boggy or marshy and these factors combine to allow areas). These also have distinctive specialised plants to survive and grow. vegetation and form an important A typical bog is dominated by several feature of the landscape. These species of moss with occasional clumps wetland areas have international of heather and bog asphodel. As these conservation importance, the New mosses decay, peat is formed. These Forest being a designated a Wetland of bogs support a range of plants International Importance. The most including insect eating plants such as extensive and important of the valley sundew and bladderwort, together mires occur on the Crown Lands of the with rarities such as pale butterwort New Forest. They provide an and bog orchid. In fact, New Forest important source of grazing for bogs such as Cranesmoor, Whitemoor, Commoners' animals, particularly in Denny Bog and Hincheslea Bottom the early spring. Valley mires are found support many plants and animals rare with heathland in several areas. in southern Britain. If left undisturbed

Rivers of the New Forest

Flora and Fauna The geology of a river catchment bedstraw, yellow centaury and determines both the alkilinity or acidity Hampshire purslane, found only in the (pH) and the plant nutrient level of the south. water. Water that drains from leached acid soils lacks essential nutrients, such The waters with the lowest nutrient as magnesium and potassium. Such levels are found in the peat pools on nutrient poor streams are found the acid heathlands of the New Forest. draining the heathland soils of the Here, invertebrates characteristic of New Forest. acid soil are found. Midge and caddis fly larvae, leeches and water mites may The nutrient level of the water will live in the bottom layer of mud, and affect the plants and animals that live waterboatmen and mayfly nymphs are there, determining both the number often plentiful. Dragonfly also flourish, and abundance of species. For but insect life is generally sparse example, although Ober Water and compared to waters with higher Hatchet Pond are relatively low in nutrient levels. plant nutrients, they have similar plants and animals to those found in Although the water is generally low in nutrient rich waters, but they do not nutrients, a great diversity of life can have as many. This is mainly because be found in and around the rivers, there are fewer plankton in poorer streams, pond and lakes of the Forest. waters. In total 29 species of dragonfly are found in the Forest, and the many Ober Water has a gravel bed covered dragonfly nymphs support a range of by silt and mud and is low in both other species such as frogs. A variety of nitrogen and phosphorous. It has aquatic species can be seen in the unusual vegetation - a mixture of plants associated with the acid streams of upland Britain, and the nutrient rich rivers of the lowlands. However, its invertebrates are typical of gravelly, acid rivers and are very different to those found in nutrient rich water. Species of stonefly, mayfly and dragonfly are found here along with rarer species such as slender marsh,

© New Forest clear waters, including rare newts and these rivers mean that thay can be brook lampreys. There are also very high in the winter, and very low significant populations of fish species during dry summer periods. In the such as sea and brown trout. past, the Forest was drained to increase grazing areas and to improve Water margins are often a blaze of forestry. This increased the risk of colour, particularly in the unshaded flooding in rivers by removing the areas, with plants such as the bog natural storage of water in the bean. Rarer plants such as the catchment. butterfly orchid and wild gladiolus grow The Environment nowhere else Agency has built a in Britain, flood alleviation yet can scheme in be Brockenhurst found where a in the small stream shaded flows through conditions the village of the Forest. centre. This The insectivorous scheme is designed to sundew is found in the help protect properties in the acid bogs and wet heathland - by village but road flooding can still occur trapping and digesting insects, this during storms. plants obtains all the nitrogen it needs for growth. Surrounding the Forest are a number of low lying marshes. At Lymington Flooding and the Lymington River The New Forest is drained by many and the Avon Water are controlled by small rivers. Some of these, the sluices to allow the discharge of water Lymington River, the Bartley Water and at low tide and to prevent the tide Avon Water, flow through towns coming up the rivers. The Environment before reaching the sea. As the Forest Agency also maintains the sea wall and is mainly impermeable gravels and a number of flood gates between sands, these rivers fill up very quickly Lymington and Keyhaven which when it rains and can soon reach prevent tidal flooding of the town and extremely high levels. The nature of surrounding marshes. e Rivers of the New Forest

Fishing The predominant species in the for water based recreation, especially streams of the area is the sea trout, boating. The tidal reaches of the which reaches weights of over 10 lbs. Lymington River have many marinas, They are migratory fish, entering the particularly near Lymington itself, as rivers in mid summer before travelling well as several public slipways for further up the river in the autumn to launching boats. There is also a spawn. Other fish to be found in the marina at Bucklers Hard on the streams include eels, minnows, Beaulieu River, where ships for bullheads and Stoneloach, whilst in the Nelson's fleet were built. The use of larger Lymington river, general coarse local wood resulted in large areas of fish including pike, roach and dace can forest being cleared, so today much of be found. this area is open heathland.

