5 minute read
Lower Otter Valley
Budleigh Salterton, East Devon, United Kingdom
Reconnecting an estuarine river to its floodplain through managed realignment. About 200 years ago, the Lower Otter Valley underwent significant manufactured changes, resulting in the disconnection of its river and estuary from their floodplain. The highly modified landscape and occurring agricultural activities were not sustainable in the face of climate change. The Lower Otter Restoration Project (LORP) in Budleigh Salterton, East Devon, is a flagship intertidal habitat restoration, climate adaptation, and infrastructure improvement project delivered by the Environment Agency in partnership with the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust and Clinton Devon Estates. LORP has been majority funded by the British government, with cofinancing from the European Regional Development Fund through a cross-border initiative called Promoting Adaptation to Changing Coasts (PACCo). LORP is increasing flood resilience through greatly improved infrastructure, reversing biodiversity loss, undoing the negative impacts of human modifications and restoring significant habitat loss, increasing carbon capture, and building awareness of nature-based solutions through educational resources and visits. Beginning in spring 2021, work included removing hundreds of meters of embankments to reconnect the Otter Estuary to its historical floodplain; restoring 55 hectares of wetland habitat; constructing a 500-meter, flood-resilient raised road and bridge plus a 70-meter footbridge over the location of the future breach to ensure continuity of the path; remediating and protecting a former landfill site; relocating the Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club away from the floodplain; raising and improving over three kilometers of public footpaths; and installing seven wildlife viewing areas.
Article Cover: Aerial view of the current site showing the newly created natural creek network following the removal of an old and unsightly concrete aqueduct on stilts. (Photo by Jake Newman, KOR Communications)
Producing Efficiencies
Through managed realignment, a mix of scientific research, traditional and soft engineering, and more natural solutions and methodologies, LORP has improved local infrastructure and the environment in tandem. Project planning and work was led by extensive consultations, scientific research, citizen science programs (fish and bird monitoring), natural capital reporting, ecologist surveys, carbon capture assessments, historical infrastructure records, fluvial and coastal modeling, and topographic analysis. This included making certain infrastructure resilient to flooding, relocating other infrastructure out of the floodplain, carrying out a 70-meter breach in the main tidal embankment to reconnect the tide, and recreating 55 hectares of wetland habitat.
Using Natural Processes
LORP is returning the Lower Otter Valley and Otter Estuary to a more natural state and function by harnessing nature-based solutions. Without preemptive adaptation, the valley would not be sustainable in the face of further climate change, and many opportunities for environmental benefits would have been lost. The main components of LORP are the reconnection of the River Otter and the reintroduction of wetland habitat, which acts as a natural filter for pollutants, traps carbon, and increases biodiversity by providing feeding and breeding grounds for a variety of wading birds, fish, and invertebrates. By strategically breaching embankments and creating a new network of channels, which can evolve naturally, the tide now flows back into its historical floodplain.
Broadening Benefits
Through extensive research reports, area and stakeholder analysis, ecological monitoring and surveys, educational engagement and resources, and public consultation, LORP has increased socioeconomic value while improving infrastructure and restoring natural habitats. As the newly created wetlands and woodland develop, biodiversity will increase further. This, along with new infrastructure and improved access to the Otter Valley and natural environment, will increase visitors to the area (which is to be a managed nature reserve) and offer greater opportunities for bird-watching, educational visits, ecological monitoring, and citizen science. The reduction of flood risk will also provide economic benefits.
Promoting Collaboration
LORP is a great example of how international collaboration among cultures, partners, funders, landowners, researchers, contractors, the public, and other stakeholders can provide new solutions to shared challenges. The partners of the PACCo project (including LORP) published a comprehensive guide and other resources, all freely available online, to share lessons learned on adaptation planning, funding and natural capital, stakeholder communications and engagement, design and construction, risk assessment, and long-term monitoring. By building strong relationships through public outreach and events, identifying key aims and audiences, and assigning specific collaborative work packages to project partners, communication and trust with stakeholders was achieved.
