THE NORFOLK RIVERS TRUST RESTORING NORFOLK’S RIVERS THE RIVER INGOL A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RIVER STIFFKEY A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN | PAGE A THE NORFOLK RIVERS TRUST RESTORING NORFOLK’S RIVERS THE RIVER INGOL A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN WITH SUPPORT FROM THE RIVER STIFFKEY A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN | PAGE A CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Introduction 1 The Water Framework Directive 1 This plan has been produced by Norfolk Rivers Trust in participate in setting objectives for an environmentally A choice of rivers for our future 2 consultation with relevant agencies, landowners, farmers sustainable solution for their area. Delivery of the actions and residents in the Ingol Catchment. The catchment is outlined in the plan will lead to improved water quality, River Ingol statistics 4 thought to be an appropriate scale to consider because ecosystem health, and should encourage economically Why restore rivers? 4 it encompasses the entire area which drains towards valuable fish species. the river so can involve even distant sources of pollution which could affect the river. The aim of the plan is to The plan begins by providing an audit of the current THE CATCHMENT provide an outline for improvement of the ecological state of the catchment. This information is then used to status of the Ingol, guided by the Water Framework identify ecological pressures. In the final stages of the The community 5 Directive (WFD). Setting ecological restoration objectives plan, solutions to these pressures are identified, costed Overview of restorations options 6 should be undertaken with community consultation, and prioritised. and Norfolk Rivers Trust is very keen for local people to Geodiversity of the river Ingol 7 Geodiversity of the Ingol valley 7 Wildlife surrounding the Ingol 9 A history of human management 11 The Ingol from source to mouth 11 THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE Section 1 – Source at Shernborne to Ingoldisthorpe (St Thomas’ Lane) 12 The Water Framework Directive (WFD) was introduced status must be achieved by 2021 or 2027, depending on Section 2 – Ingoldisthorpe (St Thomas’ Lane) to A149 14 in 2000 and commits European Union member states the severity of the barrier to good status. The majority Section 3 – A149 to Source to tidal sluice 16 to improving the physical and ecological quality of their of Britain’s rivers fail to attain good status due to a wide streams, rivers and lakes. The quality of these waters variety of pressures. In England, the Environment Agency is measured using a range of indicators outlined below are responsible for WFD delivery. THE PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS which combine to give a picture of a river’s health. Using this combination of indicators a river (or lake) is then The current report is informed by an existing technical How connected is the river along its course and to its floodplain? 18 graded on its overall “ecological status”, and designated Waterbody Report undertaken by the Environment Water quality 19 as either bad, poor, moderate, good or high. Each Agency, but also draws together information from other member state is required to bring its water bodies to sources, and is written with stakeholders as the intended Diffuse pollution 19 good status by 2015. Where this is not possible, good audience. Environmental flows and abstraction 19 River structure 19 Water Framework Current river Predicted by 2015 Invasive species 20 Directive Status Status (2009) Ecosystem 20 Bad Trees and woody debris 21 Poor Invertebrates Invertebrates Fish Fish AN ACTION PLAN Phosphate Phosphate Moderate Overall status Overall status Section 1 – Source at Shernborne to Ingoldisthorpe (St Thomas’ Lane) 22 Section 2 – Ingoldisthorpe (St Thomas’ Lane) to A149 22 Good Section 3 – A149 to Source to tidal sluice 23 High Dissolved Oxygen Dissolved Oxygen Ammonia Ammonia Costs and timeline 25 pH pH Further information 25 Heavily Modified Water Body for Heavily Modified Water Body for wider environment wider environment Author: Olly van Biervliet of Norfolk Rivers Trust Design: Ark Creative (UK) Ltd Hydrology supports good status Hydrology supports good status Table 1. Results of detailed water body investigations undertaken by the Environment Agency to determine This plan has been enriched by James Wilson Sarah Keane Ellis Selway the status of the River Ingol. A prediction about the status at the next “waypoint” in the WFD schedule (2015) THANKS cooperation and contributions Clive Fleming Valerie and Lorne Green Helen Blower also shown. from many different people Tim Makin Tim Holt-Wilson Richard Bowen and organisations. Norfolk Rivers Trust are grateful to the Mark Robinson Andrina Walmsley Kelly Powell help from these individuals, Claire Singh Emily Nobbs Jonah Tosney and do not seek to imply that Avril Wright Helen Baczkowska Jonathan Lewis the document is necessarily Robin Balaam Reed Kye Jerrom Chris Roberts endorsed by those