Catchment Abstraction * .. Management Strategy 1999 This book is due for return on or before the last date shown below. N A TIO N A L LIBRARY & IN FO R M A TIO N SERVICE ANGLIAN REGION Kingfisher House. Goldhay Way. Orton Goldhay. Peterborough PE2 5ZR ENVIRONMENT AGENCY 0 8 9 7 7 8 a, tw y CJ&kr CONTENTS CONTENTS i LIST OF TABLES iii LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF PLATES iv 1. Foreword 1 2. Introduction 3 2.1 Document Structure 3 2.2 CAMS -NAM S Relationship 3 2.3 Description of Area 3 2.4 Topography 3 2.5 Land Use 4 2.6 Abstractions of Water 4 3. Resource Balance / Sustainability Status 12 3.1 The Sustainability Status 12 3.2 Allocation of Surface Water Resources 13 3.3 Calculation of Groundwater Resources 15 3.4 The Groundwater Resource and Sustainability Status of the Groundwater Resource for the Little Ouse Groundwater Unit 22 4. Abstraction Licence Policies: What they Are and Where they Apply 24 4.1 Introduction 24 4.2 Additional Licensing Policies that apply to the CAMS area 26 4.3 Licensing Policy for Abstraction from Non-Fenland Surface W ater 28 4.4 Licensing Policy for Abstraction from Fenland Areas 32 4.5 Licensing Policy for Abstraction from Boreholes and Wells 36 4.6 Drought Policy 39 5. Future Strategies and Proposed Action 40 5.1 Introduction 40 5.2 Aspirations 40 5.3 Aspiration to Identify the Water Resource Using the Best Technique Available * 42 5.4 Aspiration to Manage the Water Resource in the Most Effective Way 45 5.5 Conclusions 53 6. Conclusion 56 Trial Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy i River Little Ouse Environment Agency Anglian Region APPENDIX A1 Hydrology Al A2 Hydrogeology A3 A2.1 Main Recharge Areas A7 A2.2 Main Discharge Areas A7 A3 Hydrometry A8 A3.1 River Flow Monitoring ' A8 A3.2 Groundwater Level Monitoring All A3.3 Rainfall All A4 Conservation A12 A4.1 SSSIs, SACs, SPAs and RAMSAR Sites A12 A4.2 Water Level Management Plans A17 A5 Fisheries A17 A 6 Navigation A19 A7 Water Quality A19 A8 Water Resources Methodology A24 A8.1 Definition of the Little Ouse Groundwater Unit A24 A8.2 Calculation of the Groundwater Resources in the Little Ouse A24 A9 Water Resources A28 A9.1 Abstractions and Removals A28 A9.2 Implementation of Abstraction Restrictions A34 A10 Operation of the Great Ouse Groundwater Scheme A36 GLOSSARY I ABBREVIATIONS - ACRONYMS V Trial Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy ii River Little Ouse Environment Agency Anglian Region LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Sustainability Status Description 12 Table 2 Little Ouse Surface Water Availability 15 Table 3 River Sapiston Surface Water Availability 15 Table 4 River Thet Surface Water Availability 15 Table 5 Little Ouse Groundwater Sustainability Status 22 Table 6 Policy Table 26 Table 7 Wetland Habitats Directive Sites in the CAMS trial area 28 Table 8 Standard Summer Surface Cessation Conditions 30 Table 9 Standard Winter Surface Cessation Conditions 31 Table 10 Standard Summer Cessation Conditions 33 Table 11 Standard IDB Cessation Conditions 34 Table 12 Winter Cessation Conditions 35 Table 13 Allocating Water to the Environment 44 Table 14 Work to Improve the Definition of the Water Balance 45 Table 15 Table of Sustainability Policies 47 Table 16 Little Ouse Groundwater Unit Sub-division Sustainability Status 49 Table 17 Development of Sub-divisions 49 Table 18 Calculation of Water Requirement 50 Table 19 Promotion of Efficient Use of Water 51 Table 20 Drought Management 52 Table 21 Time Limits 53 Table 22 Changes within the CAMS Area 53 Table 23 Future Policies 54 Table 24 Gauging Stations A8 Table 25 Current Metering A ll Table 26 Rainfall Statistics A ll Table 27 Wetland SSSIs in the Little Ouse CAMS Area A15 Table 28 Water Level Management Plans A17 Table 29 RE Classes A19 Table 30 Biological (GQA) Grade A19 Table 31 Geology A25 Table 32 Water Balance Calculations A25 Table 33 Available Resource A26 Table 34 Naturalised 95 Percentiles A26 Table 35 Summer Abstractions A26 Table 36 Effluent Data A27 Table 3.7 Groundwater Abstractions by Use A21 Table 38 Groundwater Abstractions by Area A27 Table 39 Groundwater Balance A28 Table 40 Implementation of Cessation Levels (summer) A34 Table 41 Section 57 Abstraction Restrictions A3 5 Table 42 Abstraction from the Great Ouse Groundwater Scheme A37 Trial Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy iii River Little Ouse Environment Agency Anglian Region LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 General Location of CAMS Trial Area 5 Figure 2 Rivers 6 Figure 3 Surface Water Catchments 7 Figure 4 Location of the Thet/Little Ouse Groundwater Unit (With Sub-divisions) 8 Figure 5 Relationship Between Groundwater Unit 9 and Surface Water Catchments 9 Figure 6. Groundwater Balance Methodology 18 Figure 7 Extent of the South Level within the Little Ouse CAMS Area 25 Figure 8 East Wretham Meres, Zones 1 and 2 38 Figure 9 Flow chart for Aspiration 1 41 Figure 10 Flow Chart for Aspiration 2 46 Figure 11 Annual