East Wight Watercourses: Biodiversity Review and Project Identification Draft Version 2 Jonathan Cox December 2012 East Wight Watercourses: Biodiversity Review and Project Identification 1 Contents 2 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 5 3 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 6 4 Sources of information .......................................................................................................... 6 4.1 Water Framework Directive (WFD) River Basin Management Plan .................................. 6 4.1.1 Palmers Brook ................................................................................................................. 6 4.1.2 Blackbridge Brook ........................................................................................................... 7 4.1.3 Monktonmead Brook ...................................................................................................... 7 4.1.4 The Eastern Yar ............................................................................................................... 8 4.2 Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP), 2009 ..................................... 9 4.2.1 Sub‐area 4: Palmers Brook, Wootton Creek and Monktonmead Brook ........................ 9 4.2.2 Sub‐area 5: Lower Eastern Yar ........................................................................................ 9 4.2.3 Sub‐area 6: Upper Eastern Yar and Upper River Medina ............................................ 10 4.3 Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS): 2004......................................... 10 4.3.1 Isle of Wight CAMS Annual Update April 2008 ............................................................. 10 4.4 Water Level Management Plans (WLMP) ....................................................................... 11 4.4.1 Brading Marshes WLMP ................................................................................................ 11 4.4.2 Alverstone Marshes WLMP ........................................................................................... 11 4.4.3 Wootton Creek Water Level Management Plan ........................................................... 11 4.5 River corridor surveys..................................................................................................... 12 4.5.1 Palmers Brook RCS ........................................................................................................ 12 4.5.2 Blackbridge Brook RCS .................................................................................................. 12 4.5.3 Monktonmead Brook RCS ............................................................................................. 12 4.5.4 Eastern Yar RCS ............................................................................................................. 13 4.6 Isle of Wight BAP Wetland Habitat Action Plan, Second Review January 2011 ............... 13 4.7 Fisheries reports ............................................................................................................. 14 4.7.1 An Investigation into the reported decline of the river fisheries of the Isle of Wight; Environment Agency, 2003 .......................................................................................................... 14 4.7.2 Isle of Wight fisheries investigative surveys; Environment Agency, 2005 .................... 16 4.7.3 Other surveys ................................................................................................................ 16 4.7.4 Eastern Yar Fish Survey 2012 ........................................................................................ 17 4.7.5 Key fish issues in the Eastern Yar .................................................................................. 17 4.7.6 Fish communities of the Palmers Brook, Blackbridge Brook and Monktonmead Brook 18 Jonathan Cox Associates 2 4.8 Dragonflies and damselflies ........................................................................................... 18 4.8.1 Banded damoiselle Calopteryx splendens : ................................................................... 19 4.8.2 Golden ringed dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii: ......................................................... 20 4.8.3 White‐legged damselfly Platycnemis pennipes:............................................................ 21 4.8.4 Hairy dragonfly Brachytron pratense ............................................................................ 21 4.8.5 Scarce chaser Libellula fulva ......................................................................................... 22 4.8.6 Conclusions from dragonfly surveys ............................................................................. 22 4.9 Water voles ................................................................................................................... 22 5 Rare woodland mammals ..................................................................................................... 24 6 Palmers Brook ...................................................................................................................... 26 6.1 Landscape and biodiversity overview of the catchment .................................................. 26 6.1.1 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) ........................................................................ 28 6.1.2 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) .................................................... 28 6.1.3 Water voles ................................................................................................................... 30 6.1.4 Dragonflies .................................................................................................................... 30 6.1.5 Fish ................................................................................................................................ 30 6.1.6 Woodland mammals ..................................................................................................... 30 6.2 WFD issues ..................................................................................................................... 30 6.3 Management issues ....................................................................................................... 30 6.4 Fisheries issues ............................................................................................................... 31 6.5 Initiatives and opportunities .......................................................................................... 31 7 Blackbridge Copse ................................................................................................................ 31 7.1 Landscape and biodiversity overview of the catchment .................................................. 31 7.1.1 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) ........................................................................ 35 7.1.2 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) .................................................... 36 7.1.3 Water voles ................................................................................................................... 36 7.1.4 Dragonflies .................................................................................................................... 36 7.1.5 Fish ................................................................................................................................ 36 7.1.6 Woodland mammals ..................................................................................................... 36 7.2 WFD issues ..................................................................................................................... 37 7.3 Management issues ....................................................................................................... 37 7.4 Fisheries issues ............................................................................................................... 37 7.5 Initiatives and opportunities .......................................................................................... 37 7.5.1 Isle of Wight Forest Design Plan ................................................................................... 37 7.5.2 Living Landscapes .......................................................................................................... 38 7.5.3 People’s Trust for Endangered Species Reserve ........................................................... 38 8 Monktonmead Brook ............................................................................................................ 39 8.1 Landscape and biodiversity overview of the catchment .................................................. 39 Jonathan Cox Associates 3 8.1.1 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) ........................................................................ 40 8.1.2 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) .................................................... 40 8.1.3 Water voles ................................................................................................................... 42 8.1.4 Dragonflies .................................................................................................................... 42 8.1.5 Fish ...............................................................................................................................