Today’s themes• Project Introduction and key aims• Floodplain – why is it important?• Grant schemes for farmers• Achievements – habitat improvement, bird

surveys, historic research, improved appropriate access, raised awareness

• Business support and involvement• River Restoration Plan – NE and EA• The future

Introduction

The Long Preston Wet Grassland Project started in 2004 as a partnership between:

– RSPB– Natural England– Environment Agency– Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust– Local farmers – North Yorkshire County Council– Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

What makes the area special?

• It is distinctive and unique• Large areas of Site of Special Scientific

Interest (SSSI)• It already supports important bird

populations• It has a rich archaeological record• It is prominent in the landscape

Aims of the project5 main aims including:• Achieve wet grassland recovery for floodplain

wildlife• Work with farmers to access grant aid for

favourable management • Develop sustainable opportunities for local

businesses• Promote the floodplain’s wildlife to local people

and visitors• Monitor birds, plants and habitat quality

Our shared visionWithin 10 - 20 years the area will:

• Be a mosaic of grassland / wetland habitats

• Be a functioning, working landscape with farming at its heart

• Benefit / sustain local communities

• Provide an education resource for schools & management demonstration site for farmers

• Provide an opportunity for people to experience a wetland landscape

200 years of drainage & flood protection

• c.1815 ‘backcut’ drain on eastern floodplain

• Western floodplain drains through multiple outlets directly into the Ribble

• Ribble flood embankments raised c.1860

• Effectiveness has gradually declined due to lack of maintenance

The restoration of targeted floodplain areas to wet grassland and other wetland features requires:

• Controlled water level management during certain ‘critical’ periods of the year

• Creation of shallow scrapes and foot drains

• Management of the ground cover by appropriate livestock grazing and/or mechanical cutting

The Long Preston floodplain offers opportunities for wet grassland restoration and re-creation

at a local scale

at a large scale

Benefits to flood risk management • The floodplain covers 5km2

• Annual rainfall of 1185mm

• Floodplain naturally helps to delay peak flows downstream

• Long history of land drainage from medieval times

• Regular flooding from Dec to March (and longer)

Benefits to biodiversity • The project is a key part of Craven’s Biodiversity Action

Plan (BAP)

• Helps to restore / create 4 of 13 priority habitats highlighted in the BAP – Farmland and Grassland (floodplain grazing marsh)

– Rivers and Streams

– Fen

– Hedgerow

• The project also enhances the area for several UK BAP Priority species:Curlew, Lapwing, Yellow wagtail, Tree sparrow

• It also benefits numerous other bird species

Environmental Stewardship

•Provides funding to farmers & land managers for environmental management.

• Around 70% of farm land in England is currently in an Environmental Stewardship Scheme.

• The annual value of payments in England is £392 m

• 3 elements: Entry Level/Upland Entry Level/Higher Level

Higher Level Stewardship• Significant environmental benefits involving more complex

management• Competitive scheme – aimed at high priority areas & habitats• Includes capital work payments

Habitats Capital WorksWet grassland restoration Stone wall restorationRestoration of rough grazing for birds Scrape creationHay meadow restoration Water level controlsFen restoration Historic bridge

restoration

Restoration of Wet GrasslandManagement• Lighter grazing through bird nesting season• Cattle grazing to provide a more varied sward height• No fertiliser, reduces fertility & competitive grasses,

creates a more diverse, semi-natural sward• Rush control

Capital works• Water level management plan• Water level control structures• Scrape creation

HLS Management Plan

Scheme Uptake

97% of the project area is in an Environmental Stewardship scheme

8 Higher Level Stewardship schemes in the project area cover 170 hectares (420 acres)

Installing sluices to control water levels

Creating scrapes and foot drains to provide feeding habitat for breeding wading birds

Controlling rush cover by topping rushes and grazing with cattle

Farmer demonstration visits

Rush cutting – benefits to wading birds and the farm business.

