Wye Catchment Partnership Meeting- Water Quantity Solutions
4th June 2014
1. Introduction
Review of the previous meeting (see: Water resources – problems and drivers.doc).
2. Low Flows
2.1. Presentation by Stephen Marsh-Smith- Existing work on public abstraction on the
Wye catchment - Issues and potential solutions.
Existing work on public abstraction and the reductions proposed by the DCWW and Severn Trent
(Usk and Wye abstraction group) as a result of the review of consents process.
Other potential solutions outlined including:
- Blocking drains and restoring wetlands in upland forested areas
- Improved land management by putting in hedges, buffer strips etc, Soil management.
2.1.1. Blocking drains in upland forested areas
Presentation (Simon Evans).
Is the peat restorable and how restorable? If peat is degraded to the point of un-restorability this
changes the rate of drainage.
Impacting Forestry: This mean trees must be grown on mineral or shallow peat spoils not necessarily
‘forced’ onto productive land (impact of blocking upland drains)
There are considerable benefits on a catchment scale replacing loss of forest on deep peat with
more trees on upland farmland (eg Pont Bren)
Firstly need to identify peat areas areas that will benefit most. This has been done by NRW.
Must not directly conflict with forestry, but rather work with forestry interests.
Once blocked, drains will remain blocked resulting in more gradual drainage.
The research shown has come from medium flow years. The benefit needs to be proven in extreme
drought for water companies to be prepared to commit.
Required academic study or literature search in order to better understand scale of benefit.
Will improve ‘sponge’ at top and increased surface friction to overland flows attenuates high flows
and also could provide a significant benefit (up to 50% less water discharged on day 1 of the
hydrograph) Reduction in high flows is not believed to be as cost-beneficial when compared to
increasing low flows but adds another benefit.
There is uncertainty regarding the contribution to areas of concern further down.
Farmers are prepared to buy ‘water’ to support downstream abstractions if a mechanism can be
established.
Action partnership: Put in place a trial project with adequate monitoring. Quantify benefits of
blocking drains, and removing forestry, quantify it in mega litres, quantify it as cost.
Action Hosts: Explore market with main stem agricultural abstractors
2.1.2. Reduces rates of overland flow from agriculture land (soil and land management)
All agreed need to reduce compaction in agricultural soils as it decreases infiltration and leads to
soils ‘saturating’ at the surface rapidly and so by generating overland flow.
Limited aquifers on the River Wye catchment, so ground water recharge benefit is predominately
spatially limited to Leominster plain.
Soil compaction also drives high flows and local surface water issues. There was uncertainty
regarding the whole catchment benefit during high return period floods. Pont Bren suggests there
will be but this needs quantifying.
Intensification of agriculture is causing the soil compaction problem to get progressively worse as
larger, heavier vehicles are used and area of maize grown increases. Average size of tractor in
Herefordshire has more than doubled since 2000.
There is a lack of understanding from many farmers (and some agricultural colleges!) about
compaction contributing to loss of yield and increasing costs.
Education of agricultural community required about the causes, impacts and solutions of
compaction.
Improvement of organic matter within soils will benefit soil structure and land drainage. Raising
awareness of the benefits by working with and educating farmers can improve this.
Fundamental change in land management is required i.e. changes to crop rotation and restoring
timeliness of operations.
Tenants pressurising owners to over exploit/abuse soil can be addressed through education of
owners and regulation.
Approaching farmers on a one to one basis is required as advice and must be tailored to individual
farm business.
Conflicting advice is a problem.
Lack of freedom of students (sons) from fathers limits change.
Potatoes usually grown on rented ground therefore difficult to benefit from positive long term
effects, but ground with good soil structure attracts a higher rent.
Convince landlords to produce a contract targeted at sustaining arable land. This must be a
consistent message throughout the process.
Improve profitability- create economic environment so farmers can farm in a different way
Examples of direct win-wins need to be detailed and publicised farmers (provide an incentive).
Effective soil management regulation required, especially in Wales. Enforcement of current
regulations required. Reframe regulation in Wales (consultation to this effect currently being run by
Welsh Goverment)
Regulation breach leading to prosecution is difficult.
Regulator needs to look at compaction issues when visiting a farm.
Issues passed off as a result of extreme weather event when the problem is poor soil management.
Compacted soils saturated faster.
More funding needed for regulation i.e. more inspectors required.
