This document is an output from the Devon and Cornwall Soils Alliance, delivered by Westcountry Rivers Trust.
Flood risk is a major issue for numerous communities across the Southwest and with the expected future impacts of climate change, as well as compounding factors such as population growth and development, it is a problem that is becoming all the more urgent. A number of projects are currently underway to understand the causes of flooding and investigate potential solutions. This includes the Upstream Thinking - Rapid Response Catchments project and Devon and CornwallSoils Alliance (more info on page 6).
A mapping exercise was carried out to identify all the micro-catchments (5km2 or 10km2)above flood-risk properties in Devon and Cornwall. The idea being that Natural Flood Management (NFM) measures and engagement with the local community weremost likely to be effective at this scale. These micro-catchments were then prioritised according to a number of factors. The catchment described in this report, Walkhampton, is one of those prioritised micro-catchments.
The micro-catchment for the Black Brook is 2.26km2 and highlights 19 properties potentially at riskfrom fluvial and surface water flooding, many of these are in Walkhampton. There are multiple possible contributing causes of this, including the topography, soil, and land use. The catchment is failing Water FrameworkDirective (WFD) regulations on both ecological and chemical status.
A rapid walkover survey was carried out by an experienced surveyor from the Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) to further inform potential issues and opportunities for flood riskmitigation. During the walkover, the micro-catchment displayed localised flood risk.There are many opportunities to effect localised flood resilience improvement.
Implementation of Natural Flood Management (NFM) measures has the potential to mitigate some of the flood riskand simultaneously improve local natural assets and their condition that would ultimately benefit the local community as well as the environment. Some improvements in the micro-catchment have already been implemented through the Dartmoor Headwaters NFM Project, and more could potentially be delivered as part of WRT’s PROWATER project. The NFM opportunities identified in this report include blocking gullies with stone attenuators, riparianwoodland planting, and other habitat creation surrounding existing habitats across the catchment to slow surface water flow into watercourses and enhance habitat networks. Areas of land entering into an agri-environment scheme agreement could also contribute to improved soil health and biodiversity in the absence of significant habitat change. Engagement with both the landowners and the local community to share perspectives would greatly facilitate delivery of NFM measures and help to ensure their longterm sustainability.
OverviewHow this Document Works
This documentisa study for causesof flooding,priorityconsiderations,and opportunitiesforNFMin the micro-catchmentforthe BlackBrook Stream,covering some of the Walkhamptonurbanarea in Western Devonon Dartmoor.
The study is builton multiple layersof mapped environmentalinformationand the results of the walkoversurvey. This informationhasbeenused to explore the current state of the catchmentand its environment, and then map areasfor further investigationand actionsto make improvements. This micro-catchment scaleassessmentwillbe usedto guide efforts incommunityengagement andNFM.
The study has 5 key chapters,based on the current status of the micro-catchmentand whatopportunitiesthere mightbe.
1. Micro-catchmentOverview
2. PriorityAreasand Drivers
• Flooding
• WaterQuality
• WaterQuantity
• Designated Sites
• Tourism and Recreation
3. Existing Natural Assetsand Their Condition
• Habitats
• Soils
• Crops
4. Issues
• Abstraction,Discharges,Pollution,and Runoff
• HydrologicalConnectivity
• Issues identified during Walkovers
5. Opportunities
• Existing Opportunities
• OpportunitiesIdentified during Walkovers
It isnot possible to map all aspectsof the status of the micro-catchmentwithexisting datasets,and the true state of the catchmentmay not be fully reflected inthe datasetsforvariousreasons including the age of the data,the resolution, and the level of local knowledge takeninto consideration when the data has beencollected and mapped.
Assessing the qualityand conditionof natural assetsin particularischallenging due to the level of detail required.Nonetheless,the availabledata has beenreviewed and the bestdata currently availablehasbeenused. A full set of referencescan be found on pages53-56.
OverviewFlooding isa problem thatis experienced widelyacrossDevonand Cornwall,witha large portionof caseslinked to rivers(fluvial flooding as opposed to surface wateror sea).Riverwaterqualityisalso a key issue in the region,withall 381assessed rivers failing to achieve “good” statusin 2019.One importantreasonfor waterqualityfailure islinked to soil erosion.Soil erosioncan also contribute to increased fluvial flood riskdue to reduced channel capacitiesand blockages.Therefore,waterqualityand floodriskdriversare often interlinked and the solutionsto alleviate these pressures are often multifunctional.Two projectscurrentlyunderwayare aiming to tackle these issues by working withlocal communitiesto deliver small-scale,land-basedmeasures(“nature-basedsolutions”).These projectsare Devonand Cornwall SoilsAlliance (DCSA) and Upstream Thinking Rapid Response Catchments(UST-RRC).
Afteritwas found that over 40%of soilsacrossDevonand Cornwall are degraded,the collaborativeprojectof the DCSA waslaunched inJune 2019. This aimsto build the capacityand capabilityinsoilsadvice forthe projectpartnersacrossthe 2 counties to work towards restoring degraded soils. One significantbenefitof improving soil healthisgreatersurface waterinfiltrationinto the ground before itreachesand overwhelmswatercourses, thereby reducing flood riskand preventing potential pollutantsfrom entering the water.Thisalso has the potential to make considerable Water FrameworkDirective (WFD) improvementsto waterquality.
