THE RIVER NAR A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WORKING TOGETHER TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT ENGLISH RIVERS WITH SUPPORT FROM THE RIVER NAR A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN | PAGE 1 CONTENTS Introduction and Acknowledgements 2 The Catchment Plan in Brief 3 THE CATCHMENT The River Nar and its Catchment 4 Geomorphology 6 Land Use 7 Ecology 9 Conservation Designations 11 Archaeology and Hydrology 12 The 2009 WFD classification 14 THE PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS Overview of Limiting Factors 16 Overview of Restoration Measures 17 Canalisation and Connectivity 18 Restoring Connectivity Upper River 20 Restoring Connectivity Lower River 24 Abstraction 26 Impoundments 30 Diffuse Pollution 31 Sediment Pollution 32 Notes on the River Nar Drinking Water 34 Protected Areas and Safeguard Zone Designation Overshading 36 Invasive Plants 37 AN ACTION PLAN Restoration Units 38 Time-Tabled Costs and Actions 44 Works Delivered 46 Partners and Contacts 48 Further Reading 48 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Norfolk Rivers Trust would like to acknowledge that the following organisations and individuals have already dedicated This plan has been prepared by the Norfolk Rivers Trust in a lot of time and research towards planning restoration initiatives consultation with the other members of the River Nar Partnership: on the river. This Local Catchment Plan would not have been the Norfolk Rivers Drainage Board, the Environment Agency, possible without their work: Natural England, the River Restoration Centre and WWF-UK. The Environment Agency, Natural England, Norfolk Rivers Its findings are based on catchment walks and surveys, historical Drainage Board, The River Restoration Centre, D. A. Sear, research, previous publications (see back cover for references) M Newson, J. C. Old, C. Hill, Karen Fisher, James Holloway, and a specialist knowledge of the river and of chalk-streams. Dr Jenny Mant, Dr Nigel Holmes, Susan Chambers, Chris Bell, Jen Small, Lou Mayer, Roger Gerry, WWF-UK and The Coca-Cola Freshwater Partnership. THE CatCHMENT PLAN IN BRIEF THE RIVER NAR THE WAY TO A HealthY RIVER The River Nar is a small chalk stream which flows Chalk-streams are globally rare river systems. Most flow through the downs and fenland of north-west Norfolk. through southern England. The River Nar is arguably Its progression from chalk river to fen river is distinctive Norfolk’s most unspoilt and beautiful chalk river. and gives the Nar particular conservation value, which And yet it is not without its problems and challenges. is reflected in its Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designation. This Plan is designed to help us preserve and enhance its rich and diverse ecology, to achieve what is termed Although the river is of high conservation value, it has “Good Ecological Status or Potential” (GES or GEP) under been modified along most of its length source to sea the European Water Framework Directive. and only in a few places does an unchanged natural river exist. Everywhere pressures on the river are intense: UPPER RIVER abstraction, diffuse pollution and the legacy of channel modifications all inhibit the ecological potential of the river. To achieve Good Ecological Status on the upper river we need a phased and strategic restoration programme THE PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN which addresses the priority issues of: This Water Framework Directive (WFD) Local Catchment • Canalisation / Connectivity Plan aims to identify the pressures the River Nar is under, • Sediment loading and the way ahead to restoring and conserving a healthy • Diffuse water pollution river, meeting the requirements of the WFD. • Extreme overshading • Absence of riparian trees We hope it will form the foundation of the summary of • Invasive plants measures for the River Nar included in the next Anglian • Impoundments River Basin Management Plan due in 2015. • Obstructions to fish passage • Excessive abstraction THE NEXT STEPS LOWER RIVER Wider consultation will now follow with key stakeholders, and with the River Nar Conservation Group which will be To achieve Good Ecological Potential (GEP) on the lower, drawn from the Castle Acre, West Acre and Narborough highly modified river we needs a phased and strategic Fishing Clubs, the Parish Councils of town and villages restoration programme which addresses the priority along the river, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the Nar Valley issues of: Ornithological Society, Anglian Water, from landowners and interested members of the public. • Lack of morphological variety • Sediment pollution Restoration schemes are already in place. Some were • Diffuse water pollution completed in 2010 / 2011. Others are planned for the near • Absence of riparian trees future. • Impoundments • Obstructions to fish passage The Norfolk Rivers Trust has been awarded a Catchment Restoration Fund grant as well as support from WWF-UK THE RIVER NAR PARTNERSHIP and Coca-Cola which – together with ongoing initiatives from the Norfolk Rivers Drainage Board, the Restoration work on the River Nar will be driven forward Environment Agency and Natural England – will enable by the River Nar Partnership, comprising the Norfolk the River Nar Partnership to proceed with ambitious Rivers Trust, Norfolk Rivers Drainage Board, the restoration schemes on the river. Environment Agency, Natural England, WWF-UK , Coca-Cola Freshwater Partnership and the River Timetabled summaries of existing and proposed Restoration Centre, all working in close partnership with restoration schemes and plans relating to other pressures the new River Nar Conservation Group and other key on the river are at the back of this document. stakeholders. Deadlines to GES under WFD are 2015, 2021 and 2027; 2021 and 2027 are only valid if there is full justification why this status cannot be reached earlier. THE RIVER NAR A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN | PAGE 3 SECTION 1 THE CATCHMENT THE RIVER NAR AND ITS CatCHMENT in only two places, at Marham and Pentney – would have developed a highly sinuous, meandering course. Sea levels changed several times during the slow formation of the lower The River Nar is a small chalk stream which flows through river and as the Nar flowed over soft, alluvial deposits it is the downs and fenland of north-west Norfolk. Its progression probable that the river’s course moved backwards and from chalk river to fenland river is distinctive and gives the forwards over the flood-plain and that some of its current Nar particular conservation value, which is reflected in course follows parts of one or several of those relic its SSSI designation. channels. It is likely also that the river once entered the Ouse at Wiggenhall St German’s and not Kings Lynn, but was Rising in chalk hills to the east of the village of Tittleshall, the diverted north, perhaps along another relic course, sometime river flows west for 42 km through the villages of Litcham, in the early medieval period. Castle Acre, West Acre and Narborough until it reaches the tidal Ouse at King’s Lynn. Flow conditions through this once mazy channel would have been very different from today and most of the lower river Narborough, which is just over half-way between the source would have evolved under the influence of the tide. There and the Ouse, forms the dividing point between the upper would have been marked ecological differences as well, with chalk river and the lower fen river. The source is 60 metres brackish estuarine conditions and fully developed salt marsh above sea level, but 90% of the fall of the river occurs through being major features of the lower river. the chalk reaches. The fen river is of extremely low gradient. Now the man-made channel runs in straight sections, with Although the river is of high conservation value, it has been angular turns every so often, sometimes tracking field modified along most of its length, source to sea. Some of boundaries and gradient edges. In places meanders still these modifications took place many centuries ago, some are exist, downstream of Pentney Abbey for example, or up much more recent. Some are relic only, with no stream of High Bridge, while old meanders are betrayed in contemporary function other than occasionally significant the eccentric routes of neighbouring roads, for example just archaeological value; others – particularly those of the lower downstream of Setchey. fenland river – remain vital to the socio-economic value of surrounding land. Along this modified course the river flows between man-made trapezoidal banks with steep bank edges and THE LOWER RIVER shallow or non-existent wetted riparian margins. The channel shape and bed profile tend to be uniform. Narborough is the natural divide between the upper and lower river. The gradient changes at Narborough where the A few relic structures at the Narborough Bonemill, at Pentney river passes from its chalk valley into the fens: what would Abbey, along with the road bridges at High Bridge and once, many thousands of years ago, have been an estuary. Setch, the rail bridge near Seech farm and the tidal scour Under natural conditions a river of this extremely low gradient near Kings Lynn, form the few geomorphological features in – it falls only 5 metres in 20 km and most of that fall occurs the lower river which give shape and variety to the flow and channel. King’s Lynn Tributaries The most significant surface tributary is the Blackborough Stream which is formed by the confluence of the Country Drain and The Trout Stream and drains a complex mosaic of peats, sands and clays from multiple streams rising in the area of Gayton Thorpe and East Walton. Setchey Pentney Abbey High Bridge Narborough PAGE 4 | THE RIVER NAR A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN From Pentney downstream the river is higher than the land to cannot recreate its meanders, pools and riffles; sediment is the south which, like much of the fens, has shrunk as it has deposited across the full width of the channel creating dried.