The Rivers Trust Spring Conference 2014

The Rivers Trust Spring Conference 2014 (KM130614notes) A Catchment-Based Approach to Flood Risk Management (KM note: most presentation were about multi-objective catchment management) Penrith 11th June 2014 http://www.theriverstrust.org/seminars/spring_2014/ Focus: practical catchment management. Who present: mainly representatives from river trusts from across the UK, several Environment Agency staff, several European water practitioners as well as some consultants, a few researchers and local authority staff.

My perspective on the research needs: research to understand and support these community based efforts (community of practice), to learn from their common experiences (in part the Rivers Trust is doing this and Defra and the EA are trying to support this). The audience asked for models of their catchments (Sim Reaney is in process of setting up SCIMAP online). Simon (ERT) highlighted the need greater coordination at policy and operational levels, not only for incidents.

Presentations (will be available online shortly) Communities Taking Action Simon Johnson (Director Eden Rivers Trust) in SavingEden they focussed on four audiences and outcomes (rather than pressures). Principles of co-delivery, outcome focussed, joined-up thinking, provide straight answers for critical questions, tight targets and milestones, accountability, not to duplicate etc and to move the needle on the dial. Want resilient catchments with joined up thinking and governance structures. Need to take the catchment approach. Whole farm perspective that works for the farm business. Secures buy-in through enlightened self-interest. SavingEden coalition is an overarching partnership. All partners signed (photographed) the charter. Catchment plan for the people, landscape and ecology, then can hang directives on it. Question: know it is working?

Ian Irving, Roe Catchment Community Management Group A community that have recently experienced two large flood events (approx. ten properties flooded; ~ ÂŁ3 million damage) in a catchment (~260km^2) that has not caused this level of flooding in living memory (~80 years). Community self-organised and have carried out impressive activities including lobbying MPs at Westminster. Enabling resilience at low cast. Now a charity. Need to calibrate outcomes to help other communities.

Peter Kerr, Northumberland Rivers Trust Small village with 6-8 properties at risk of flooding with no obvious solution. Small amount of money from catchment restoration fund to deliver reductions in river flow. Learning from other examples e.g. Belford. Involve local people in the design and delivery.

Stefan PoĂ&#x;, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany: Opened up a culvert to deliver multiple benefits. Involved the community and designed with the community. Big question will there be improvement in water quality status.

Andy Graham, SuDS for Schools in London Flood management and water quality objectives and connecting people in intercity London to nature. Survey found 80 percent of people did not about local river and what happens to water when it rains. Impressive range of examples of working with schools. Children became the ambassadors. Schemes need to be well designed and tweaked to local community needs. About human wellbeing and can transform lives. WWT are keen as they can take wetlands to the people.

Discussion How not to smother groups with red tape and regulations? Need to deliver social innovation in a time of little money. Funding for single issues is hard (all about multiple benefits) and money attracts money. Potential to tap into rural development schemes. Need to link upstream and downstream (benefits for all along the catchment). Local councils are still growing into their Flood responsibilities, want to empower and learn from communities.

The Science and Policy of Flood Risk Management Dredging pilots & the EAs role in delivery of the Secretary of State’s vision for river management Rachael Hill, Environment Agency Secretary of State (Owen Patterson) is very keen on the work on these groups and need to learn from them to enable more partnerships and collaborative working. Owen Patterson sees the EA’s role as working on strategic assets and facilitating collaboration with the river trusts etc. Want to avoid bad practice with dredging. Changes in future regulations are likely to allow the placement of woody debris etc. Want to take a catchment approach for multiple outcomes.

The Delta Programme, water management & flood risk policy in the Netherlands Policy objectives: individual, societal and economic risk. Challenge for the next two years will be to communicate the changes need to raise the levees.

Sim Reaney (Durham) Need to decrease rapid runoff and slow the flow in the channel. Challenge is knowing where in a catchment to target these interventions.

Malcolm Newson Tyne Rivers Trust Academics do not make accessible their messages. Developed the river tank to demonstrate how rivers work and produced a two pager on the main hydrogeomorphological processes and how land and river channel interventions affect these.

Discussion UK and Dutch regulatory approaches are converging. More money in the Netherlands as risks from changes in water levels are in the legislation. Question about why SCIMAP does not have soil layer, Sim said land cover is a good predictor of soils. Many bad example of dredging, not up to the river trusts to shop these individuals.

Catchment Based Solutions for Flood Risk Management: Integrated Approaches The impacts of woodland and woody debris on flood risk management, Tom Nisbet Great masterclass. Little data at the catchment level.

Eddleston Water project. Natural flood management & river restoration in a catchment context, Luke Comins Real focus is on flood generation in headwater not on the channel measures. Need to find a wide range of funding, but often short term. Achieving multiple benefits. Different to proof changes in hydrology and other NRM indicators?

Reverse auctions by the West Country Rivers Trust, Jonathan Bailey Interesting idea where WRT act as the intermediary. Issue that you are selling an action, not an improvement in the river.

Discussion Need models of everywhere. Are indicators of intermediary outcomes of use? Need indicators.