AcrossDevonand Cornwall there are hundreds of Rapid Response Catchmentsthat are characterised byquicklydraining catchmentareasunder 10km2 (and under 5km2) , where during high rainfall eventssurface flowsand overland run off overwhelm small communities(1-50propertiesin flood zone 1).Flood eventshave increased inthese types of catchmentdue to degraded soilsthatno longerhave the infiltrationcapacity,simplified drainage patternsand more variable and extreme weatherpatternsassociated witha changing climate.UST-RRCwill focusonworking withsmall communitiesinthese rapid response catchments to help them develop and delivertheirown climate resilience plansbyrestoring some of the hydrological functionalitywithinthe landscape.
The DCSA isworking in partnership with the UST-RRCprojectacrossDevonto develop 24preparatoryinvestigationsonprioritised microcatchmentsto identifylikelyareasfornature-based solutionsand NFM (Natural Flood Management) interventionswhere land ownership showsa willingnessand waterqualitycanbe improved.Communityengagementwill be criticalwhenimplementing NFMasmeasures need to be numerous and spread out across the catchmentto provide the greatestbenefits.If propertyowners and landownerscan work togetherand share perspectives, then measures canbe designed thatare agreeable to all stakeholdersinvolved.Thisalso helpsto fostera sense of community stewardship overtheir catchmentand NFM measuresthat would enhance theirlongevityand resilience.
There may be opportunitieseverywhere forNFM measures and other nature-based solutionsatlow cost that also bring additional benefits to human health,biodiversity,and the aestheticsof the landscape. However,the scattered and fragmented locationsof propertiesat flood riskand the limited accessible fundsrequiresidentifying only the largestclustersof flood riskpropertieswiththe smallestupstream micro-catchmentsto deliverthe mostimpactwiththe resources available.
The processof identifying priorityareasforopportunitiesto deliver improved waterqualityand quantityforclimate change resilience wasundertaken in four steps.
1. The South Westareasof Devonand Cornwall were modelled using GIS (Geographic InformationSystems) to identifywhere opportunityareaswere located.
2. The modelled opportunityareaswere ground-truthed in theory using desk-based studies
3. The top prioritised opportunityareaswere ground-truthed physicallyusing rapid walkoversurveys
4. Internal evidence reviews,external evidence reviews,and 2pagers summary documentswill be writtenfor24 trial investigationareas where physical interventionscan take place.
For more informationonthe first 3steps please see the appendix.
The final 24micro-catchments,including the BlackBrookwhichis shown in red.
Themicro-catchment was selectedin theGISmodelling step becauseit contains alarge numberof properties in Walkhamptonthat are potentiallyat flood risk.
The map below showswhichbuildingsoverlap withthe EA’s modelled “Flood Zone 2” area,specificallyareasatriskof flooding from rivers,as identified during the micro-catchmentmapping process.
There are 11buildingspotentiallyatriskout of 58 in the catchment, approximately18.97%of them.
The catchment’ssize of 2.26km2 givesanarea of 0.21km2 perbuilding atrisk.
The waterframeworkdirective (WFD)statusinthe widerRiver Walkham catchmentisModerate forecological,and Failing for chemical
If property ownersare willing to workwithlandownersand vice versa, then small-scale NFMmeasuresupstream in the catchmenthave the potential to benefita large numberof propertiesand improve water quality.
The micro-catchment covers part of the urban area of Walkhampton, a small village in southwest Dartmoor, as well as several farms and an area of open moorland. The B3212 runs through the catchment from the south to the northeast towards Princetown. The micro-catchment forms the watershed for the Black Brook that begins on the moorland in the north and flows southwest through fields to Walkhampton at the catchment outlet, eventually joining the River Walkham. The total river length present is approximately 3.2km. Overall, the micro-catchment falls within the Walkhampton County Parish and is administered by Walkhampton Parish Council.
The map on the right shows the steepness of slopes. Sharpitor and Peek Hill in the easton open moorland exhibit the steepestslopes and are the highest points in the catchment. These together with the moorland to the north form a bowl that funnels to a valley through the fields. Walkhampton sits at the bottom of this valley.
The way the land is used has significant impacts on flood management. Land use has been mapped here using the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s (CEH) Land Cover Map 2019. This is a model derived from satellite imagery at 25m resolution.
The land use here is primarily improved grassland in the centre and west, accounting for 58% of the catchment, followed by the acid grassland in the east and south that makes up the moorland, accounting for a further 34% of the catchment. There are three patches of broadleaved woodland adjacent to the Black Brook; two in the catchment centre, and one where it reaches Walkhampton. Broadleaved and coniferous woodland can be found to the south both within and just outside of the catchment boundary.
It should be noted that this land cover map model is not a perfect representation of land use as it simplifies UK land cover into very broad classes.
Land use observed during the catchment walkover mostly matched the land use mapped using the CEH Land Cover Map 2019. The arable and horticulture designated land was not identified and appeared to be in grass leys in the walkover surveys.
Above: Looking south from the source of the Blackbrook that rises on Walkhampton Common used for stock grazing March – October
Left: View from the B3212 at Peek Hill to the southwest showing over the Blackbrook catchment below Walkhampton Common which is predominately improved grassland with limited broadleaved woodland. The grassland is used for pasture, silage and haylage.
Flooding hasthe potential to negativelyaffectpeople and communities. Byconsidering boththe vulnerabilityof communitiesand the opportunitiesforland managementinterventions,actionscanbe targeted to have a positive impactoncommunitiesmostatrisk.
Flooding isone of a number of natural hazardswhichcan cause harm to people,the environmentand the economy.The primarydriverfor targeting thiscatchment isflooding.However,there are otherpriorityareasand driverswhich will be affected byNFMand candetermine the mostappropriate type of NFM forthe catchment. These are mapped inthe following pages.