SEPA use a follow up visit process therefore threat of prosecution causes 85% of farmers to act.
Possible issues found by EA put in contact with WUF- visit and revisit.
Large agri-businesses prefer prosecution due to regulation breach than lose out on greater business
losses from complying with regulations.
Regulatory presence needed.
Target work for solutions.
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Engagement
Cold calling only way of finding some problems.
Focus on small patch.
Peer pressure key areas of catchment.
Target high risk offenders.
Action partnership: Advice, regulation and incentive targeted for solutions.
Action hosts, EA, CSF, NE: Work up solutions based on the above with farmers to create an
economic environment so farmers can farm in a different way
Action hosts: Work with Welsh Government to improve soil management regulation (include
follow up visit).
Further to these notes, during the water quality meeting this subject was discussed further and an
action plan formulated
2.2. Additional solutions required
Maps of flood water and ground water storage on the Wye Catchment shown (available in drop box
folder)
Other solutions outlined:
2.2.1. Storage reservoirs
Farm scale reservoir solution constructed for abstraction use only, plans hampered/ costs increased
by biodiversity constraints. Environmental enhancement built into reservoir planning as water
removal during abstraction does not benefit biodiversity. Reservoir construction must fit in with
landscape.
Currently utilise both surface and ground water for abstraction.
Winter storage suggested as the best option but funding and planning permission is proved difficult.
Threat of trickle abstraction licence is persuading farmers to build attenuation ponds on the farm. 20
farmers are doing this (Abstraction Group).
Reservoirs only used during periods of low flow i.e. used as a safe guard/backup.
Storage reservoirs are driven by commercial impact.
Reservoirs may take out farming ground. Must first assess impact of building reservoirs.
River flow does go subsurface due to natural process at times e.g. geology on Dore and Summersgill
The minimal basal flow rate used in CAMS was taken post abstraction including un licensed
abstraction therefore this data may not be a true representation of flows pre- abstraction.
Understanding total use of trickle irrigation and to what scale is required for a solution, look at
sequence of flows- Usk and Wye abstraction group looking at reason for drop in flow.
Independent party required for data protection.
9 mega litres per day abstracted is recorded may be around 45 mega litres when including trickle
abstraction.
Water abstraction group is struggling to engage with farmers from North and West Herefordshire.
Use of Modelling: Hydraulic model on River Wye portraying low flows without the influence of man
(Woodland Trust).
Action DCWW/Host/woodland trust: look at flow data down river to provide assessment of extent
of agricultural abstraction.
Action Partnership: Support and facilitate the construction of winter fill reservoirs to reduce river
abstraction
2.2.2. Improve SUDs to reduce overland flow
Action Hosts: work with planners to ensure this is delivered in new developments
2.2.3. Demand management
Public water
Resource shortfall in some areas, need balance between demand management and store more
water in upstream catchment
Cost benefit analysis of reducing demand completed by water companies and ST and DCWW are
targeting water efficiencies.
Metered water- Severn Trent and Dŵr Cymru not promoting this yet.
Water stressed areas are familiar with demand management.
Reductions proposed in take from Elan valley is causing Severn Trent to contact businesses , schools,
unis etc addressing low flow issues.
NRW/EA consent to take water-Dŵr Cymru.
The surplus of demand in SE Wales has declined.
Climate change impact included in new abstraction licensing (analysis pending).
Agricultural
Over abstraction by farmers was perceived to be a problem
Over exposure to rainfall/irrigation results in fruit burst: fruit farmers do not tend to over abstract
intentionally.
Proposed solution: limit use of rain guns (this was the purpose of the de-licensing of trickle)
Trickle irrigation is a black hole when assessing water take from river (poor understanding of
consumption).
Use of attenuation ponds in agriculture to reduce run off and provide source of water for
abstraction.
Proposed solution: Encourage recirculation system for irrigation purposes.
Promote demand management to target areas i.e. Water Wise.
During low flows restrict demand
Proposed solution: Abstraction sustainability needs to be taken into account in planning.
2.3. What is everyone doing?
Farm groups i.e. soil groups, Hub (Lack of Hub in Wales) providing advice.
Abstraction Group - Currently pushing for grants for storage reservoirs and abstraction during high
flows.
WUF- grant assisted advice to 400 farms in West Herefordshire improving water use and reducing
soil compaction/ water run off.