600 bales cut on one farm in September 2010

Breeding bird distribution from surveys in 2003 - 2008

Breeding wading birds 1• In 2010 the Long Preston floodplain was included

(for the first time) in a national Breeding Waders Of Wet Meadow survey, co-ordinated by the RSPB, BTO and Natural England.

• This national survey has been repeated on a series of sites in1982, 1995, 2002 and now 2010). It gives a valuable insight into patterns of breeding wading birds in the UK and helps assess effectiveness of agri-environment scheme measures.

Breeding wading birds 2• The Long Preston results are impressive with over 80

pairs of wading birds of conservation concern breeding on the floodplain

• This clearly identifies the project area as a regionally important site for breeding wading birds, especially in a river floodplain location.

• In England there are now only a handful of sites (mainly nature reserves) south of a line drawn between the Humber and the Dee, that support all four species of breeding wading bird of conservation concern in the numbers found at Long Preston.

Wintering waterfowl counts

Peak countsPintail 300 Wigeon 1013Teal 288 Lapwing 761

Project Phase 2 2008-11– Continued to promote wet grassland

creation

– Developed other objectives:

• research history

• promote the floodplain’s wildlife to local people and visitors

• develop sustainable opportunities for local businesses

Historic activity on the wetlands

Linda Smith Rural ArchaeologistNorth Yorkshire County Council

Farming before enclosure

Effects of enclosure

Hall Moss and Ings

LP DEEPS, South. LIDAR

Promoting the site to local people and visitors • Sustainability –use of a resource without

a negative impact on it for the future• Enable people to learn and enjoy• Ensure people respect the place – the

land, the features and the wildlife• Retain the wild and quiet qualities• Good example of successful wetland

management

Local school group visits

Guided walks for groups

Craven Conservation GroupYorkshire Dales SocietyLong Preston Heritage Gp

MSc Sustainable Tourism 2009-11

Imperial College MSc Hydrology

RSPB

RSPB national wetland training

General public access

Barriers

• Limited and poor access

• Ribble Way

• Poor car parking

• Lack of information

• No facilities

• Improve quality of physical access

Bramble Signs

Information – Newsletters, leaflets, panels,

and website

Background heritage research : David Johnson

Creative Interpretation and design : Cath Blakey and The Fuse

Long Preston Deeps (SSSI) Need for a River Restoration Plan

•Up to 2010 this largely riverine SSSI was in unfavourable condition•River & floodplain at Long Preston Deeps undergone considerable modification over time•Gross changes to physical form and function mean flora & fauna affected across the entire site•A degraded system - displaying few of the functional geomorphological and ecological features expected under more natural conditions

A Degraded System

•Extensive flood banks confine all but the more extreme flows to the main channel and immediate bank area.•Poor river –floodplain connection•Non-functional floodplain •Unstable upper reach•Major bank stability problems•Sub-optimal fishery•Severely altered vegetation

Implementing Long Preston Deeps River Restoration Plan

•high-level and aspirational, •proposes actions to recreate a more dynamic system•aspiring to optimise channel and floodplain form & function via assisted natural recovery•EA & NE recognise importance of future collaboration with land managers, farmers, the local community, angling clubs, shooting groups, voluntary groups and individual citizens.

Impact of Flood Banks

Recent breach of flood bank

Flood banks holding waters on floodplain

Delivering Long Preston Deeps River Restoration Plan

•Engagement for the Plan began in early summer 2010•Site survey followed with development of draft Plan up to October 2010•Stakeholder events and meetings held in October and November 2010•Draft Plan significantly revised and finalised in December 2010•Plan now means the status has changed to unfavourable recovering condition http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/yorkshire_and_the_humber/ourwork/riverribblerestoration.aspx

The future 2011 ...• Develop more links to businesses –

develop ‘brand’ for the area• Develop web site, training for wildlife

tourism• Support farms with water management• River Ribble Restoration Plan -

Environment Agency / Natural England