:: ; i f - SOUTH ESSEX f T, ! 7. CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN CONSULTATION REPORT ‘I V / • W ISlEOt GI 'A1MOUTH * mEtiotouot < • M U C H IOWRTOH. • umtmc • Etf • HUNT1NGOON 1 • IE W O M ) \ IfSW KM NRA . M U 'O N KEYHEj ; 'UtWICH COICHESIEI* National Rivers Authority V CUC TOH OK SEA (HELMSEOIO Anglian Region IBILLERICA* ^ g Jj»«H A M OM«ctoucH t JW UNW '»ju(|THENOOtl su NOVEMBER 1995 CATCHMENT KEY DETAILS GENERAL Land Area 1841.54 km2 Groundwater WATER Population 1990 678,000 N o additional water available RESOURCES Projected to year 2001 694,000 Surface Water Main Towns and Populations N o additional summer water. Limited winter Southend-on-Sea water availaBle suBject to cessation (Municipal Borough) 167,200 conditions to safeguard the water Canvey Island 35,600 environment and other w’ater users. Basildon (Municipal Borough) 96,400 Stanford-le Hope/Benfleet/ PuBlic Water Supply ABstractions Hadleigh/Thundersley 49,600 Essex & Suffolk Water: There are two Chalk Corringham 32,300 puBlic water supply aBstractions in the Grays 48,100 catchment. These are located at Linford and Rayleigh 28,000 Stifford, and are licensed to aBstract 3728 (Data from Essex County Council, Planning Department) M l/a(l M l/a= 1 million litres) ADMINISTRATIVE County Council: Length of Designated Main River FLOOD DEFENCE DETAILS Essex Fluvial 313.6 km Tidal 101.4 km Borough/District Councils: Length of Main River EmBankment Basildon Brentwood Fluvial 4.5 km Castle Point Chelmsford Length of NRA Tidal Defences 145.4 km Maldon Rochford Area at risk from tidal flooding 97.5 km2 Southend-on-Sea Thurrock Area at risk from fluvial flooding 27.1 knr Unitary Authority: The Anglian Region of the NRA has no NAVIGATION London Borough of Havering statutory Navigation responsiBility within this plan area. O n the coast this NRA responsiBility lies with the Port of London Anglian Region - Eastern Area Authority and the Crouch HarBour Thames Region (covering discharges to the Authority. Thames Estuary) Length o f coarse fishery 11.7 km FISHERIES Water Utilities Length o f trout fishery 0 km Anglian Water Services (AWS) Well in excess of 100 reservoirs, lakes and Essex & Suffolk Water (ESW) ponds throughout the catchment area are also used actively for freshwater angling. The Sewage Treatment Works total is not known precisely. Anglian Water Services (AWS) Length of River in General Quality WATER QUALITY Significant Sewage Works Assessment classifications 1992 to 1994:- Wickford, Upminster, Rochford, (population equivalent > 10,000) Class A 0.0 km Class B 0.0 km Rayleigh East, Rayleigh West, Class C 30.0 km Class D 92.0 km Woodham Ferrers Class E 34.0 km Class F 10.0 km Significant Sewage Works Length of estuary on Coastal and Estuarine CONSERVATION (discharging to Thames estuary & monitored Working Party Gradcs:- By NRA Thames Region) Basildon, Benfleet, Canvey, TilBury, Canvey Grade A: 14.0 km Grade B: 41.3 km Island, Southend-on-Sea, Stanford-le-Hope Grade C: 0.0 km Grade D: 0.0 km (shortly to Be diverted to TilBury STW) N um Ber of SSSIs 22 Internal Drainage Boards N um Ber of wrater dependent SSSIs N one N um Ber of National Natural Reserves 2 N um Ber of Ramsar Sites 4 Flood Defence Committees N um Ber of ESAs 1 Essex Local Flood Defence Committee N um Ber of Special Protection Areas 4 N um Ber of proposed SPAs/Ramsar Sites 1 N um Ber of Local Nature Reserves 6 N um Ber of County Wildlife Sites 345 THE NRA'S VISION FOR THE SOUTH ESSEX CATCHMENT This catchment contains the Rivers Crouch, Roach and Mardyke, the drainage network within Canvey Island, and the numerous smaller rivers, many of which drain directly to the sea or the Thames Estuary. The land use is primarily agricultural, But suBstantial urBan and industrial areas form much of the coastal fringe Between Southend-on-Sea and Purflect. Significant industry is associated with the major towns of Basildon and Wickford, with large populations at Billericay and Burnham-on-Crouch. Key objectives in the catchment over the next ten years are to: • Manage water resources in an environmentally sustainable way, Balancing the needs of the water environment and those of all legitimate water users. • Manage water resources to meet demands for water taking account of b o th human needs and those of the water environment. In the short term the NRA see demands being met By a comBination of measures including demand management initiatives and more efficient use of water By industry and agriculture. In the longer term, the NRA sees future rises in demand Being met from outside the catchment, relying on increased imports from supplemented supplies to ABBerton and Hanningfield reservoirs, and suBsequent distriBution southwards through Essex and Suffolk Water’s mains network. • Improve compliance of