Restoring the River Hull Headwaters River Restoration Plan Final Report June 2010 HASKONING UK LTD. ENVIRONM ENT Burns House Harlands Road Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1PG United Kingdom +44 (0)1444 458551 Telephone 01444440665 Fax [email protected] E-mail www.royalhaskoning.com Internet Document title Restoring the River Hull Headwaters River Restoration Plan Document short title River Hull Headwaters Restoration Plan Status Final Report Version 04 Date June 2010 Project name River Hull Restoration Plan Project number 9T5336 Client Environment Agency Reference 9T5336/Hull02/303330/Lond Drafted by Steven Rayner, Karen White Checked by Helen Dangerfield Date/initials check 01/06/10 HRD Approved by Helen Dangerfield Date/initials approval 01/06/10 HRD River Hull Headwaters Restoration Plan CONTENTS Vision for the River Hull Headwaters SSSI.............................................................................. 1 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................... 3 2. Key issues in the River Hull Headwaters SSSI................................................................... 8 Fine sediment supply and deposition ...................................................................................................................9 Channelisation and Low flows ............................................................................................................................12 Lack of bankside shelter / over-shading .............................................................................................................15 In-channel structures ..........................................................................................................................................18 3. Potential solutions............................................................................................................... 24 A. Changing agricultural and land drainage management practices.................................................................26 A.1 Review the maintenance regime of watercourses .......................................................................................26 A.2. Establish buffer strips adjacent to watercourses.........................................................................................28 A.3. Selectively restrict livestock access to banks..............................................................................................29 B. Alter flood and informal embankments..........................................................................................................30 B.1. Investigate the future management of flood embankments ........................................................................30 B.2. Remove or regrade informal embankments................................................................................................33 C. Enhance aquatic, marginal, bankside and wetland habitats ..........................................................................34 C.1. Establish and enhance aquatic, marginal and bankside habitats ...............................................................34 C.2 River rehabilitation........................................................................................................................................35 C.3. Enhance floodplain wetland habitats...........................................................................................................38 D. Modify in-channel structures ..........................................................................................................................39 D.1 Remove structures .......................................................................................................................................40 D.2. Modify structures .........................................................................................................................................42 D.3. Alter operation of structures ........................................................................................................................43 D.4. Provide a suitable fish pass.........................................................................................................................44 E. Preserve existing habitats ..............................................................................................................................46 E.1. Preserve existing quality habitats................................................................................................................46 E.2. Preserve existing woody debris in the river channel ...................................................................................48 4. Reach-Based Restoration Solutions................................................................................. 49 5. Action plan .......................................................................................................................... 91 6. Further information sources............................................................................................. 102 Appendix A - Environmental Stewardship Appendix B - Conservation Objectives Appendix C - Catchment Sensitive Farming Appendix D - Measures to be undertaken to reach Environmental Objectives under WFD Royal Haskoning would like to thank the Environment Agency, Natural England, East Yorkshire Chalk Rivers Trust and riparian landowners for their assistance in the production of this report. River Hull Headwaters Restoration Plan River Hull Headwaters Restoration Plan VISION FOR THE RIVER HULL HEADWATERS SSSI The River Hull Headwaters is a northerly chalk stream designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) but is currently in poor condition as a result of historic management. The river has been widened and deepened and when combined with low flows resulting from abstraction and flow diversion this results in poor habitat quality. Our vision is to see the river return to ecological health with high water levels in the winter when the springs rise, and a clean gravel bed supporting a rich variety and abundance of aquatic plants for invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds to thrive. The character of the restored River Hull Headwaters Our vision for the River Hull Headwaters is to work towards a river system which has: • Clear flowing water, with clean gravels and smaller areas of silt on the channel bed. • Variable river depths and flow speeds, although predominantly slow flowing as characteristic of chalk streams. • Shallow river banks along which marginal vegetation can colonise, and grow out into the channel, naturally narrowing the river. • Varied bankside plant structure, including areas of shading and more open stretches in the lower reaches • Diverse plant, invertebrate and breeding bird communities that are able to use the river corridor with minimal disturbance. • Low levels of artificial impoundment, such as weirs, High quality chalk stream habitats on Lowthorpe Beck at Harpham , with swift flows, a clean gravel bed and in- and sluices, so that impacts on river function are channel Ranunculus communities. Photo courtesy of A. minimised and there is free passage for fish. Mullinger, EYCRT. • Increased connection with the floodplain where wet grassland and meadows, fen, carr and wooded areas will develop. West Beck chalk stream habitat at Wansford Bridge Swift, clear flows and a clean gravel bed in Gypsey with in-channel Ranunculus communities. Photo Race. Photo courtesy of A. Mullinger, EYCRT. courtesy of J. Traill, YWT. 1 River Hull Headwaters Restoration Plan How can we deliver restoration? • Continue positive management of reaches already in good ecological health. • Support and allow the river to recover where natural processes are already working well. • Assist natural recovery by changing management or undertaking selective river restoration works. • Remove manmade features where they damage the function of the river, whilst recognising the need to protect people and property from flooding and also the cultural, historic and landscape aspects. • Actively restore the river channel where the characteristic features of the river can only be achieved by habitat re-creation. • Ensure the river is adaptable into the future to new pressures such as climate change. High quality chalk stream habitat on Driffield Beck near the showground with well developed in-channel and marginal vegetation communities. Photo courtesy of J. Traill, YWT. Keys to success • Maintaining the vision of restoring a site of national importance. • Learn from early actions and those already implemented in this and other rivers under threat. • Working together with the support of the community across the Hull Headwaters. • Accepting that sustainable recovery will be over longer timescales. • Being adaptable to new challenges and opportunities. • Building solutions through consensus which can benefit all. • Securing funding to implement solutions. 2 River Hull Headwaters Restoration Plan 1. INTRODUCTION The River Hull Headwaters Site of Special Scientific Interest The River Hull Headwaters is located to the east of the Yorkshire Wolds, close to the town of Driffield, approximately 30km north of Kingston-upon-Hull. The site comprises two main tributaries, although different names are used along the length of the watercourse as it flows through the different parishes. The River Hull itself flows southward from the River Hull Headwaters to the Humber Estuary.