Glaslyn, Dwyryd, Artro Catchment Management Plan Action Plan: 1996
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-N A/^-5 GLASLYN, DWYRYD, ARTRO CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN ACTION PLAN: 1996 at m ’>*v *- Blaenau ^Ffestiniog thmadoi i Harlech CONTACTING THE NRA The national head office of the N R A is in Bristol Enquiries about the Glaslyn, Dwyryd, Artro Catchment Management Plan should be directed to: Telephone: 01454 - 624400 Kelvin Graham, The Welsh Region head office is in Cardiff Area Catchment Planner, Telephone: 01222 - 770088 Ffordd Penlan, The Area Manager for the Northern Area of the Welsh Parc Menai, Region is: Bangor, G w ynedd, Steve Brown, L L 554B P Ffordd Penlan, Parc Menai, You should note that the N R A will be merged into B angor, the Environment Agency after 1st April 1996. G w y ne d d . However, responses to this report should be sent to the LL57 4B P same address, as above. NRA Copyright Waiver. This report is intended to be used widely and may be quoted, copied or reproduced in any way, provided that the extracts are not quoted out of context and due acknowledgement is given to the National Rivers Authority. Acknowledgement:- Maps are based on the 1992 Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 scale map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s stationary Office © Copyright. WE 2 96 1.5k E AQMV Awarded for excellence in GLASLYN, DWYRYD, ARTRO CATCHMENT Gajp" i BK. CATCHMENT STATISTICS Area.................................. ,508km2 Population......................... 19,000 Area at flood risk............... ..1,700Ha Average rainfall................. ..3266mm River quality...................... 72.2km Very Good 3.2km Fair KEY Estuary quality................... .29.9 km Good ..... CATCHMENT BOUNDARY 0.5km Fair ----- A ROAD Designated fisheries.......... ..Salmonid: 20.3km BROAD (78/659/EEC) Cyprinid: None — MAINLINE RAILWAY Designated bathing waters....Talybont — FFESTINIOG RAILWAY (76/160/EEC) Dyffryn Ardudwy * AIRFIELD Llandanwg Harlech I T i SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK Morfa Bychan THE AREA MANAGER'S VISION FOR THE GLASLYN, DWYRYD, ARTRO CATCHMENTS These three rivers could hardly be set in a more found in some waters as a consequence of stunning landscape; picturesque, wild and immensely past mining activities. varied. The area is internationally known for its tourist attractions, including Snowdon the highest mountain FISHERIES AND CONSERVATION in Wales, Harlech and Criccieth castles, Portmeirion, Opportunities need to be pursued to assist the slate caverns of Blaenau Ffestiniog and extensive in amelioration of the generally beaches of golden sand. The water environment is a experienced decline in salmon and sea significant component of these assets, being trout fisheries and to increase the number intrinsically bound with the natural beauty, of coarse fisheries. conservation and economic value of the area. Tourism The spread of invasive plants such as is primarily centred on coastal resorts, such as Japanese Knotweed needs to be controlled Porthmadog, Criccieth and Harlech, which also provide to protect riparian habitats. access points to the attractions of the sparsely populated rugged hinterlands. The decline in wetland habitats needs to be redressed. Overall, water and general environmental quality is very good. This is reflected by the use of surface waters RECREATION for drinking water supplies and their ability to support salmonid fisheries. Riverside access and facilities for recreational activities need to be improved. However, if the potential of the area contained within this Plan is to be realised, there are issues to be Implementation of this Action Plan will ensure that addressed, including:- the problems we have identified are addressed. The NRA's vision will be achieved through a balanced WATER QUALITY management approach to all activities. We will Bathing and coastal water quality which is encourage imaginative proposals to allow sustainable of great importance to the tourist industry, economic and community development to proceed requires improvement through further whilst ensuring protection and improvement of the investment in sewage treatment and water environment. We will collaborate actively with disposal facilities. all users of the catchment and all those statutory bodies that can assist us in striving to achieve this vision. Ongoing pollution prevention activity is essential to reduce the number of agricultural and other incidents affecting freshwaters. S. J. BROWN We need to consider measures that can be NORTHERN AREA MANAGER - taken to reduce elevated levels of metals NRA WELSH REGION En v ir o n m en t Agency NATIONAL LIBRARY & INFORMATION SERVICE HEAD OFFICE Cover Picture: Uyn Llydau and Snowdon ( Rio House, Waterside Drive, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4UD ENVIRONMENT AGENCY 092002 N ?A f/aUS' L S CONTENTS AREA MANAGER S VISION FOR THE CATCHMENT i 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 REVIEW OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS 3 3.0 OVERVIEW OF THE CATCHMENT 3 4.0 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAND USE AND THE WATER ENVIRONMENT 6 5.0 ISSUES A N D ACTIONS 7 6.0 FUTURE REVIEW AND MONITORING 17 THE CONCEPT OF CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT