River Restoration in an industrial, urban catchment; experiences from the Don

Karen Eynon Don Catchment

Area: 1849km2 Population: 1.4m

River Rivelin,

© Sheffield City Council Early 19th Century Iron Works in Early Morning on the Don, Sheffield late 19th Century

Cadeby Colliery 1976, taken from Conisborough Castle, near

Photo credit: Pete Hackney “Sheffield, I suppose, could justly claim to be called the ugliest town in the Old World….. the shallow river that runs through the town is usually bright yellow with some chemical or other” George Orwell ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ 1937 The Legacy

• Weirs & other obstructions • Contamination • Heritage • Ownership? • Canalisation • Navigation • People have turned their backs on the river

The Legacy

• Weirs & other obstructions • Contamination • Heritage • Ownership? • Canalisation • Navigation • People have turned their backs on the river

Weirs & Other Obstructions Contamination

Hadfield Weir

• Delays – Sealing the dam • 2 weeks delay – Work stopped due to contamination • Extra costs for: – closed skips – analysis on sediments – disposal • Total costs for contamination an extra £16k • 1 week delay – Christmas Campaign • Deadline to meet

Heritage Ownership?

Wisewood Weir, River Loxley Steelbank Weir, River Don Riparian owners The way forward…….

• Engage a property lawyer • Take out indemnity insurance • Register as a deposition with Land Registry

Conclusions • The Don Catchment has undergone a remarkable recovery • Working in an a formerly industrial catchment brings a certain set of challenges

Conclusions • Contaminated sediments were a major fear but so far no problems

• Working with a large retail site owners is challenging but definitely achievable

• Ownership of structures in rivers can involve a lot of investigation but it can be solved

Karen Eynon DCRT Project Officer Tel: 07585 448710 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dcrt.org.uk 14TH ANNUAL NETWORK CONFERENCE

Scaling up our Aspirations for River Restoration and Management

The RRC would like to thank the sponsors of the RRC Annual Conference 2013 who support discounted places

[email protected] 01234 752979 www.therrc.co.uk