The Neighbourhood Flood Vulnerability Index (NFVI) characterises vulnerability as communities likely to experience losses in wellbeing during flood events. This is based on their susceptibility, preparedness, responsiveness, and ability to recover, all without significant support from emergency services.
The whole catchment falls within an area classed as “Relatively Low” in the NFVI, meaning that they are slightly less vulnerable to losses in wellbeing from a flood event than the UK average.
The Social Flood Risk Index (SFRI) is a geographic measure of flood disadvantage. It identifies communities who are both exposed to flood risk by living on a flood plain and who are more vulnerable to the effects of flooding, due to factors such as health, preparedness and the availability of community support. Higher numbers of people living in a flood plain coinciding with high social vulnerability result in higher index values. The map highlights neighbourhoods identified as at riskof fluvial flooding higher than the national average. Please note that this is based on flood risk from rivers and the sea, so coastal areas may not be affected by changes in land management upstream.
At present, the whole catchment is classed as “Exposed” in the SFRI for river and coastal flooding, though the NFVI below the UK average. This doesn’t increase in future projected scenarios of 2 and 4 degree temperature increases by the 2050s.
When considering flooding, it is necessary to investigate records of previous flood events and combine this with modelled scenarios of what could happen, particularly in the face of the uncertainty of climate change affecting weather patterns.
The Black Brook has been recorded as flooding four times in December 1979, December 1984, and November 2012 with unknown causes, and in February 2016 where channel capacity was exceeded.
The EA’s modelled fluvial Flood Zone 2 dataset show areas predicted to flood from rivers in a storm event so severe it is likely to occur only once every 1000 years. There are 11 properties in Flood zone 2 within the Black Brook catchment. This is also known as a 0.1% Annual Exceedance Probability. Flood Zone 2 was used to identify buildings potentially at flood risk as shown previously on page 8. Here, this occurs in the valley as the Black Brook leads down to Walkhampton and in the village itself.
The EA’s Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (RoFSW) dataset shows the extent of flooding caused by rainwater flowing across the ground towards the nearest water course in a 1 in 1000 year storm event. There are 11 properties at Risk of Flooding from Surface Water within the Black Brook catchment. This overlaps frequently with Flood Zone 2, but also shows depressions in the ground where surface water will accumulate. This identifies a long curving line of depressions on Walkhampton Common as surface water flows down from Sharpitor, across the B3212, and follows the bottom of the bowl down to the Black Brook. Two further lines of channels are visible; one starts in a field on the southern side of the valley that crosses several fields to meet the other which starts on the track leading towards the nearby buildings. Both meet before they reach the Black Brook, where they spread out through the woodland.
There are currently a series of linear natural high grounds running adjacent to the Black Brook on both sides where the stream meets the river Walkham. These vary in ownership from the local authority, to the Environment Agency, to private individuals. All were previously inspected in May 2021 and are next due to be inspected in either October 2022 or August 2023.
Right: Aerial drone view over Walkhampton Common looking south to the “funnel” at Clitter Gates, Horseyeatt following a high rainfall event in August 2020. Branching surface flows that come together at the funnel can be clearly seen. The flows to the right are the actual Black Brook while the remainder originate from runoff from Sharpitor and Peek Hill concentrated via culverts under the B3212.
Below: Aerial view of the south of Walkhampton Common and adjacent inby farm land at Horseyeatt with the “funnel” situated in the bottom left corner of the aerial view.
Westcountry Rivers Trust have identified and worked with key stakeholders in the catchment through the Walkhampton NFM project as part of the Dartmoor Headwaters project.
Walkhampton Parish Council and Walkhampton Commoners Association have previously been engaged through the Dartmoor Headwaters NFM Project.
Lady Modifords CofE primary school has been involved with the Dartmoor Headwaters NFM Project as tree planting volunteers and community engagement.
The Tamar Catchment Partnership held an NFM-related stakeholder meeting at Walkhampton Village Hall on 2nd August 2022 followed by a site visit to Horseyeatt at Walkhampton Common.
Clean and plentiful water is vital for a huge variety of our activities, and for supporting healthy ecosystems. Good water quality supports an efficient water supply, healthy natural habitats and cultural ecosystem services. A plentiful water supply is important for drinking water and household use, irrigation, industrial use and for maintaining habitats. Water quality is a key underpinning for the Water Framework Directive.
There are no Water Framework Directive monitoring sites, priority wetlands, or aquatic habitats in the catchment. It also does not fall within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) or a Drinking Water Safeguard Zone for Surface or Ground Water.
However, the historic landfill site of Peek Hill Quarry is in the south of the catchment next to the B3212, where the last input was made in 1982. For more information on water quality go to slide 25.
The amount of water available for abstraction is an indicator of how much drinking water is available for people. The catchment sits within an area not currently available for licensed water abstraction (left map), indicating low water availability.
In the context of NFM, it is also necessary to consider water availability for plants and wildlife. Drought can cause vegetation to die back, leaving bare soil exposed and more vulnerable to erosion and runoff when it eventually rains. The Vegetation Health Index (VHI) uses satellite data to combine temperature and vegetation condition to characterise vegetation health. Areas are scored between 0 and 1 with lower values indicating low drought risk to plant health and higher values indicating higher risk. The western area of the catchment scores almost average on the VHI (right map) with a value of 0.49, indicating medium risk to plant life from drought stress. The majority of the catchment however has no VHI data.
Designated habitat sites, from small local nature reserves all the way up to large national parks, need to be protected for the wealth of benefits they provide to people and the environment, including already providing some degree of NFM. A site being designated can be an indicator of habitat health.
