Manor Road Park River Restoration The ripple effect of Manor Road Park, the project that just keeps giving.

Background to Programme of works The Environment Agency (EA) have undertaken assessments of abstraction The River Lea (also known as the River Lee along the navigational stretches of sources for public water supply and identified some rivers to be suffering from low the river) has its source to the north of at Common in flows. our AMP6 National Environment Programme (NEP) aims to support the rare . The River Lea is a which flows through the urban chalk streams in our Company’s area to meet the EU Water Frame Directive centre of Luton and has been heavily modified and culverted over many years of (WFD) of Good Ecological Potential/Status(GEP/S) by 2027. The Manor Road development. A wide variety of pressures such as surface run-off, pollution events Park river improvement project is one of a number of projects that have been and mis-connections have impacted on the rivers health. The EA has assessed scoped on the Upper River Lea (GB106038033391 Lee (from Luton to the Upper River Lea to be failing WFD assessment for hydrological regime, Lakes)) in collaboration with the landowner (LBC), the macroinvertebrates and fish. Luton Lea River Catchment Partnership and the EA. These projects are also part of the wider Affinity Water and EA Revitalising Chalk Rivers partnership, which aims to help restore and improve the habitat of chalk streams along the Rivers Beane, Gade, Lea, Mimram, Misbourne and Ver within the Lea and Colne Catchments.

Manor Road Park This project has removed the concrete channel and steps (Figure 1), which confined the river along the edge of the park, reconnecting the river to its natural flood plain and helping to ease flood water further downstream during times of high flow. A new wetland area and meandering river channel has been created with riffles and pools (Figure 5). The aims of the project are to; • naturalise the river as much as possible; • improve biodiversity in the river corridors; • help the river meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive; • make the river more resilient to low-flows;

Figure 1. Manor Road Park before river improvement project February 2018

Challenges • design issues between the flood plain and the relocation of the children’s playground; • how to connect the new channel with the old channel at the downstream section due to existing wall structure; • flooding of site and breaching of new channel following prolonged intense rainfall events (Figure 2); • rampant growth of various varieties of tomato plants after restoration (Figure 3); • extended dry period of weather prevented plant and grass seeds to germinate Figure 2. Breach of new channel following Figure 3. A variety of tomato plants flourish on and two trees died; intensive rainfall events new berms Opportunities and benefits Although the project was a regulatory requirement of Affinity Water through the EA NEP Programme, there has been a ripple of additional and unexpected benefits Early monitoring results and opportunities that have arisen due to the river restoration works. These Pre and post monitoring of additional benefits include; macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, • the river being used as an educational resource for the local community; fish, Modular River Physical (MoRPh) • an enhanced recreational space for children to play and adults to sit and enjoy surveys and spot gauging have been the river increasing health and wellbeing; carried out. Early MoRPh results • a Junior River Warden Scheme set up through the River Catchment hosts show improvement in the physical Groundwork; channel complexity and the number • relationships have strengthened between Affinity Water and the Local authority of aquatic macrophytes (Figure 4). and confidence built within the partnership; Other results will take longer to • an increase in reputational growth for all partners involved; materialise,18-24 months. • a Cranfield University MSc student Thesis on a natural capital assessment of the restoration project; • new playground and inclusive play equipment; • river side path and public awareness of their local river.

Figure 4. Early MoRPh survey results

Salix River & Wetland Services Ltd

Figure 5. Manor Road Park after river improvement October 2018

For further information please contact Jane Everett on [email protected] River Restoration at Affinity Water River Lea – Manor Road Park Project Upstream Photo Location Downstream Photo Location

February 2018

March 2018

April 2018

May 2018

June 2018