The River Hogsmill Fish Passage

Posted on 30/03/2015 by Admin
This blog is reproduced from http://www.southeastriverstrust.org/category/riverrestoration and http://www.southeastriverstrust.org/obstruction-at-the-a3-part-2 . Covering the excleent work done in providing fish passage along the urban River Hogsmill and the recent work with the TAC.
We head back to where the Hogsmill flows under the A3. Work started here in September when we used 230t to create a close to nature pool pass. For those that missed the blog and want to catch up on the story, here is the link
http://www.southeastriverstrust.org/obstruction-at-the-a3-but-in-the-river-not-on-the-road
Before I move onto the recent work I would like to update you how the pool pass is settling in. After being repeatedly battered by high flows the structure has stayed put and is bedding in nicely. The clean Purbeck stones have dulled with algae and vegetation which had been previously overshaded is beginning to establish on the banks. Plenty of roach, dace and chub have taken up residence in the top two pools, as spotted by the keen angler’s eyes of the TAC guys this week.

The close-to-nature pool pass created in September is bedding in nicely
The final stage in making this unsightly structure passable was to address the fast and shallow flows down the spillway and through the culvert. Darryl-Clifton Dey at the EA very kindly donated 11 purpose built recycled plastic baffles to the cause. Under the skilled hands of Norm Fairey, the baffles were cut, drilled and had stainless steel angle attached. This meant that they could be taken out of the van, put into their predetermined positions and secured. Sounds simple and in truth it was. Needless to say some head scratching and minor on-site modifications were required but generally speaking it worked incredibly well.

Shallow and fast flows over the spillway and through the culvert

The flat-pack style baffles ready to go in
Great help and good company came from the Thames Anglers’ Conservancy guys, Dave Harvey, Keith Collett and Patrick Barker who kindly gave up two days to help with the project. The weather behaved, river levels were kindly low and with teamwork to be proud of, the job was a pleasure to be part of.

The TAC guys hard at work

Fixing the baffles with resin and stud
 
The result, a completely passable structure. Flows down the previously impassable spillway are now slower and deeper. The water snakes and winds its way through the staggered 300mm gaps in each baffle line. The shallow point through the culvert now has more than enough depth for fish to pass.

Before the work…
 

and after.
 

The pool pass in the foreground and newly installed baffles behind
With this site now passable, the work over the previous two and a half years through the Defra funded Catchment Restoration Fund has opened up the upper 6.5km of the Hogsmill. This has involved the removal of four weirs, two large scale close-to-nature pool passes, one rock ramp and two baffle installations. The work is not yet complete though, soon we will be addressing the last few structures that remain impassable downstream, meaning that the recently caught wild brown trout caught at Kingston can, in theory, swim up to the chalk stream waters in Ewell.
Once again, as always, we had the kind help of many to address this issue at the A3. Darryl at the EA for his advice and for providing the baffles, Norm for manufacturing them and of course, the much appreciated and brilliant input from the TAC guys. Thanks to you all.
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Fishery Improvement Fund awards £65,000 to improve facilities for angling

Posted on 28/03/2015 by Admin
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Surrey River set to benefit from flood risk and wildlife improvements