The catchment sits entirely within the Dartmoor National Park boundary. Aside from this, there are no other designated sites for habitats present.
Clean air is important for people’s health and for healthy ecosystems. Air quality is the term used to describe the levels of pollution in the air. When air quality is poor, pollutants in the air may be hazardous to people, particularly those with lung or heart conditions. In the past, the main air pollution problem was smoke and sulphur dioxide from fossil fuels such as coal. Now, the major threat to clean air is from traffic emissions. Petrol and diesel motor vehicles emit a variety of pollutants, principally carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PMx).
A growing body of researchsuggested that smaller particles, in particular PM less than 2.5μm in diameter (PM2.5), is a metric for air pollution which is closely associated with the adverse health effects of poor air quality. Therefore, this section will use data relating to PM2.5 where relevant.
Improvements to the soil and surrounding environment have the potential to also deliver improvements to air quality through natural filtering processes.
The western end of the catchment towards Walkhampton has a slightly higher concentration of air particulate matter from emissions at 6.26PM2.5 than the rest of the catchment. This is potentially due to the proximity of other larger developed areas such as Dousland, Yelverton, and Horrabridge. The lowest value is 6.03PM2.5 in the northeast, possibly due to the moorland’s vegetation and sparse roads.
Areas and features important for tourism and recreation may also be at flood risk and it is necessary to protect them for a healthy society and environment.
A greenspace consisting of religious grounds belonging to Walkhampton Church sits on the northwestern edge of the catchment boundary, and a large playing field can be found in Walkhampton itself.
A Public Right of Way (PRoW) runs from Walkhampton through several fields to the church. Another PRoW connects the unnamed road coming out of Walkhampton to the Black Brook. A third also runs from this unnamed road further up to the Black Brook and up across the moorland to the B3212.
The moorland itself in the east and south is all Countryside and Right of Way (CRoW) Access Land. The moorland in the south and north of the B3212 is also designated CRoW Registered Common Land.
Biodiversity,the varietyof life of earth,is valuable initsown right. Italso supports recreation,food,flood protection and climateregulation. This sectionwill predominantlyexplore whathabitatsand othernatural assetsare presentin the catchmentthat will already be contributing to NFM and could be improved withfurther NFM measures.Water, soilsand crops are natural assets in themselvesand will also be investigated.
The natural assets mapped below are habitats which have the potential to support thriving plants and wildlife. Thriving vegetation is very valuable for NFM as it roughens the ground, thereby slowing down surface water flow, meaning water courses are less likely to be overwhelmed in a storm. In addition, plant roots provide structural support for the soil and prevent surface water washing soil into water courses.
Where the assets are present the landscape is likely to be contributing to the provision of habitats, biodiversity and even NFM. Where assets are absent there may be a lack of habitats which contribute to or support thriving plants and wildlife. Assets may still be present however in the form of crops and soils which are mapped in the following pages.
The whole catchment falls within a priority river habitat headwater area. The acid grassland identified in the landcover map in the east of the catchment is considered a grass moorland priority habitat. Only one of the two patches of woodland in the centre that were identified in the land cover map are included in the priority habitat and national forest inventories. Aside from these, there are no other habitats present.
It is important to determine the current condition of water quality. Poor water quality can be detrimental to people, wildlife, and may cause other negative effects during a flood event. Good water quality should always be protected. A key set of evidence used to assess the water quality in a catchment is the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The status of a waterbody is measured using a series of parameters and is recorded on the scale: high; good; moderate; poor; bad (with moderate and worse being regarded as a failure).
There are no assessed WFD river waterbodies present. However, the microcatchment sits within and on the edge of the larger Walkham WFD river waterbody catchment, accounting for 4% of it’s area.
The river Walkham is overall classed as Moderate meaning it is failing WFD regulations. It is currently failing on both ecological and chemical status. Ecologically, it is ranked as Moderate, failing due to fish and phosphate. Chemically, it is ranked as Failing due to mercury and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
In 2019, 100% of waterbodies in the UK failed on chemical status after the EA included monitoring “mercury and its compounds” and “Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)” into its water quality monitoring methodology.
The River Walkham is classed as Good for macrophytes and phytobenthos, and High for many other ecological classifications items. However, its fish and phosphate classifications are only Moderate, meaning the waterbody’s overall ecological status is Moderate and therefore failing WFD regulations on ecological grounds.
It is failing for fish due to barriers/ecological discontinuity, and for phosphate due to continuous sewage discharge.
The waterbody is classed as Good for nearly all chemical classifications, except for mercury and its compounds, and PBDEs, where it is classed as Failing. The waterbody’s overall chemical status is consequently Failing and is therefore failing WFD regulations on chemical grounds as well as ecological.
There are over 60 metrics that the EA can use to monitor waterbody catchment statuses. For more information and a breakdown of this catchment’s status go to https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchmentplanning/WaterBody/GB108047007870
Crops can be a natural assetin themselves, providing the food we eat and storing carbon. Some crops however, could be considered natural liabilities. One such crop is maize which is planted in wide rows, leaving bare soil exposed and without structural supportfrom roots. Furthermore, it is often harvested in late-Autumn when the weather becomes wetter, meaning little to no vegetation can regrow to protect it over Winter. This leaves the soil much more susceptible to being carried away by surface water runoff. Despite this, maize can be successfully managed to grow and harvest while minimising runoff.
The Crop Map of England (CROME) dataset is derived from satellite data and generalised to hexagons. It identifies the village of Walkhampton and the other small groups of buildings as non-vegetated with the vast majority of the catchment classed as grassland, and various scattered clusters of trees. No other crop types have been identified as present.
