Watercourses in the Community June 2000
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Watercourses in the Community A guide to sustainable watercourse i management in the urban environment in the Community Watercourses June 2000 Chairman’s Foreword The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) aims 'to promote the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty and amenity of controlled waters and the conservation of flora and fauna dependent on aquatic environments'. Historically, environmental improvements have been secured by SEPA through regulation, but new initiatives and new partnerships with external organisations are enabling more non-statutory opportunities for encouraging environmental gain. With the launch of the Habitat Enhancement Initiative (HEI) in July 1998 such opportunities are extending to habitat and conservation issues. For SEPA to maximise these opportunities a range of resources has been developed through HEI, which provide guidance on good management practice for aquatic habitats. This document, Watercourses in the Community, is the second in a series of documents to be produced to provide, to both internal and external staff, simple clear guidelines for the management of Scotland's urban rivers. 'Watercourses in the Community' has been produced in partnership with key environmental organisations in Scotland, in association with the Institution of Civil ii Engineers, for whose contribution SEPA is extremely grateful. The document has been developed over the past two years through workshops and task groups and SEPA would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the production of Watercourses Introduction in the Community, especially the local authorities whose input has been invaluable. In Scotland, many of our urban rivers and streams have been constrained, degraded and hidden beneath concrete. Take the opportunity to learn from this working document how you can help to protect and enhance these important Scottish habitats. Ken Collins Chairman, Scottish Environment Protection Agency Index The World of Scottish Rivers and Burns iv Introduction 1 1. The importance of Urban Watercourses - sets out the 3 importance of watercourses in the wider context of sustainable development and urban revitalisation, and explains why we have not made as much use of watercourses as we might. 2. Opportunities with Urban Watercourses - identifies the 7 benefits from restoring urban watercourses, the practical problems that may need to be overcome, and the wide range of sustainable engineering techniques available to achieve the goal. 3. Some Ideas on Applying the Techniques - runs through a 16 series of different watercourse scenarios which should help with ideas for local schemes. 4. Working with Water - covers the importance of 24 understanding catchments and natural processes, safety, maintenance, sustainable urban drainage systems, soft engineering, and river restoration techniques. 5. Make Things Happen - a step by step guide to getting a 36 watercourse restoration project going. 6. Actions - plus specific suggestions for politicians, local 40 authorities, developers and the community. iii 7. Information and advice - a quick reference section to 49 each of the subject areas. Introduction 8. Glossary 53 Manage it Follow the path Maintain it Going upstream and Monitor it work towards against Enforce it the future... Implement it the flow Find the funding Agree a scheme Agree a Plan What are the problems - What are the options? Undertake a watercourse survey to find out what is there, think about different courses of action and the associated problems. What do People Want? Find out how the residents would like their neighbourhood to look and to function. - Pre consultation. Recognise the Importance Urban watercourses offer small opportunities, but there are many of them. Cumulatively they amount to a big lost opportunity to enhance quality of life, increase biodiversity, help reverse the decline of urban areas, reduce development in the countryside, reduce dependence on car use, energy consumption, air pollution, and global warming. The World of Scottis Opportunities for the Built Environment Water can provide fine settings for many buildings - from intima settings around small burns, to grand vistas across major rivers. Ideals: • make the most of water-frontages • use SUDS in all developments to minimise run-off, often they enhance the surroundings Working with Water • maximise the quality of the design Catchments See chapters 2, 3, 4 & 5 Watercourses, drainage, and flooding are natural systems which naturally establish an equilibrium. Human interference often causes problems: • increasing run-off = flooding • straightening rivers = increased erosion Footpath by side of burn • building on floodplains = increased flooding downstream Margins and flood plain preserved Wherever possible natural river systems should remain Central open space untouched; if it is necessary to interfere, every effort should be made to maintain the natural balance Detention Pond See chapter 4 Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) SUDS are techniques which encourage rainwater to drain into the soil, or slow-draining channels and ponds - as opposed to fast draining pipes leading directly into watercourses. The use of SUDS: • reduces the downstream flow • reduces the power of the water • reduces the risk of flooding iv • helps maintain flows in periods of dry weather Sustainable Urba • improves water quality downstream Natural processes lie • increases amenity value. attempts to mana Soft Engineering & Sustainability Introduction • natural process and materials • use modeling techniques to predict effects • unsustainable practice has cost millions, eg in 1994 West Central Scotland floods cost £100,000,000 in damage See chapter 4 Consultation & Community It is important that community involvement is encouraged - for both short term and long term benefit. There is a lot of help Funding and advice available - this booklet for instance! All involved Many schemes to parties should be heard and clear objectives outlined. sustainable urban See chapters 5 & 6 themselves - benef • attract people • can increase the watercourse (up Restoration • help support tou Many urban watercourses are buried in pipes, channelled in concrete, SUDS are.. or concealed behind flood defence banks. Few play a positive part in • normally cheape our towns - either for people or nature. This will hopefully become • help to reduce fl a thing of the past. Ideals: flood protection • Best Value: don’t adhere to traditional practices - work with nature • eliminate safety hazards not public access But these measure • work towards the best long-term outcome There are two appr • be realistic - achieve your goals • apply for funding • benefit all - the environment, the economy and the community • apply for funding See chapters 3 & 4 of the watercour See chapter 5 for step by step guide on river restoration cycle route unde See chapter 5 sh Rivers and Burns Opportunities for People ate The UK aims to: • increase the population living in urban areas • reduce development pressures on Opportunities for Nature the countryside The UK aims to protect and enhance wildlife, through The Key is improving the quality of life in designations and protective measures, implemented at both urban areas... and urban watercourses national and local level, eg Biodiversity Action Plans. can help, through providing: • areas of natural beauty and places of tranquility Watercourses: • leisure and recreation • support a vast range of species in and outside the water • cycling and pedestrian routes • are keys to increasing biodiversity • access to green space Urban watercourses: • opportunities for fishing • are the richest natural habitats in the town See chapters 2, 4 & 5 • important wildlife corridors A bad stretch can endanger wildlife, and the influence can be felt for many miles.. Watercourses should provide: • pollution free water • free passage for wildlife up and down the river • decent, natural habitats in and around the water, such as meanders, pools, riffles and gravel beds, bankside vegetation • natural features • areas that are free from disturbance Remember - action in one part of the river will cause a reaction elsewhere! See chapters 2, 4 & 5 an Watercourses v e at the centre of our Policy, Law & Regulation Introduction age watercourses There are many different regulations in force from EU level downwards. They are intended to: • prevent damage to habitats • prevent damage to species • prevent works that could cause flooding • ensure the safety of the public See chapters 4 & 7 Organisations and Responsibilities • Who is in charge of watercourses? • Who is in charge of habitats and nature conservation? • Who do I need to ask if I want to do anything to a watercourse? restore watercourses, or to introduce • Where can I volunteer? drainage systems (SUDS) will pay for See chapters 5, 6 & 7 fits... e value of property next to the to 20%) urism which is a major employer Planning er to maintain Planning policies exist at national and local level to: ooding and the need for expensive • prevent development in areas which are prone to flooding measures • protect existing watercourses and habitats • require the use of sustainable urban drainage techniques es require money up-front. roaches worth trying: Many local authorities will be adopting the recommendations g specifically to restore a watercourse in this guidance for the protection and positive use of watercourses. g for a large project of which the restoration See chapter 6 rse is a part,