Work of the DVRN

Working closely with landowners, the key aims of the project were to implement works that will: reduce farm-runoff and flooding, reduce sedimentation of the river, and create riparian habitat.

One of the more complex parts of the project was to ‘daylight’ a culvert to help reduce flooding to land and farm buildings. This involved removing the top of the culvert tunnel and creating wildlife-friendly storage areas for excess water in peak flows. Now in place, this area will hold a large amount of water, taking pressure off the Wiske.

Key achievements of the project include1266m of riverbank improved through stabilisation and reprofiling
4.6km of land fenced to reduced riverbank poaching by livestock
A further 2.9km of fencing soon to be completed
3 cattle drinking bays installed to further reduce riverbank poaching
1500 trees planted along the banks of the upper Wiske (near Appleton Wiske)
1 complex culvert redesign completed

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust continue to work in the Wiske catchment, investigating the potential to restore relic wetlands and create new wetland habitat as part of their wider Mid Swale Wetlands Nature Recovery Network project. For more information or to get involved contact Bernie Higgins.

This project has allowed for the extension of three existing projects (Brompton, Bishopdale and Stank Beck) and the kick-starting of two more. The two new projects are ‘Keeping Ure River Cool’ – a multi year riparian habitat creation and enhancement project covering the whole of the Ure catchment, and ‘Marchup Beck’ which is the start of work linked to Addingham Moorside and the Addingham 4 Becks Project. Keeping Ure River Cool is a new planned project being worked up by YDNPA and YDRT to increase riparian habitat to cool the water temperatures during the summer months, improve water quality and habitat for aquatic life and protect the river against the effects of climate change. The work at Marchup Beck is where two headwaters come together and involves planting along the riparian zones of both becks upstream from the confluence to the edge of his farm boundary. Fencing will be erected along the banks at the natural break of slope both to protect the trees and prevent livestock accessing the beck.

This project is the first instance where the DVRN has made a joint funding application on behalf of several partner projects, which on their own did not fit the financial threshold for applying. Working in partnership to achieve greater impact on the ground.

This partnership project is led by the Addingham Environment Group – part of the Addingham Civic Society – and facilitated through the DVRN. The main partners are EA, YWS, Addingham Parish Council, Bradford Council, Addingham Anglers, YDRT and Wild Trout Trust. The first phase has been funded by the Wharfe Flood Partnership, and has focussed on the flood risk elements of the project – gathering information on recent flood events, mainly Boxing day 2015, using a flood survey. The details from 63 respondents formed the basis of a Community Flood Event, with Yorkshire Water and Bradford Council covering the Soak it up Campaign and Emergency Planning, respectively. This information was also used to help develop a local plan to increase flood resilience – including opportunities for Natural Flood Measures and Sustainable Urban Drainage. Two more drop in events focused on the wildlife in the becks and water quality, including looking at the River Wharfe and the Bradford Four Becks project There is now a team of volunteer Beck Stewards and a programme of training and learning opportunities for them – covering topics such ‘Community plumbing- what goes on underground in the water network’, hydrology, ecology, and training in water quality monitoring and data interpretation. Developing this volunteer training programme is a key to sustaining the project and ongoing interest in the Becks.

A second phase is being worked up looking at the biodiversity of Lumb Beck and making connections between the Moor and the river, to build and improve on the biodiversity of the area.

The project aimed to ‘Slow the flow’ of surface water across the land to reduce flood risk in the Bishopdale valley where communities are spread out. This project is part of the Environment Agency’s National Natural Flood Management Programme and attempts to quantify how effective NFM is on a catchment scale.

In addition to significant landowner engagement, the project involved a range of volunteer days, working with both the YDRT volunteers and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Young Rangers programme, to help deliver a range of NFM interventions, working with nature to slow overland flow pathways and increase infiltration and attenuation of water. Over the three year project this included:

28,000 trees planted
6km of hedgerow planted throughout the dale
17 scrapes constructed
12 leaky dams constructed

Wildlife is already taking advantage of the interventions, including sightings of barn owls and otters within riparian buffer strips and curlew and lapwing around scrapes. Monitoring of the effectiveness of NFM interventions is ongoing and will feed into the national evidence base for NFM as the features (e.g. riparian buffer strips, trees and hedgerows planted) mature and develop.

Before and after fencing & tree planting along a gill in Bishopdale. Leaky dams can also be seen in situ.)

The main objectives were to:

Reduce sediment load and diffuse pollution within the Nidd Tributaries, the River Crimple and Park Beck catchments. Reducing phosphate, ammonia and sediment within the watercourses by implementing changes to land management practices and creating new riparian habitats.
Control Invasive Non-Native Species in the upper Nidd

Key achievements of the project included:

·      1200m2 of sediment trap ponds created
·      40 leaky dams installed
·      3.23km of riparian hedgerows planted
·      2Ha riparian trees planted and associated fencing
·      4.5km of ditches / streams / rivers fenced off from stock
·      >£30k remedial measures to reduce agricultural pollution delivered
·      2-year Himalayan Balsam survey, control and monitoring programme
·      20ha reduction of Himalayan Balsam after first year of control

Himalayan Balsam control along the upper Nidd and tributaries in that area continues in partnership with Nidderdale Angling Club and Yorkshire Water.

Work of the DVRN

Wild Wiske Revival: Clean and Green

Riparian Tree Planting

Addingham 4 Becks

Bishopdale NFM

Headwaters for Healthy Rivers

Practical Guide to Lowland Natural Flood Management Measures