The nature of the soil can determine how much surface water infiltrates into the ground, as well as what plants will growand where. Understanding soils is vital to providing effective NFM and improving water quality. The aim with water quality improvements is to keep the soil on the land and improve groundwater infiltration and recharge, therefore allowing a slower and more naturally filtered water route to the river.
Degraded soil structure, where the soil profile is compacted at shallow depths or capped at the surface and impermeable can lead to excessive unnatural run-off of surface water instead of percolation and infiltration. More than 60% of soils in Devon and Cornwall are naturally well-drained and should rarely become saturated.
The Farming Rules for Water (FRFW) were introduced at the start of 2018 as legislation to help protect surface water quality. The regulations are designed to help manage cultivated agricultural land well, without over-management, nutrient run-off, or waste affecting surface water.
The diagram above shows good soil structure on the left and compacted soil structure on the right. In compacted soil, little surface water can infiltrate into the soil subsoil due to surface capping or compacted layers, while vegetation can be deprived of oxygen due to compression of pores that normally transport air and water (sourced from SEPA NFM Handbook).
The NATMAP soils dataset from Cranfield University shows that the catchment is primarily composed of the soil series Denbigh 1 in the southern half, followed by Trusham in the northwest, Moor Gate to the north, and Hexworthy in the northeast. Loamy soils are prevalent throughout farmland but peaty humous soils prevail on Walkhampton Common.
At the time of the walkover survey, soil health in the catchment was considered generally adequate on the farmland but poor on the Common through general observation and further investigation by VESS surveys.
There is a detailed soil survey on much of the catchment undertaken during the Dartmoor Headwaters NFM project. This arrived at the conclusion that the soils on Walkhampton common are considerably degraded in their ability to hold water (infiltration and field capacity) due to overgrazing and overstocking in wet conditions, giving rise to soil compaction.
The above map was created using the NATMAPvector dataset from Cranfield University in March 2022
Geological conditions impacts groundwater and soil type. When rocks are sufficiently permeable it can lead to groundwater flooding. If local flooding is caused be groundwater levels then it is unlikely that changes to land management and NFM will improve flood resilience.
According to the British Geological Survey, the catchment exhibits multiple different geology types. The moorland is mostly granite, while the farming fields are mostly the mudstone argillite – slate broken up with weakly metamorphic rocks and sandstone. The bottoms of the bowl and valley where the Black Brook runs to Walkhampton is comprised of colluvium at its start, then transitions to riverine clay and floodplain sands and gravel.
Catchment walkover observations concurred with this geology data.
Multiple issues have already been mentioned and mapped that could be contributing to flood risk and WFD failures. However, there are further potential issues that may be influential which will be explored in the following pages.
Pollution incidences themselves will directly affect water quality, but consented discharges into watercourses and chemical runoff from roads exacerbated by rainwater may also be sources of pollution.
There are no recorded pollution incidences in the catchment
One source of consented discharges is present in the catchment for Walkhampton Church. This is for treated effluent and is discharged into groundwater for a trench arch.
Licensed water abstraction points may serve as sources of risk to ground water quantity and availability. However, there are no water abstraction points present in this catchment.
Surface flow pathways are the routes rainwater accumulates and follows when it lands to the nearest depression or watercourse. As it flows, surface water can pick up any number of chemicals, soil, and debris and carry them into the watercourse with it. This serves to demonstrate why community engagement and working with land owners is so important, as the effects of practices upstream in the catchment cascade down via these routes. Pathways have been modelled in 2 different ways here.
The first are modelled using topographic data and software called SCIMAP (left). Only the routes with above average wetness are shown. The long curving surface flow routes running from Sharpitor and Peek Hill down the bowl and into the valley to the Black Brook are clearly visible here. There are multiple other feeding pathways running off the farmland too, as well as the track that runs from the B3212 to the cluster of buildings. This correlates significantly with the Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (RoFSW) dataset shown on page 15.
The second method uses SCALGO Live (right). Flow routes with at least 1km2 upstream area are shown. Areas that would be flooded if 15cm of rain were to fall during a storm event are also mapped. Flooded areas are coloured by their water volume from yellow to red. The flow routes broadly agree with those identified by SCIMAP, though there are very few small depressions where surface water would accumulate, in contrast to the RoFSW dataset.
Walkover surveys of the micro-catchment have previously been carried out under the DHW NFM Project by both WRT and the EA. The results are mapped below.
An additional walkover survey was carried out to verify the issues and opportunities mapped in this report.
EA generated map showing initial areas for further investigation in the Walkhampton Black Brook catchment at the start of DHW NFM project
There are many options to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk across the country which involve implementing measures that help to protect, restore and emulate the natural functions. These options are known as Working With Natural Processes (WWNP) or Natural Flood Management (NFM). These measures increase flood resilience by slowing the flow of water and disperse energy to keep the water at the top of the catchment or to improve groundwater infiltration and recharge, therefore allowing a slower and more naturally filtered water route to the river.
Where rapid surface water run-off has been noted there may be opportunities for WWNP to mitigate both water quality and to regulate flow. An example of some NFM interventions are given below. They are intended to slow water, store water, increase infiltration and intercept rainfall.
The illustration above shows various natural flood management techniques (sourced from CIRIA).
The Environment Agency have mapped potential opportunities for WWNP to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk across the country. These include opportunities for different types of woodland planting, floodplain reconnection features like restored riverside wetlands and meadows, and runoff attenuation features which aim to slow pathways of water across the land, like storage ponds or leaky barriers. Anumber of areas are also excluded from the woodland maps such as urban areas and existing woodland. These are mapped separately on page 40.