Hydrograph of the Rivers Thet and Little Ouse A2 Figure 12 Deviation from the Long Term Average Rainfall at Elvedon Hall A2 Figure 13 Average Monthly Rainfall and Actual Evaporation in the CAMS Area A3 Figure 14 Geology of the CAMS Area A4 Figure 15 Chalk Groundwater Levels, April 1988 A5 Figure 16 Chalk Groundwater Levels, September 1991 A6 Figure 17 Gauging Stations A9 Figure 18 Location of Observation Boreholes A13 Figure 19 Conservation Sites A16 Figure 20 Fisheries Classification (Biomass) A18 Figure 21 Licensed Discharges A20 Figure 22 Long Term Water Quality Objectives A21 Figure 23 River Ecosystem Class (1997) Chemical Grades A22 Figure 24 Biological Quality of Watercourses A23 Figure 25 Volume of Water Licensed in the Ely Ouse LEAP area A30 Figure 26 Number of Licences Issued in the Ely Ouse LEAP Area A30 Figure 27 Location of Public Water Supply Boreholes A31 Figure 28 Great Ouse Groundwater Development Scheme Boreholes A33 LIST OF PLATES Plate 1 Upper Little Ouse at Knettishall, June 1999 10 Plate 2 Lower Little Ouse at Brandon, June 1999 10 Plate 3 River Sapiston at Ixworth, June 1999 11 Plate 4 River Thet at East Harling, June 1999 11 Plate 5 Hopton Fen, June 1999 19 Plate 6 Hopton Fen, June 1999 19 Plate 7 Langmere, November 1992 20 Plate 8 Langmere, June 1999 20 Plate 9 Great Ouse Groundwater Scheme Borehole no. 60, November 1992 23 Plate 10 Augmentation of the Larling Brook from Borehole no. 60, November 1992 23 Plate 11 Knettishall Gauging Station, June 1999 A10 Plate 12 Melford Bridge Gauging Station, June 1999 A10 Trial Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy iv River Little Ouse Environment Agency Anglian Region LITTLE OUSE CATCHMENT ABSTRACTION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 1. FOREWORD This Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS) for the Little Ouse has been produced as part of the Environment Agency's preparation for the national consultation on the CAMS process, commencing in April 2000. From 2001 CAMS will be public documents, subject to a formal consultation process similar to that undertaken for LEAPS. Each CAMS will describe the water resource and its availability, licensing policies for the allocation o f the resource, and future aspirations and strategies. I would like to thank all those in Thames and Anglian Region o f the Environment Agency who contributed to producing this document. The Vision for the Little Ouse Catchment is that the Water Resources o f the area should be used in a sustainable way, which does not harm the aquatic environment. Existing harmful operations should be targeted for change whilst legitimate development o f water should be allowed where resources are still available. Pat Sones Area Water Resources Manager December 1999 Trial Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy P.l River Little Ouse Environment Agency Anglian Region Project Team Pat Sones Water Resources Manager, Central Area, Anglian Region Nigel Hawkes Regional Licensing Officer, Thames Region Julie Barker Resource Planning Engineer, Central Area, Anglian Region Andrew Mackenney-Jeffs Water Resources Officer (Abstraction Licensing Review), Thames Region Ali Whitehead Resource Planning Officer, Central Area, Anglian Region Paul Wilman Water Resources Officer (Abstraction Licensing Review), Anglian Region Andrew Mackenney-Jeffs Pat Sones Nigel Hawkes Julie Barker Paul Wilman Ali Whitehead Trial Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy P.2 River Little Ouse Environment Agency Anglian Region 2. INTRODUCTION 2.1 Document Structure The Little Ouse Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS) document is comprised of four inter-linking sections. The first section provides a description of the CAMS area, including details of the topography, land-use, rivers etc.. The second section provides an account of how the water resource balance of the area has been calculated, and thus how the sustainability status was assigned. Section three explains the existing water resource policies for the area Section four describes the Agency's aspirations, and how it intends to fulfil them. 2.2 CAMS - NAMS Relationship The National Abstraction Management Strategy (NAMS) Document is a separate, stand-alone National Document, which supplements each CAMS. The NAMS document contains “national issues” such as the Abstraction Management Strategy (AMS) Vision, the legislative background to AMS, national licensing policy and links with other Environment Agency documents and strategies. In essence the NAMS document prevents duplication, and promotes consistency for each CAMS. 2.3 Description of the Area The Little Ouse Catchment is situated in East Anglia Figures 1 and 2 show location maps of the area. Figure 3 shows the surface water catchments for the Rivers Thet, , Little Ouse and Sapiston. The rain that fells on these areas will contribute to the flows in these rivers. Plates 1 to 4 show example reaches of the Upper Little Ouse, Lower Little Ouse, Sapiston and the Thet.