Posted on 01/03/2015 by Admin
abbey riverThe Abbey River, a backwater of the River Thames in Surrey, is set to benefit from a project which will not only enhance wildlife but also reduce flood risk for the local community.
The Abbey River Improvement Project is a partnership project between the Environment Agency, the Wild Trout Trust and Thames 21. The project was initially identified by the Environment Agency Fisheries and Biodiversity department to enhance the Abbey River for wildlife and facilitate fish migration. However, the project will also bring about flood risk benefits, which have been modelled and reviewed by the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) team.
At present there are sluices at the downstream extent of the Abbey River which, in their present condition, cannot be operated. These sluices prevent fish passage and impound or ‘back up’ the river upstream. This impounding effect causes the river to be slow flowing. In turn, this allows the deposition of fine sediment leading to a loss of habitat diversity and a reduction in channel capacity.
Over the last two years the Environment Agency has been consulting with local communities, interested organisations, and groups to develop a project that enhances the wildlife value of the river whilst improving flood risk. Local landowners have received letters and have been invited to face-to-face meetings to speak to Environment Agency staff as the project progresses.
Lizzie Rhymes, Fisheries and Biodiversity Technical Specialist and project lead for the Environment Agency said:
“We plan to improve fish passage between the Abbey River and the River Thames, to enhance the river and create a more natural gradient – encouraging higher flow velocities with a greater ability to ‘self clean’ and remain free of silt.”
Work will be undertaken on the river’s sluices. One of the sluices will be replaced with a fish pass and a facility to insert stop logs to manage river flows and levels.
The second sluice will be replaced by a tilting weir which will provide a flood risk benefit over the existing sluices. Replacing the sluices in this way will lower the water level upstream, increase velocity, and improve the capacity of the river to convey water during periods of high flow. Furthermore the project will enable fish and other wildlife to migrate freely between the Abbey River and the River Thames and will make the channel less suitable for invasive non-native plant species.
Upstream of the sluices the team will create a new fish spawning habitat which is currently missing from much of the Abbey River and River Thames. This will be achieved by dressing the river bed in five locations with a layer of imported gravel to form features known as riffles which help aid spawning opportunities. Our contractors will remove silt before any gravel is placed in the river to ensure that there is no net introduction of material.
Once delivered, the project could result in a 20-30% improvement in the conveyance of water through the Abbey River when it is at full capacity. The full extent of these improvements will not be realised when the River Thames (downstream) is also very high and ‘backed up’. When these conditions are experienced it is the River Thames that dictates conveyance through the Abbey River.
Lizzie Rhymes added:
“Later on in the year we will also be engaging with local communities to work towards tackling floating pennywort on the Abbey River. This non-native species out competes our own native flora and can heighten flood risk. If left unmanaged, it can form dense carpets and reduce flow”.
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Fish Legal Wins Historic Judgment to Prevent Water Industry Hiding its Dirty Secrets

Posted on 01/03/2015 by Admin
image-1133-452-auto-both-both-85-5The environmental and angling organisation, Fish Legal, has won a major victory in a groundbreaking case against Yorkshire Water Services Ltd and United Utilities Plc, which was the culmination of a six year legal campaign for greater transparency within the water and sewerage industry.
The Upper Tribunal has ruled that water companies in England & Wales are ‘public authorities’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information Regulations (2004) and so are under a legal duty to disclose environmental information they hold to the public.
The implications of this test case, which has been fought over the past 6 years, will be felt industry-wide. It could also affect companies operating in other privatised industries which have a similar role managing resources and services of public interest, such as the oil, gas, electricity providers and the Royal Mail.
Fish Legal often wants to know about sewage pollution and over-abstraction that damages rivers and coastal waters to help it fight legal cases on behalf of its member clubs and fishery owners. This judgment means it now has a right to get this information directly from the water companies themselves. In the past, several companies refused to provide any information when asked, whilst others expressly refused to disclose information in line with this law. The Judges in this case ruled they were wrong to do so.
This new right will benefit other environmental and campaigning groups affected by sewage pollution such as Surfers Against Sewage, or those with a wider environment remit, such as WWF, RSPB and river trusts. Any concerned individual or organisation now has a right to the environmental information held by the water and sewerage companies.
The water and sewerage industry causes significant damage to the environment every year. This is partly due to the very nature of what it does in treating sewage and abstracting water, but in many cases is due to mismanagement and underreporting of incidents. The industry will now have to open up what it does to much greater public scrutiny.
William Rundle, Head Solicitor at Fish Legal, said:
“We are delighted with this result, which has at long last asserted the rights of our angling members, and the wider public, to get information from these companies when they cause pollution or other damage. Being able to obtain environmental information directly about activities that affect the environment will make it much easier to deal with complex issues affecting fisheries. We sincerely hope that with the industry’s greater accountability will come higher environmental performance.”
Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust & Fish Legal said:
“This is a huge victory for the environment and for fish and fishing. Our legal team at Fish Legal has done a brilliant job fighting this case over the past 6 years, taking on some of the largest companies in the country and winning. This has only been possible because of the support of members of the Angling Trust & Fish Legal, whose subscriptions enable us to fight these battles for the benefit of all anglers and the water environment. Once again, we have demonstrated that when anglers unite, we can be a very powerful force for good.”
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Thames Water fined £220,000 for Polluting a Surrey river