The greatest opportunity identified by these WWNP datasets for the catchment is riparian tree planting along the full length of the Black Brook. This doubles up as floodplain woodland planting shortly before the Brook reaches Walkhampton. Some riparian planting has already taken place at Horseyeatt as partof the DHW NFM project.
In addition, there are opportunities to construct smaller scale runoff attenuation features on the moorland and in the fields that are strategically placed to slow the flow of surface water before it reaches the water course, allowing excess water to dissipate rather than flood during a storm event. These would be effective in a 1 in 100 year storm event and coincide with the areas that would flood from surface water flow as identified by the RoFSW dataset. Erosion control measures have already been implemented on the common through the DHW NFM Project matching up with the northwestern runoff attenuation opportunities on the map.
There may be current habitat creation and river restoration projects where opportunities exist to work together with organisations to provide simultaneous benefits to habitats, rivers, and flood resilience.
Natural England have also identified opportunities to expand on existing habitats to create habitat networks across the landscape.
While there are no recorded habitat creation or river restoration projects in the catchment, there are significant opportunities for expanding habitat networks around existing priority habitats (see page 24).
The moorland in the east has been identified as Restorable Habitat. Natural England defines this as “Sites where data suggests small fragments of the primary habitat or degraded habitat exists and where restoration may be possible.”
On the west side of the catchment is the Network Expansion Zone, defined as “Land within relatively close proximity to the Network Enhancement Zones that are more likely to be suitable for habitat creation for the particular habitat and identifying possible locations for connecting and linking up networks across a landscape.”
Lying in-between these two is Network Enhancement Zone 2, “Land within close proximity to the existing habitat components that are unlikely to be suitable for habitat re-creation but where other types of habitat may be created or land management may be enhanced including delivery of suitable Green Infrastructure.”
There are two patches of Network Enhancement Zone 1 where the moorland transitions to farmland, defined as “Land within close proximity to the existing habitat components that are more likely to be suitable for habitat re-creation for the particular habitat. These areas are primarily based on soils but in many cases has been refined by also using other data such as hydrology, altitude and proximity to the coast.”
Agri-environment schemes are government initiatives that aim to financially compensate farmers for providing benefits to wildlife on their land. Areas under agri-environment scheme agreements may provide opportunities simultaneously for the landowner to meet the agreement’s objectives and deliver NFM to benefit the catchment community.
The area southeast of the B3212 covering Sharpitor and Peek Hill are under an Environmental Stewardship Agreement, as are a few fields just north of the catchment boundary.
There may be opportunities for land owners in the rest of the catchment to enter into agri-environment schemes. Habitat creation in the west in particular may be facilitated in the Habitat Network Enhancement and Expansion Zones as identified on page 38 if land owners were to enter into an agri-environment scheme. The moorland north of the B3212 has been identified as Restorable Habitat but is under no agri-environment scheme, so a further opportunity may exist here.
A further consideration for the targeting of NFM via soil improvement, habitat enhancements, restoration or creation is existing areas which may not be suitable for changes in land use or land management. This may be because they are already valuable sites for wildlife (e.g. designated wildlife sites), because the land use is difficult to change (e.g. urban land) or because the land is highly valuable for farming (high grade agricultural land). There may be further historic or natural heritage designations to consider.
The Dartmoor National Park designation (see page 20) covering the whole catchment may provide administrative challenges, as will the moorland and other existing woodland priority habitats. However, there is still the opportunity to improve these habitats and designated sites further by getting more partner organisations involved in the process and even access additional sources of funding.
The WWNP woodland constraints dataset highlights any urban areas and existing woodlands (including woodlands not listed as priority habitats not shown here) where additional tree planting may be difficult. This excludes several patches of woodland adjacent to the Black Brook and Walkhampton itself. This does not mean urban tree planting is impossible, and would also provide another avenue to get the community involved the closer the planting is. The centre and west of the catchment have relatively few constraints
The agricultural land grade is grade 3 in the centre and west of the catchment which is considered average. A small area in the south is considered grade 4 and the moorland itself is grade 5, meaning they are of poor and very poor quality respectively as agricultural land. There is therefore no high grade land present.
There are several scheduled monuments present on the moorland, one of which covers the top of Sharpitor and Peek Hill. Another two are long linear features with four other small monuments close by. Engagement with Historic England would be necessary to change anything that might affect these areas.
During the walkover surveys under the DHW NFM project, experienced surveyors at WRT identified opportunities for NFM measures and improvements to other key considerations mentioned. The results are mapped below but it should be noted that the map is by no means exhaustive. Some of these measures have been implemented through the DHW NFM projectand further interventions could potentially be delivered through the WRT PROWATER project. Please refer to the Dartmoor Headwatwers NFM Walkhampton Final Report.
Below: Walkhamtpon Common NFM trial initiative interventions and indicative locations – approximate and not to scale
Above: Leaky stone structures cascade system (flow attenuators) installed in a Corn Ditch working after heavy rainfall at Clitter Gates, Horseyeatt on Walkhampton Common.
There are some opportunities to improve flood resilience in the Walkhampton catchment through changes to soil management.
Below: Decompaction aeration by tractor towed slitter undertaken on Peek Hill Farm, Walkhampton as part of the DHW NFM project. Sub-soil work was discounted after VESS surveys revealed shallow soils with rock substrate.
There are many opportunities to improve flood resilience in the catchment name through water pathway interruption.
There is significant opportunity for in-field works upstream of Welltown shown below. However on further investigation and consultation with the land owner, further intervention was unlikely due these fields being tenanted and works would contravene the tenancy agreement. The relevant permissions would need to be sought first.
