£ A - S o u t h t ^ e S r r 8 0 * I S www.environment-agency.gov.uk/cams Fal and St Austell Streams Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy = July 2005 Environment vm jW A g en cy The Environment Agency is the leading public body protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales. It's our job to make sure that air, land and water are looked after by everyone in today's society, so that tomorrow's generations inherit a cleaner, healthier world. Our work includes tackling flooding and pollution incidents, reducing industry's impacts on the environment, cleaning up rivers, coastal waters and contaminated land, and improving wildlife habitats. Published by: Environment Agency Manley House Kestrel Way Exeter EX2 7LQ Tel: 08708 506506 Fax: 01392 444238 © Environment Agency June 2005 All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. This report is printed using water based inks on Revive, a recycled paper combining at least 75% de-inked post consumer waste and 2 5 % mill broke. Front cover photograph © Environmental Images. En v ir o n m en t Agency Contents Information Services Unit Please return or renew this item by the due date Due Date Chapter 1 Introduction 2 Chapter 2 Consultation on the F 3 Chapter 3 The CAMS area 4 3.1 Hydrology c 4 3.2 Hydrometry 7 3.3 Abstraction* 7 3.4 Water Depe 11 3.5 Ecology anc 14 3.6 Recreation « 15 3.7 Water qualil 15 Chapter 4 Resource assessment 16 4.1 Introductior 16 4.2 Water resou Fal and St A 19 4.2.1 Wl 19 4 .2 .2 Wl 20 4 .2.3 Wl 20 4 .2 .4 Wl 20 4 .2 .5 Wl 21 4 .2 .6 W 21 4.2.7 WRMU 7 Allen and Kenwyn Rivers 22 4.2.8 WRMU 8 Carnon River 22 4.2.9 WRMU 9 River Kennal 22 4.2.10 WRMU 10 Penryn River 23 4.2.11 WRMU 11 Helford Estuary Streams 23 4.2.12 WRMU 12 The Lizard Streams 23 Chapter 5 Proposed licensing strategy 25 5.1 Sustainability appraisal 25 5.1.1 Introduction 25 5.2 Existing licensing strategy 25 5.3 Catchment overview of proposed licensing strategy 26 5.3.1 Approach to time-limiting 26 5.3.2 Surface Water Licences 26 5.3.3 Impoundments 26 5.3.4 Changes to the current licensing system 27 5.4 Water resource management units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12 (Par River, St Austell River, Caerhays and Coastal Streams, Upper Fal River, Lower Fal River, Tresillian River and Kestle Stream, Allen and Kenwyn Rivers, Carnon River, Helford Estuary Streams and The Lizard Streams). 27 5.4.1 Resource availability status and results of the sustainability appraisal 27 5.4.2 Guidance on the assessment of new applications 28 5.4.3 Renewals and management of existing licences 28 5.4.4 Key issues for consultation 28 5.5 Water resource management units 9 and 10 (Kennal River and Penryn River) 28 5.5.1 Resource availability status and results of the sustainability appraisal 28 5.5.2 Guidance on the assessment of new applications 29 5.5.3 Renewals and management of existing licences 29 5.5.4 Key issues for consultation 29 5.6 Opportunities for licence trading in the Fal and St Austell Streams CAMS area 29 5.7 The Water Act 2003 29 Chapter 6 Future developments in the CAMS area 30 Chapter 7 Summary of key issues for consultation 31 Appendix 1 G lossary 32 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy 114358 Introduction A technical document (consultation version) for the Vision for the CAMS area. Fal and St Austell Streams CAMS has been produced A shared strategy for the sustainable which provides the detailed technical information management of water resources on which the development of the strategy has been based. If you wish to receive this document on within the Fal and St Austell Streams CD-ROM, please contact us at the address below. A hard-copy version o f the document is also available catchment for viewing at the sam e office. Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies CAMS Officer (CAM S) are strategies for management of water Regulatory and Technical (Water Resources) Team resources at a local level. They will make more Environment Agency information on water resources and licensing practice Sir John Moore House publicly available and allow the balance between the Victoria Square needs of abstractors, other water users and the aquatic Bodmin environment to be considered in consultation with the PL31 1EB local community and interested parties. Tel: 08708 506 506 CAMS are also the mechanism for managing time- Fax: 01208 78301 limited licences by determining whether they should be renewed and, if so, on what terms. Or by e-mail to: [email protected] Managing Water Abstraction: The Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy Process is the national document that supports the development of CAMS at a local level. It sets out the national policy and the regulatory framework within which CAMS operate, describes