Restoring the River Teme SSSI A River Restoration Plan Non – Technical Summary Final March 2013 Restoring the Afon Tefeidiad / River Teme Site of Special Scientific Interest Executive Summary Current state of the Teme SSSI The Afon Tefeidiad / River Teme rises in Wales above Felindre and flows through Knighton, Ludlow and Tenbury Wells before joining the River Severn at Worcester. The River Teme/Afon Tefeidiad is one of the best sandstone and mudstone rivers in Britain, supporting a diverse range of plants, fish, insects and mammals. In recognition of its ecological value, the river has been designated as a nationally important Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Species of interest found in the River Teme SSSI include salmon, twaite shad, otter, native crayfish, lampreys, bullhead and pearl mussels The River Teme SSSI The SSSI is influenced by several factors including physical, hydrological and chemical. Several units within the SSSI remain classified at ‘unfavourable no change’ mainly due to physical system modification. These alterations prevent the river from functioning naturally, reducing its ecological health and stopping the SSSI from reaching its potential. Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales(CCW) have responsibility, on behalf of government, to oversee the management of all SSSIs that leads to their favourable condition. Natural England and CCW work with SSSI landowners and other stakeholders to improve the condition of unfavourable SSSIs, including the River Teme SSSI. Natural England is working with CCW, the Environment Agency and the Severn Rivers Trust to develop a river restoration plan for the River Teme. Its delivery will be over a long time period working with landowners and river managers. Our aims for the River Teme SSSI To return the river to a more natural condition and ecological health by restoring the rivers more natural form and function over the next 50 years. To work with local stakeholders to develop a robust river restoration plan which sets out a means to which the recovery of the SSSI can be achieved in the long term. To develop a detailed scientific understanding about the river and the options that can restore it to favourable condition. Typical section of the Lower Teme 2012s6306 - Restoring the River Teme SSSI - Summary Report Final.doc i We hope to achieve the following for the River Teme SSSI A dynamic and diverse river bed which is suitable for fish and invertebrates. Variable channel features with a variety of river depths and flow speeds. Varied bankside plant structure, including areas of shading and occasional open stretches of floodplain meadow. Diverse plant, invertebrate and breeding bird communities that are able to use the river corridor with minimal disturbance. Lowered levels of river engineering allowing natural movement of the channel within a riparian corridor. Increased connection with the floodplain where wet grassland and meadows, fen, carr and wooded areas may develop. Enhance and protect the landscape character’s natural beauty, diversity and setting of the river and its floodplain Active erosion along the Teme Over time, the restoration will help the river become more resilient to future extremes of flow. Achieving the future vision of the River Teme SSSI In order to achieve our vision there is a need to understand in more detail the morphology and ecology of the river and its floodplain and the processes controlling sediment and gravel redistribution along the system. We have produced a River Restoration Plan. This plan lays out a number of restoration options for the river. These options will be refined further through a process of public engagement; we welcome the input of local stakeholders to help inform the plan. Site action in the river restoration plan will be phased over short, medium and long term timescales, up to 50 years, working with local river owners and managers. We will have more detailed discussions about the site specific actions with relevant stakeholders in the future. Further detailed work and feasibility of site specific actions may also be necessary to implement individual actions of the river 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 the natural recovery by changing management or by undertaking river restoration works to improve natural channel shape, river processes and ecological habitat Remove or minimise the effect of manmade features where they damage the function of the river, whilst recognising the need to protect people and property Eradicate non-native invasive riverside plants and undertake a programme of removing them whenever they re-occur Working in partnership with river owners and managers 2012s6306 - Restoring the River Teme SSSI - Summary Report Final.doc ii 1 Introduction 1.1 Background to the River Teme (Afon Tefeidiad) SSSI The River Teme (Afon Tefeidiad) drains a catchment area of 160,000 hectares rising in the Kerry Hills in the west of the predominantly rural catchment and flows through the towns of Knighton and Ludlow before joining the River Severn at Worcester. A 139.1km length of the River Teme (including a small part of the River Clun) was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1996. Figure 1- Overview of the River Teme SSSI Natural England’s long term vision for the River Teme SSSI is to return it to a more natural condition by restoring the natural form and function of the river and floodplain over the next 50 years. Several organisations including Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Severn Rivers Trust and the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) have been working together to improve conditions within the River Teme catchment. The Severn Rivers trust is currently coordinating the Teme Catchment Partnership Group. The partnership is developing a wider catchment management plan to address a range of issues affecting the river, including actions to improve water quality and tackle invasive species. The River Teme SSSI restoration plan will feed into the wider catchment plan. The Shropshire Hills AONB have also undertaken the Clun catchment management plan and Natural England have published the River Clun Restoration Plan. These set out how the river (which is an important tributary of the Teme) will be cared for in the future. Several units within the Teme SSSI remain classified at "unfavourable no change" condition, due to physical habitat modification and water quality issues. These alterations prevent the river from functioning naturally, reducing its ecological health and stopping the SSSI from reaching its potential. 2012s6306 - Restoring the River Teme SSSI - Summary Report Final.doc 1 Table 1 Five SSSI river units along the River Teme (unit 6 relates to the Clun tributary and unit 7 relates to the Welsh part of the Teme which lie upstream of Felindre). Unit Condition Reason for adverse condition Remedies in place (maintain) Remedies required 1 Unfavoura Inappropriate weirs, dams and Entry Level Stewardship, River ble no other structures, overgrazing Discharge /Pollution Prevention restoration change (note - this refers to land Control consent-revoke/amend, management practices, which Catchment Sensitive Farming may be localised and can Delivery, investigation fluctuate seasonally), water pollution 2 Unfavoura Inappropriate weirs, dams and Entry Level Stewardship, River ble no other structures, overgrazing National DWPA strategy, restoration change (note - this refers to land Diffuse Water Pollution Plan, management practices, which Catchment Sensitive Farming may be localised and can Delivery, Discharge /Pollution fluctuate seasonally), water Prevention Control consent- pollution revoke/amend, investigation 3 Unfavoura Inappropriate weirs, dams and RLR registration, Higher and River ble no other structures, overgrazing Entry Level Environmental restoration change (note - this refers to land stewardship, National DWPA management practices, which strategy, Diffuse Water Pollution may be localised and can Plan, Catchment Sensitive fluctuate seasonally), water Farming Delivery, Discharge pollution, siltation /Pollution Prevention Control consent-revoke/amend, investigation 4 Unfavoura Inappropriate weirs, dams and Entry Level Stewardship, River ble no other structures, invasive Diffuse Water Pollution Plan, restoration change species, water pollution Discharge /Pollution Prevention Control consent-revoke/amend, Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery, investigation. 5 Unfavoura Inappropriate weed control, RLR registration, Higher and River ble no inappropriate weirs, dams and Entry Level Environmental restoration change other structures, overgrazing stewardship, Diffuse Water (note - this refers to land Pollution Plan, Catchment management practices, which Sensitive Farming Delivery, may be localised and can Discharge /Pollution Prevention fluctuate seasonally), water Control consent-revoke/amend, pollution, siltation investigation 6 Unfavoura Inappropriate weirs, dams and Diffuse Water Pollution Plan, River Clun ble no other structures, invasive Discharge /Pollution Prevention restoration, change species, siltation, water pollution Control consent-revoke/amend, invasive Catchment Sensitive Farming species Delivery, investigation, Special control project, Implement AMP programme, scheme Special project, investigation 7