NaturalFlood Management (NFM) or
Working withNaturalProcesses (WWNP)
Potential benefit in catchment
Potential provider identified
Locationof opportunity matches GIS maps
Cross-slope planting of treesor hedges ✓ ✓ ✓
Gatewayrelocation ✓ ✓ ✓
Cross-slope buffer(beetle bankor cross-drain) N/A N/A N/A
Timber/stone instream deflectors ✓ ✓ ✓
Opportunities Identified During Walkover Surveys
There are many opportunities to improve flood resilience in Walkhampton through water attenuation on non-floodplain wetland.
The most recent walkover survey showed that the major opportunity identified on page 37 for in-field gulley blocking on fields of farmland was not possible as there is no discernible gully present. However it has already been aerated by slitter to assist surface water infiltration. Any further work, such as attenuation bunds or additional hedge/baffle systems would require consent from the land lords of the estate.
Locationof opportunity matches GIS maps Attenuationpond / farm pond / wildlife pond
Run-off scrape or swale / temporarypond
Run-off bunded storage or off-line storage
Blind ditching in drainage ditches
✓ ✓ ✓
✓ ✓ ✓
Slow the Flow Opportunities Identified During Walkover Surveys
There are many opportunities to improve flood resilience in the catchment name through increasing channel and floodplain roughness to slow the flow.
Large/coarse woody debris has been avoided due to the Black Brook channel above Welltown being ephemeral in summer and thus a fire risk and having a number of culverts that are prone to blockage from loose woody debris.
The Black Brook spillway ravine channel between Sycamores and Welltown is partially paved from the 1800’s to protect from erosion during high flow events and is suitable for large boulder peak flow barriers, but unsuitable for gravel augmentation.
NaturalFlood Management (NFM) or Working withNaturalProcesses (WWNP)
Potential benefit in catchment
Potential provider identified
Locationof opportunity matches GIS maps
Channel restoration,sinuosity N/A N/A N/A
Large/coarse woodeddebris introduction N/A N/A N/a
Floodplainreconnection (palaeochannelreconnection) N/A N/A N/A
Riparianbufferstripsor woodland (sloped) ✓ ✓ ✓
Floodplainwoodland orwet woodland ✓ ✓ ✓
Peak flow leakybarriers ✓ ✓ ✓
Bed renaturalisation– armour/ gravel augmentation N/A N/A N/A
There are 14 landowners in the catchment. One farm owns over 89ha in the catchment and the others are all small to medium farms by comparison. The three largest landowners own 89% of the catchment.
WRT has engaged with this land-owners in this catchment under Dartmoor Headwaters NFM. It is also within WRT’s Upstream Thinking (UST) Green Recovery project area.
As well as the opportunities identified in the previous section, there may be opportunities for you to get involved as an individual.
WRT runs a Citizen Science Investigation (CSI) team of volunteers across the south west, whereby volunteers receive a testing kit and training to procure water samples from a watercourse. Westcountry CSI aims to engage people with their local environment, and produce water monitoring data that can identify pollution events quickly and target improvement work.
There are currently no Westcountry CSI sites in the catchment. However, there may be the potential to establish a sampling site along the Black Brook if there is suitable access to the water. For more information about Westcountry CSI, including instructions on what’s involved and how to sign up, visit our website at wrt.org.uk/westcountry-csi
Another opportunity for you to get involved in is the Riverfly Partnership’s Anglers’ Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). This recognises that anglers are very well placed to monitor river water quality and facilitates communication between them and their local Environment Agency contact.
There are no riverfly survey sites within the micro-catchment, but, as with CSI sites, it may be possible to start a new site if there is suitable access to the water and with communication with the Environment Agency.
For more information on ARMI, visit their website at riverflies.org/anglersriverfly-monitoring-initiative-armi
There are multiple reasonsforthe possible causesflooding inthe BlackBrookmicro-catchment.There isalso multiple possibleremediesand opportunitieswhichhave been mapped inthisstudy, as have other factorsthat are key to considerwhen making NFM decisions.
It islikelythat a combinationof causesare at playhere contributing to there being propertiesatflood risk,including the topography,soil,and land use. Several NFM interventionshave alreadybeendelivered via the DartmoorHeadwatersNFMProjectand there is scope formore to be implemented inthe catchmentthat would benefitpropertiesdownstream in Walkhampton.
The nextsteps are to engage and empowerthe communityin the catchmentto discuss and work towardsbuilding flood resilience throughsome of the opportunitiesmapped inthe previouspages.It is imperative thatpropertyownersand land owners share perspectivesand worktogether to find solutionsagreeable to all sides.Some opportunitiesmayprovidesecondarybenefitstowardsimproving the catchment’s WFD ecological and chemical status.
The processforidentifying the highest-impacting locationsof NFMmeasures acrossDevonand Cornwall involved several stepsin a Geographic InformationSystem (GIS).The first step was to identifywatercourseswithan upstream watershed less than 10km2 and less than 5km2 in size,then to identifypropertiesadjacentto these watercoursesthat overlapped withthe EnvironmentAgency’s (EA) fluvial “Flood Zone 2”dataset.Next,pour pointswere placed onthe watercoursesin front of the furthest downstream flood riskproperties.These pourpoints were thenused to delineate the upstream micro-catchmentboundaries.A total of 1270micro-catchmentswithpropertiespotentiallyatriskwere identified across the 2counties.