the process of developing CAMS and provides information on the structure and content of CAMS documents. This consultation document should be read in conjunction with Managing Water Abstraction. This Fal and St Austell Streams consultation document establishes how much water is available in the catchments under consideration. It outlines the Environment Agency's proposed options for defining the future local abstraction policy. The Fal and St Austell Streams CAMS is the third to be produced in the Cornwall area. This document seeks your views on the future licensing strategy for this CAMS area. Argal Reservoir Environment Agency Pal and St Austell Streams Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy Consultation on the Fal and St Austell Streams CAMS Consultation is an integral part of the CAMS process. The Agency would like to thank the stakeholder group It is important because it ensures that the CAMS for their involvement. process is as transparent as possible and gives everyone the opportunity to get involved. For the Environment We consult with a diverse stakeholder group with Agency to manage water resources in a catchment different perspectives on how best to manage the effectively and sustainably, it is important that as much rivers to help develop our future policy. They provide information as possible is collated on water needs and us with local information and issues that inform our uses. Comments and suggestions have been gathered assessment. However the outcome of that assessment during the early stages of development of this strategy and the status placed on individual management units through various pre-consultation activities. These were: is determined by the Agency. The stakeholder group is not asked to approve these conclusions and • Awareness-raising leaflet consequently we appreciate that the outcome may • CAMS Stakeholder Croup not be reflective of their views. The leaflet was distributed in january 2004. Its aim was This document is the formal part of the Fal and to raise awareness of the development of the CAMS in St Austell Streams CAM S consultation process and the local area and it also invited anyone with an provides the opportunity for all interested parties to interest to send in written comments, providing comment on the strategy that is being proposed. information, views and suggestions for consideration during the early development of the CAMS. Responses should be sent, in writing to: Regulatory and Technical (Water Resources) Team A stakeholder group has been set up for the Fal and Environment Agency St Austell Streams CAMS. The role of the stakeholder Sir John Moore House group is to represent the key interests in the Victoria Square catchment and to help identify issues of local Bodmin significance, provide views on proposals and to PL31 1EB consider the likely implications of different strategy options. The members of the Fal and St Austell Streams Tel: 08708 506 506 CAMS stakeholder group and the interests they Fax: 01208 78321 represent are as follows: or by e-mail to: [email protected] Name Interest represented Mark Williams Chairman The closing date for th e responses is 30/09/05. Please ensure that you include, where appropriate the Mandy Gore Extractive Industries reference to the element of the proposed strategy that Neil Whiter Water Companies you are addressing. Robert Foote Recreation and Farming Once the responses have been analysed, a statement Jeremy Best Fruit Farming of response will be produced. This will summarise the Gerald Wright Wildlife and Rod Fishing responses, highlighting the main issues raised. It will Toby Russell Agricultural Organisations be sent to all respondents and will also be available Kate Stokes Water Wildlife to others on request. Extracts from responses may be included in this statement. If you would like your Beth Tonkin English Nature response to be treated as confidential, please state Simon Leather Riparian Owners this clearly. Sam Groom Tourism Environment Agency Fal and St Austell Streams Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy The CAMS area The Fal and St Austell Streams CAMS area extends over 3.1 Hydrology and Hydrogeology a total area of approximately 860km2. The area covers all of the Cornish peninsula draining to the English The Fal and St Austell Streams CAMS area forms part Channel, from Par in the East to the Lizard in the West. of the coastline of Britain that represents landfall for the The coastline is indented with extensive estuaries and dominant westerly maritime airflow. As the associated creeks. The A30 road marks the Northerly limit for frontal systems cross the area they interact with the much of the area from Innis Downs to just short higher ground inland giving an orographic effect.