rivers with their water quality target classifications. • Achieve a reduction in the numBer of pollution incidents arising from industrial estate surface water systems, through pollution prevention campaigns. • Achieve an improvement in bacterial quality’ in waters associated with shellfisheries and water contact sports. • Ensure protection of the quality' of groundwater in the Thurrock area, used for puBlic supply. • Develop the amenity and recreational potential of inland and coastal waters and their associated lands. This is being encouraged, for example, By extension and improvement of the footpath network beside watercourses; and also By improving disaBled access. • Further the conservation and enhancement of fisheries, wildlife, landscape, and archaeological features By undertaking river restoration schemes, and ensuring that environmental protection and enhancements are incorporated in all maintenance and capital works. • Maintain, develop and improve fisheries through careful monitoring, liaison and cooperation with all interested parties. Pursue and achieve appropriate target classes for rivers, and protect fish stocks. • Maintain and improve, where appropriate, the flood flow carrying capacity of the Catchments rivers and the defence standards of the seawalls. In so doing the N RA will take into account coastal processes, economic factors and the care and enhancement of the environment. Examples of such initiatives are the Essex Shoreline Management Plan and resulting Sea Wall Strategy, and capital improvements to sea defences on the Roach. • Develop Water Level Management Plans to protect and enhance valuaBle and sensitive environmental areas. It is our intention to work in partnership with all relevant agencies and representative organisations, to achieve an integrated approach to managing the catchment. This report, and the ensuing period of puBlic consultation, seeks to ensure that required improvements are carried out and future demands are catered for, in an environmentally sustainable manner. MAP MAP OF THE CATCHMENT Front Front Cover: Tilbury Fort Prim ary Roads Railways (J ) Airport Main River Catchment Boundary Urban Area / Tilbury . /rirness km Gravesend /XI SOUTH ESSEX CMP fmuM Mill U U iff lI \ C\\ FOREWORD FOREWORD 1 2 8 3 7 9 Established in 1989 the National Rivers Authority has as its role the "Guardians of the Water Environment". As such it is committed to protecting and improving the water environment in its broadest sense. Establishing a sound planning Base for the development of river catchments is essential to good future management. Integrated Catchment Management Planning plays an increasingly important role in the management of the water environment. Demands upon catchments are many and varied, and conflicts require careful consideration. The enhancement of the water environment is one of the main aims of consultation with individuals and organisations having an interest in the catchment. This report examines the Rivers Crouch, Roach, Mardyke, their triButaries, their catchments, their offshore tidal waters, and adjacent coastal and Thames estuary frontages. The shoreline limits are Purfleet in the Thames Estuary and the Dengie Peninsula. Also within the area of this Plan are some of the country’s most important saltmarsh and mudflat environments which support internationally important Bird populations. The dry nature of this catchment, together with its high water demand, make water resource requirements a high priority. Tight water quality control is therefore essential to maintain the quality of the limited water available for the varied catchment uses. This report shows our initial view of the issue facing the catchment. I would welcome your views on the future management of the plan area:- > • Have all the important water related issues been identified? • Have all the options and solutions to issues been identified? • Which issues and options do you support or oppose? • Do you have any other information or ideas you wish to express? NRA Anglian Region, Regional Headquarters, Kingfisher House, Goldhay Way, Paul Foster Orton Goldhay, Regional General Manager Peterborough PE2 5ZR. This document includes relevant information about the catchment and lists the issues we have identified and which need to Be addressed. Following the puBlic consultation period, an Action Plan will Be produced which will balance the catchment’s conflicting demands and will set out targets for action By the NRA and others over the coming years. This is your opportunity to influence our future plans. Correspondence should be addressed to:- Dr Jonathan Wortley, Planning Manager, NRA, Anglian Region, Cobham Road, Ipswich, IP3 9JE. Final date for responses is 29 February’, 1996. NRA Anglian Region i Eastern Area Catchment