Posted on 21/02/2015 by Admin
IThames Watern a case brought by the Environment Agency, Thames Water Utilities Limited (Thames Water) were fined £220,000 and ordered to pay costs of £27,500 at Guildford Crown Court on 16 February for polluting the River Blackwater, a tributary of the River Loddon in Surrey.
Thames Water was found guilty of breaching its environmental permit by allowing partially treated sewage and an illegal storm discharge to enter the River Blackwater. The pollution killed a significant number of fish, including Roach, Gudgeon, Minnow, Perch, Dace and Chub. The river flows through a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).
The case was first heard on 16 September 2014 in Redhill Magistrate Court. Given the serious nature of the offences, the case was committed to Guildford Crown for sentencing where higher penalties could be imposed. The court heard Thames Water plead guilty to breaching their environmental permit and causing pollution to an environmentally sensitive site on 7 September and 30 September 2012, when illegal discharges of polluting effluent occurred from their sewage treatment works (STW) located on Doman Road in Camberley.
The Environment Agency received reports of dead fish at Shepherd Meadows Nature Reserve at midday on 7 September 2012. Environment Agency officers responded quickly and observed distressed, gasping and dead fish in the river margins from Blackwater train station to Shepherds Meadow, nearly 2 kilometres downstream of the STW.
The problem at the STW led to partially treated effluent being discharged into the river, which had the effect of suffocating fish in its path by depriving them of oxygen over a distance of approximately 1.5 kilometres.
At court, Thames Water blamed its contractors for causing it to commit the offence. Judge Lucas QC did not accept this mitigation. The Judge concluded that the company had been reckless in relation to the incident and that significant environmental harm had been caused by the incident.
Andrew Valantine, Senior Environment Agency officer said:
Unfortunately this was a serious incident which led to fish being killed and the water quality being badly affected over a significant stretch of the river. Our team responded immediately by using aeration units to quickly pump much needed oxygen back into the river and reduce any further impact from the sewage works.
The Court also heard how on 30 September 2012 Thames Water reported to the Environment Agency that there was an illegal storm discharge from their storm tanks at the same STW. The discharge of effluent into the river via the storm tanks lasted an hour. In an interview under caution, the company accepted that it was not rainfall or snowmelt that caused this discharge but rather a build up of rags (toilet paper and sewage debris etc) creating a blockage which diverted screened raw sewage to the storm tanks rather than going for full treatment. This resulted in storm tanks filling and an illegal discharge of sewage into the River Blackwater. Judge Lucas concluded that the company was negligent in allowing the blockage to occur, and that a discharge of that nature would have resulted in some harm to the water quality.
Andrew Valantine added:
We take these types of incidents very seriously and will do everything within our powers to safeguard the environment and people affected, and that includes bringing those who harm the environment to account for their actions.
Judge Lucas QC stated that:
It is important that the courts send out a clear message to Thames Water and all companies operating in this sector. Regulations are there to protect the environment and that the courts will act firmly where regulations are breached and where the environment is either damaged or put at risk of damage.

 

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Environment Agency Angling for a long-term Partnership‏

Posted on 16/02/2015 by Admin
The Environment Agency is looking for an organisation to help it deliver the National Angling Strategy for the next 4 years.
The Environment Agency is looking for an organisation to help it encourage more people to give fishing a go, improve fisheries and crack down on illegal fishing for the next 4 years.
Key elements of the contract include:
  • Providing expert advice to clubs and fishery owners on how to identify and secure additional funding
    Improving fisheries’ facilities for anglers
    Encouraging take-up among junior anglers and in so doing address the recent decline in this age group
    Retaining and recruiting more anglers to participate in fishing
    Developing the volunteer bailiff scheme; and
    Working with enforcement partners and fishery owners to clamp down on rural crime and poaching
Sarah Chare, Environment Agency head of fisheries, biodiversity and geomorphology, said: These are challenging yet exciting times. Protecting and recovering income to fund our fisheries service is one of our highest priorities. We received more than £21.5 million from rod licence sales last year. But we want to see this figure grow and new people picking up a rod.
Our goal is for angling to be recognised for its role in improving the nation’s health and wellbeing, increasing educational attainment and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. We look forward to receiving applications for this ambitious contract.
The contract, to deliver the broad aims of the ‘National Angling Strategy’, will run for up to 4 years and is currently worth £600,000 per year, although the value of the future contract may increase over time.
Advertised through the Official Journal of the European Union, interested organisations have until 9 March 2015 to express an interest. These applicants will then be asked to complete a pre-qualification form to ensure they are suitable to be formally invited to tender for the work.
It is expected the new contract will be in place with the successful organisation(s) by July 2015.
Currently this work is being carried out by The Angling Trust.
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Environment groups celebrate judges’ ruling to allow Thames Tideway Tunnel to proceed