Recreation A more unusual use of the water is at Over seven million people visit the Race Plain, south of Brockenhurst, New Forest every year, taking part in a where a lake is the location for model range of recreational activities yacht sailing. including walking, cycling and pony trekking. Many people use the rivers Water Resources Rainfall varies from 800mm per year to over 900mm at the highest points in the forest. Because there are no major aquifers, reliable flows of high quality water are not available for public water supply. However, some water is abstracted under licence from the lower reaches of some rivers for spray irrigation of farm land. The only continuous gauging station, on the River Lymington at Brockenhurst is Brockenhurst water splash over 30 years old and was rebuilt in 1996. The mean flow here is 0.99m3/s with a drought flow (Q95) of 0.05m3/s.

Preventing Pollution From Waste The Environment Agency ensures that controlled wastes, that is waste produced by offices, businesses, factories, schools and shops amongst others are handled, transported, treated and disposed of safely.

Other wastes such as agricultural waste and waste from mining or quarrying are not controlled by the Agency.

Agency Officers River Maintenance are active in the The Hampshire Area Direct Works New Forest, force looks after a number of rivers stopping illegal which are designated as New Forest unregistered Rivers. waste sites and fly-tipping. The These include the rivers , safe disposal of Lymington, Pollards Moor, Danes waste costs money. It is a sad fact that Stream, Pennington and parts of some people try to avoid these costs Bartley Water. by dumping their waste illegally. This is called fly-tipping, it is unsightly Maintenance of these rivers includes and can be a danger to the health of grass and weed cutting of the banks people and wildlife. The Environment and bed of the river as well as Agency will prosecute anyone found to removing debris and blockages. be doing this. However, they would The blockages in the New Forest rather protect the environment by area usually consist of trees which educating people about the correct have fallen in or across the rivers. way to deal with their waste. Much of this work is done in conjunction with the relevant conservation bodies.

© Auth.: 15'050SCC1 | Name: BROCKENHURST | L o c a t.: LVMINGTON

Year from 01/01/1995 at 09: 00

Graph representing the mean daily flow of the River Lymington through Brockenhurst. The data represented here was recorded during 1995, and clearly shows how the flow of the river changes through the year. General Quality Assessment (GQA) Grading of Water Quality 1996

Sampling points Chemical GQA standards for River Bealieu G r a d e B Ipley Manor GQA Grade B u r a a e a Hartford Bridge GQA Grade B Dissolved Oxygen 80% River Lymington joluiiratinn aLivji i Bridge GQA Grade B Biochemical Oxygen Whitely Bridge GQA Grade B Demand ? Srng/I Balmer Lawn GQA Grade A Ammonia 0.25 mgN/l Grade B Dissolved Oxygen 70% saturation Biochemical Oxygen Demand 4mg/l Ammonia 0.6mgN/l

Environment Agency Emergency Hotline Your prompt action could help protect The kind of things to report include: the Environment. If you see an • Damage or danger to the natural environmental emergency or a environment pollution incident don't ignore it, • Pollution report it. • Poaching • Risks to wildlife • Fish in distress • Illegal dumping of waste • Flooding incidents

Please do not use this number for routine or general enquiries as you may prevent someone else getting Ring the Environment Agency through in an emergency. ENVIRONMENTAL HOTLINE number 0800 80 70 60. This call free number For GENERAL ENQUIRIES ring your is available 24 hours a day, seven days local Environment Agency Office on a week, 365 days a year. 0645 333 111 during office hours only.

G lossary

Abstraction When water is taken from a river or underground rock strata Aquifer A layer of permeable rock, deep under the surface, capable of absorbing and storing water Ephermeral Lasting for only a short time Plankton Very small plants and animals living in the surface layer of a pond or lake Sluice A channel that carries fast flowing water, with a sluicegate to control the flow Watertable The level in the ground below which the ground is saturated with water

Photography by John Chandler © SOUTHERN REGION ADDRESSES

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