CSF -grant assisted advice to 150 farms a year for east Herefordshire: aimed at yards
Campaign for the farm environment raising awareness of issues within agricultural community.
Poultry inspections restarting in England.
Wales- soil structure visit from NRW available (scale of uptake unquantified),
Farming Connect- water quality advice, not a one to one approach (scale of uptake unquantified)
FWAG Cymru.
Pontbren Project in a template for upland Wales.
WUF is running a Maize trial with Cranfield to find alternative less damaging ways of growing this
crop.
2.4. Where are the gaps?
Action: engage agronomists/ run training day to make them aware of issues and solutions
No regulatory power over trickle abstraction, whole streams can be taken.
Funding difficulties.
Sustainable abstraction solutions limited due to lack of flexibility. A change in attitude is required.
Long time scale to obtain planning permission for storage reservoirs.
Lack of focus on abstraction from the government.
Difficult to regulate abstraction- uncertain as how to regulate.
Action: improve strategic planning e.g. how many reservoirs are needed?
Funding needed for monitoring after advice.
2.5. How could this be funded?
Blocking drains in peatlands
Landowners discussion to alter forest, financial compensation needed.
Cash flow of timber - GLASTIR, requirement for open area.
WUF applied for funding from Dŵr Cymru, NRW WFD fund and private company to no avail so far.
Longer term discussion needed, demonstrate benefits of water i.e. value of water (must quantify
first).
Economic argument needed to have more of a chance of obtaining funding.
Discussion outcome: Case studies required to quantify value of water, case studies within the
catchment.
2.6. Who could deliver?
To be determined by the upcoming stakeholder analysis.
3. High flows
3.1. Extent of flooding problem
Local flooding Monmouthshire: Approx 100 problems over the winter. Run off from fields and fallen
trees principle causes. Approx 200 phone calls requesting assistance.
Control of flooding is driven by economics.
Yazor Brook- retention area pushed upstream to alleviate high flows (Herefordshire council not
keen).
3.2. Solutions that will naturalise high flows/attenuate floods
3.2.1. Planning (for Council/EA).
Wye Vale Nurseries- over abstract on bore hole interested in winter fill reservoir on Yazor Brook.
Action: Proposal to integrate action with planning objectives for increased storage upstream of
Hereford.
Action: Modelling of flooding is required on planning applications.
3.2.2. Land Management
Important to take into account scale when planning actions and assessing benefit. Localised
improvement in run off driven events are more likely than catchment scale large return period
floods.
Micro-management of ditches/watercourses plays an important role. IDB’s accelerate drainage from
their area, sometimes at expense of downstream areas. This can be addressed by taking a catchment
perspective.
Action: IDB’s aggressive ditch management and channelistaion of rivers and streams is contrary to
upstream retention, seek to change remit where is fits with catchment plan.
Action: Tree planting - include trees in more resilient landscape, target planting on flow lines which
can be accurately predicted by software such as SCIMAP and Polyscape.
Action: hand over ownership of sustainable drainage system to local groups to ensure maintenance.
Action: improve evidence of cost benefit of tree planting
Action: Opportunity mapping for tree planting/increasing infiltration
3.2.3. Flood action plan and budget
EA and NRW are promoting softer engineering – move towards a catchment approach.
Flood plan capability to include in diffuse pollution.
Flood budget- Everyone is now considered, any new scheme going in requires environmental
protection built in.
Evidence and engagement required to use budget for biodiversity aspect.
3.2.4. Soil Management
Compaction post-harvest of maize and potatoes coincides with autumn/winter floods.
More resilient landscape will help to alleviate flooding as well as deliver other ecosystem services.
Appropriate attenuation of water should be built into all actions in the upper catchment
3.3. What is everyone already doing?
EA/NRW- Flood Action Plan. Action plan for each community affected by flooding is being drawn up
Polyscape targeted at areas upstream of those affected by flooding.
3.4. What needs to be done?
Wales requires more advisory visits.
Timescale estimations.
Wales uplands requires funding for alternative ways of using the land
GLASTIR lack of facilitation available, especially from NGO’s
Need to change the culture of soil management.
Continual monitoring required.
3.5. How could this be funded?
To be determined
3.6. Who could deliver?
To be determined by stakeholder analysis
Further discussion outcomes:
Action Hosts: Scimap of catchment.
Action Hosts: Combine EA GIS layers from walk over's with WUF Scimap of catchment.