listed here. NRT would like to thank all Steve and Sue Booth James Dyke Emmie van Biervliet those involved for their help: Alexander George Nina Birkby Sam Brown THE RIVER INGOL A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN (DRAFT) | PAGE 1 A CHOICE FOR THE FUT URE OF OUR RIVERS… PAGE 2 | THE RIVER INGOL A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN (Draft) THE RIVER INGOL A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN (Draft) | PAGE 3 RIVER INGOL STATISTICS SECTION 1 THE CATCHMENT Approximate river length: 10.3 km The Ingol is a chalk stream in North Norfolk which runs from the stream. A section of the river passes through Catchment area: 35.3 km2 from its source in Shernborne through a predominantly Ingoldisthorpe and Snettisham providing scenic nature Protected areas: Snettisham RSPB Nature Reserve and the coastline – SSSI, SAC, Ramsar site, SPA. rural catchment until its mouth close to Snettisham RSPB walks for the community. Below Snettisham, intensive Nature Reserve. Towards the headwaters of the stream, arable agriculture borders the stream and the Ingol has Legal designations: Natura 2000 (Habitats and/or Birds Directive), Nitrates Directive, Shellfish agriculture is represented by low intensity grazing by been modified to such an extent that it has almost no Water Directive cattle and captive red deer, with arable fields at a distance ecological value. THE COMMUNITY WHY RESTORE RIVERS? It is part of the Norfolk Rivers Trust’s mission to gain the active participation of the community. Stakeholders help Britain’s rivers generally fail to reach “good” ecological absorb and process pollutants. This enhances water us to set objectives, keep us informed about issues on the quality. This is both a problem in itself and a sentinel quality within limits. However, very polluted rivers have less ground such as pollution and actively volunteer to make of trouble. wildlife and in turn a reduced capacity to provide such many more worthwhile projects possible. benefits. This leads to a downward spiral. Wildlife itself A well-functioning river system is an inseparable has an intrinsic value and is enjoyed by groups such as Norfolk Rivers Trust have recently started to work in the combination of good water quality, distinctive physical fishermen, ramblers and bird watchers. Ingol catchment, and we were very pleased to receive processes and diverse wildlife. These factors interact over 70 people at our latest event. The River Ingol is a to provide benefits. A naturally functioning river has a If any of the three pillars of the river system are damaged rural catchment, containing the towns and villages of floodplain with sufficient capacity to absorb inundation (water quality, physical processes, ecosystem), then the Shernborne, Dersingham, Ingoldisthorpe and Snettisham. and to act as a store for silt carried by high flows. The river value of the entire interconnected system is reduced. channel is also self-scouring. This reduces flood risk and Arguably, we also have a responsibility to repair our An opportunity to restore a section of the River Ingol by the need for expensive management. Headwater forests damaged natural heritage for future generations. Thus, improving habitat has already been identified, and this reduce surges of water into the system by increasing ecological restoration aims to enhance the functioning, project will be greatly aided by the help of volunteers. drainage and removal of water. Moreover, the vegetation, as well as the intrinsic value of our beautiful rivers. Norfolk Rivers Trust are grateful for the help which microbes and invertebrates in the river corridor also landowners have given to make this project happen, and hope that more projects will be initiated in the near future. A Norfolk Rivers Trust event in Snettisham in March 2014 which was attended around 100 people. PAGE 4 | THE RIVER INGOL A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN (DRAFT) THE RIVER INGOL A WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LOCAL CATCHMENT PLAN (DRAFT) | PAGE 5 Dorset. There are 12 such rivers in Norfolk. They are fed OVERVIEW OF RESTORATIONS OPTIONS GEODIVERSITY OF THE principally from groundwater rather than surface water, and flow is gradually released through springs or directly RIVER INGOL up through the river bed. Chalk rivers have a distinctive Summary of possible restoration options on the river Ingol. flow regime: their springheads tend to have steady flow, These proposals will greatly enhance the water quality although some headwater valleys may be dry in summer and wildlife value of the river. It is stressed that these are Introducing Chalk Rivers when groundwater levels fall. They tend to have more subject to landowner consent and are only outline ideas at stable temperature regimes than other rivers due to a this stage. Chalk rivers are a distinctive and valuable part of constant baseflow component. Their waters are highly England’s landscape. There are more to be found here alkaline, which gives rise to a distinctive ecology and than anywhere else in the world.