Posted on 24/01/2015 by Admin
Environment groups in London are this week celebrating a High Court ruling to reject four judicial reviews by opponents of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. The decision clears the way for the project, which secured planning consent last October, to proceed.
Mr Justice Ouseley presided over the two-day hearing last week and refused applications from Southwark Council and the Thames Blue-Green Plan (Graham Stevens) for being out of time. The judge decided that the court had no jurisdiction to hear cases that had not been submitted in time and therefore their arguments would not be heard.
ThamesBank, now known as the Thames Blue-Green Partnership, which is supported by Lady Dido Berkeley, had its application refused on the basis that it was ‘irrelevant’ and relied on the suggested unlawful failure of the Examining Authority to hear evidence of alternative solutions during the planning process. The judge concluded that, given the clear direction contained in the National Wastewater policy statement, the Examining Authority was correct to conclude the submissions would be irrelevant and he therefore refused permission to launch a judicial review.
Finally, an individual, David Percival, made his own case for alternative solutions, particularly questioning the carbon obligations of the project, but he was told by the judge his case lacked a point of law and was therefore also refused.
Thames Tideway Tunnels have made no formal statement on the High Court ruling other than to state “We are pleased with the clarity provided by the court’s decisions.”
However, the environmental, recreational and amenity groups who make up the Thames Tunnel Now coalition welcomed the High Court decision to reject the judicial reviews which threatened to block or delay the project to clean up the tidal river in London.
Debbie Leach, Chief Executive of the Waterways charity Thames 21 and chair of Thames Tunnel Now said: This is great news for everyone – not only do we all depend on the water in our rivers and need to protect it whenever we can – this project means that we can look forward to a River Thames we can be truly proud of, that we can use and enjoy safely and with confidence, and where wildlife can thrive.”
“Carlo Laurenzi, Chief Executive of London Wildlife Trust added: “The High Court has made the right decision for the River Thames and Londoners. We need a sewage system fit for the 21st century, a system that no longer fouls the Thames, damaging the river’s fragile ecosystem and threatening the health of all who use it.”
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The Angling Trust launches new ‘Fishery Improvement Fund’.

Posted on 23/01/2015 by Admin
The Angling Trust was delighted to launch a new ‘Fishery Improvement Fund’. The funding comes from the Environment Agency from some of the proceeds of rod licence sales.
The £65,000 Fund will make awards of up to £5,000 to eligible organisations for buying equipment, to make habitat improvements or for projects that get people fishing and support the aims of the National Angling Strategy ‘Fishing for Life’.
Importantly, applications to the Fund from commercial fisheries are welcome and clubs and organisations do not need to be members or Angling Trust affiliated to apply.
Sarah Chare, head of fisheries at the Environment Agency, said:
“This fund is just one way we spend rod licence income with partners to support anglers. I am looking forward to see the great results these projects will bring.”
Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive, Angling Trust said:
“I am delighted that these funds are being made available from rod licence sales to help angling clubs and commercial fisheries improve their facilities for the benefit of fish and fishing. Because of unavoidable delays to the announcement of the fund, we urge applicants to get in touch as soon as possible. We will work very hard to respond rapidly after the deadline for applications so that people can get on with spending the money in preparation for the new season.”
Potential applicants are invited to follow the link to our National Angling Strategy webpage, where they can download copies of the application form, eligibility criteria and additional guidance.
www.anglingtrust.net/nationalanglingstrategy
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River Crane and DNR Fisheries Impact assessment

Posted on 10/01/2015 by Admin
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Angling Trust launches new coaching licence to safeguard kids

Posted on 20/12/2014 by Admin
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