North Yorkshire, England: River Ribble (Long Preston Deeps) SSSI
Over many years the course of the River Ribble has been altered for flood defence, land drainage, water supply and navigation. Modifications, like this, have had a detrimental effect on how the river flows, the quality of its water and the habitats and wildlife it supports.
Between 2004 and 2013 a range of partners researched, planned and implemented a wet grassland project at the River Ribble (Long Preston deeps SSSI) and surrounding land in the North of England
(Figure 1) and were successful in bringing 97% of 765 hectares into a form of voluntary
Environmental Stewardship Scheme. Target outcomes included restoring habitat for a range of bird species of conservation concern, improved river user experience, community work, archaeology and farming economics. Following extensive monitoring; it has been stated that the scheme is one of the most successful farmland wetland restoration schemes in the UK. (link to http://www.longprestonwetgrasslandproject.co.uk/ ) Please see Appendix: Consultation and Land
Use (C4 and 5) for maps of scheme.
In 2010 the status of Long Preston Deeps (SSSI)) was confirmed overall to be in 'unfavourable condition'. UK Government targets for SSSIs required a river restoration plan for Long Preston Deeps
SSSI to be adopted by December 2010, contributing to moving the SSSI towards 'unfavourable recovering condition'. Specific issues identified in the plan focussed around improving fisheries and hydromorphology.
The Environment Agency and Natural England have developed a plan (link to http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/yorkshire_and_the_humber/ourwork/riverribblerestorat ion.aspx) for 7km of the Ribble between Settle and Long Preston, which has been classified as
‘heavily modified’. The remedial actions in this plan aim to enhance the rivers natural processes, which will also improve its habitat for valuable wildlife and help the landscape to adapt to the demands of our changing climate.
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North Yorkshire, England: River Ribble (Long Preston Deeps) SSSI
Figure 1. Aerial image of the River Ribble Long Preston Deeps Site of Special Scientific Interest.
In the UK Natural England are responsible for SSSI maintenance and improvement and the
Environment Agency are tasked with meeting Water Framework Directive objectives including hydromorphological status improvement. Collaborative funding and project planning over the last two years has seen the implementation of a minimum intervention river and floodplain naturalisation approach to improving the SSSI.
Two phases of restoration have been delivered by the Environment Agency over the last two summers(Figure 2 & 3) involving landowners and other river users in a coordinated plan of action based around the original restoration proposals. The works have required close cooperation between DEFRA organisations including the Environment Agency, Natural England and Forestry
Commission and strong liaison with user communities. The works centred around channel and floodplain reconnection through a highly active wandering reach of the river and consisted of revetment removal, floodbank realignment palaeo-feature reconnection, chute channel construction and coarse sediment patch creation.
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North Yorkshire, England: River Ribble (Long Preston Deeps) SSSI
Figure 2. Phase I naturalisation works on the River Ribble Long Preston Deeps Site of Special
Scientific Interest.
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North Yorkshire, England: River Ribble (Long Preston Deeps) SSSI
Figure 3. Phase II naturalisation works on the River Ribble Long Preston Deeps Site of Special
Scientific Interest.
Compromise was necessary to account for the current usage pressures on the river and floodplain, however, significant process and form alteration has been achieved demonstrating the advantages of working to restore river and floodplain processes to facilitate naturalisation rather than adopting a soft engineering approach towards river stabilisation.
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North Yorkshire, England: River Ribble (Long Preston Deeps) SSSI
Intensive monitoring of the site has revealed significant changes to the in-channel morphology following several geomorphologically effective floods (Figure 4), resulting in sediment shoaling, riffle development and an overall slowing of erosion of the bed and banks. Chute development has been most rapid with entrance and headcut erosion and chute exit gravel splay formation. Reconnected palaeo features have been rejuvenated receiving flood waters on a frequent basis and reducing overall erosive forces in the previously confined main channel. Improved floodplain connectivity and increased floodplain area have led to more frequent inundation and the deposition of significant quantities of overbank fines. Wetter habitats are also developing across the floodplain, improving the overall hydromorphology of the reach.
Figure 4. Morphologic change following naturalisation along the River Ribble Long Preston Deeps
Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The overall performance of the restoration approach is reported on together with future plans linked to stakeholder engagement designed to extend the naturalisation further through the SSSI.
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North Yorkshire, England: River Ribble (Long Preston Deeps) SSSI
Complementary strategic catchment projects: In 2011 The Environment Agency, with partners developed further complementary work involving developing a Ribble catchment based invasive species plan with associated action using a ‘big society’ approach for the Ribble. This was funded by the Environment Agency in partnership with the Ribble Rivers Trust and Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
The work involved detailed surveys across the catchment focussing on 10 fresh water invasive non native species. The river was split into units and a management plan was developed for each unit.
A ‘big society’ approach was prescribed with a wide range of organisations and individuals
(government, charitable and private) taking action. In 2012 this project was extended county wide.
NB: Where river sources extended to other counties (such as Yorkshire) the project also extended to begin at the source of rivers. (see link http://www.lancashireinvasives.org/pages/15_background ).
Conclusion: Catchment overview through utilising a range of partners and resources enables a sustainable solution for river naturalisation. Continued liaison, vision and consultation, site specific management through voluntary environmental stewardship uptake, naturalisation techniques allowing the river to perform as it should and complementary catchment based initiatives such as the Lancashire Invasives Project, will ensure a healthy ecosystem is sustained long into the future.
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