Action Plan is a strategic policy framework for the PLANNING management of the catchment and is produced after we have considered the comments received on the Our rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters are Consultation Plan. It includes a statement of action subject to large and rapidly increasing demands from needed to achieve the vision for the Glaslyn, Dwyryd the users of water. Many different uses interact or and Artro Catchments and will form the basis for compete for water and will inevitably come into improvements to the water environment by outlining conflict with one another. The National Rivers the areas for work and investment proposed by the Authority aims to protect and improve the water N R A and others. The Action Plan primarily covers environment in England and Wales and to harmonise the five year period from 1996 to 2000, although a conflicts between competing water users. Our Mission number of projects may take longer owing to funding Statement expresses the following principles. availability and government policy. The Region will “We will protect and improve the water formally adopt the proposals in the Action Plan. environment by the effective management of For purely operational reasons those actions identified water resources and by substantial reductions in for the Artro catchment, whilst covered here for pollution. We will aim to provide effective continuity with the Consultation Report, will be defence for people and property against flooding incorporated into the Mawddach/Wnion Action Plan at from rivers and the sea. In discharging our duties it's first annual review. we will operate openly and balance the interests of all who benefit from and use rivers, CMPs also provide the means of promoting two key groundwaters, estuaries and coastal waters. We aspects of environmental management:- will be businesslike, efficient and caring towards • land use planning our employees.” • water quality objectives We have chosen to use Catchment Management Plans These are now considered in more detail. (CMPs) to translate those principles into action The 1 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAND USE PLANNING The scheme is based upon the recognised uses to which AND CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLANNING a river stretch may be put and is consistent with the principles of CMPs. These uses will be River The broad objective of catchment management Ecosystem, Special Ecosystem, Abstraction for Potable planning is to conserve and enhance the total river Supply, Agricultural/Industrial Abstraction and Water environment through effective land and resource Sports. management. However, whilst the N R A is well placed to influence some of the factors affecting the water At present only the standards for the River Ecosystem environment, particularly in relation to the river Use have been developed on a formal basis and, as a corridor itself, we have very little control over the result, this is the first S W Q O Use to be introduced by mechanisms which determine land use change on a the Government through the Surface Waters (River catchment-wide basis. This is to some degree the Ecosystem) (Classification) Regulations 1994. For each responsibility of local planning authorities through the classified stretch within the Glaslyn, Dwyryd and implementation of the Town and Country Planning Artro catchments, a River Ecosystem class target has Acts, whilst agriculture, as a major land use in the been proposed and this CMP Action Plan identifies, catchment, can introduce significant changes. where appropriate, the actions required to achieve these targets. At present these targets will only be applied The policies in statutory development plans are informally although it is hoped that, in the near future, important in this regard, in that they set out the they may be established as Statutory W Q O s by the framework for land (£tse~ehange and provide the key Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales. reference in determining development applications. The N R A encourages the inclusion of policies which reflect its concerns and responsibilities. As guidance for local authorities, the N R A has prepared a set of statements relating to water quality and water resources, flood defence, fisheries, conservation, recreation and navigation in the river corridor, and mineral workings and waste disposal. These statements are summarised in our "Guidance Notes for Local Planning Authorities on the Methods of Protecting the Water Environment through Development Plans". This CM P Action Plan sets out issues and actions specific to the Glaslyn/Dwyryd/Artro catchments which have been determined within the framework of these Guidance Notes. Section 4 outlines how the concerns of the water environment should influence the location and nature of development and land use change within the catchment. WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES The Statutory Water Quality Objectives (SWQO) scheme, introduced under the Water Resources Act 1991, is a new system for water quality planning which will place quality targets on a statutory footing. The Glaslyn at Aberglaslyn Pass 2 2 . REVIEW OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS The Glaslyn/Dwyryd/Artro Catchment Management 25 covered in the Plan.