For every micro-catchmentidentified,itsarea wasdividedbythe number of flood risk propertieswithinitto calculate the area perproperty atrisk foreach micro-catchment.Those withthe lowestarea perpropertyindicated higherpotential forsmall-scaleNFMmeasuresto benefitthe greatest number of flood riskproperties. Lastly,additional factors,suchas WFD classificationsand previousWRT engagementwithfarmers,were considered alongsidethe area perproperty atflood risk toprioritise a small numberof micro-catchmentsto targetcommunityengagementand NFM delivery.
➢ Due to the large geographic extent(Devonand Cornwall)and the manual elementof the mapping (bothcausing the mapping processto be time-consuming),the resolution/accuracyof some datasetsmaybe compromised.
➢ The buildingsdataset(OS VectorMap Buildings) isnotasaccurate as OS MasterMap - some propertiesare amalgamatedinto a single polygon and very small buildingsare notshown. Therefore propertiesatriskof flooding maybe underestimated.
➢ Potential flood-riskisidentifiedbyselecting building polygonsthatintersectthe flood zones;no detailed local information (e.g.drainage or defences) ormodelling hasbeenused.
➢ The spatial resolutionof the topographydata iscoarse (50m).Thisisused to calculate the upstream catchmentarea foreach communityat-risk. Therefore,some errors mayoccur (additionsoromissions) whenidentifying micro-catchments.
➢ The mapping method involvesanelementof manual validation,whichhasthe potential to be subjective and/orpossible errors.
Once catchmentswere modelled and the informationtabulated to show theoretical flood risk in conjunctionwithWFD failures, a systematic approach to ground-truthing was adopted.
Catchmentsthat were perceived to have elevated water quality and water quantity risks were discussed with local land management advisors and regulators to determine if the modelled risk was likely to be correct.
Upon a theoretical, or desk-based ground-truthing,the catchmentswere then surveyed using a rapid walkover survey to observe run-off pathways and confirm if useful managed interventions could be implemented to reduce flood risk locallyand improvewater quality in the process.
A further modelling process using SCIMAP was undertaken to identify high risk run-off pathways of the specific micro-catchmentbeingsurveyed to assist the surveyor in locating issues within a <10km2 area.
Where possible, surveyors reacted to high rainfall predictions and went out to observe the catchmentwhen the conditions were right.
Walkover surveys were undertaken noting observations about surface water run-offand taking photographs of key areas and issues. All walkovers aimed to provide:
➢ Dry or Wet weather photos,
➢ Identify stakeholder PROVIDERS where NFM can be instigated,
➢ Identify stakeholder BENEFICIARIES by property and number people,
➢ Establish opportunities in each catchmentand feasibility of action.
Georeferenced photos were taken to provide a visualoverview of issues, opportunities, and as general reference notes.
Where issues and opportunities existed, further investigation was made or attempted to establish the realistic chances of further action. This was achieved by either speaking withthe localcommunityor contacting communitygroupsor key landowners.
All 1270 micro-catchments with properties potentially at risk were identified across the 2 counties.
CIRIA (Slide 43)
The Construction Industry Research and Information Association’s (CIRIA) Natural Flood Management Manual (C802) (PDF)
https://www.ciria.org/Books/Free_publications/C802F.aspx
FRFW (Slide 32)
Statutory guidance for Farming Rules for Water (FRFW) (Webpages)
SEPA NFM Handbook (Slide 32)
Handbook describing various natural flood management interventions and case studies (PDF)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-thefarming-rules-for-water/applying-the-farming-rules-for-water
https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/163560/sepa-natural-floodmanagement-handbook1.pdf
Dartmoor Headwaters Report
Report output of the Dartmoor Headwaters Natural Flood Management Project – Walkhampton Black Brook Element. (Links to 2 PDFs)
https://wrt.org.uk/dartmoor-headwaters-2/
Dataset
Source AttributionStatement
Agricultural Land Classification Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
Air Quality Management Areas UKAIR © Crown copyright and database rights licensed under Defra's PublicSectorMapping Agreementwith Ordnance Survey(licence No. 100022861) and the Land andProperty Services Department(Northern Ireland) MOU206.
Ancient Woodland Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
AONB Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
Areas Benefitting fromFlood Defences EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2018. Allrights reserved.Some features of this mapare based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology,© NERC (CEH) © Crowncopyright anddatabase rights 2018Ordnance Survey 100024198
Bathing Water Monitoring Locations EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.
Country Parks NaturalEngland © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
Countryside StewardshipScheme Agreements Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
Crop Map of England Rural Payments Agency © Rural Payments Agency
CRoW Access Land NaturalEngland © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
CRoW RegisteredCommonLand NaturalEngland © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
DetailedRiver Network EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency Crown copyrightand databse right 2022.
Drinking Water Safeguard Zones (Ground Water) EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency and/ordatabase rights. Derivedfrom BGSdigital data under licence from British Geological Surveycopyright NERC.
Drinking Water Safeguard Zones (Surface Water) EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right.All rights reserved. Derived fromBGS digitaldata underlicence fromBritish Geological Survey ©NERC. Derived fromCentre of Ecology andHydrology data ©CEH
Energy Crop Scheme Agreements NaturalEngland © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
Flood Defences EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2020. Allrights reserved.
Flood Zone 2 EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2018. All rights reserved.Some features of this map are basedon digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology,© NERC (CEH). © Crown copyrightand database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey 100024198
Geology British Geological Survey ©UKRI2022
Greenspaces Ordnance Survey Contains OS data © Crown copyrightand database right 2022
HabitatNetworks Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
HistoricLandfill Sites EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2018. All rights reserved.Contains information © Local Authorities
Dataset Source AttributionStatement
Land Parcels Rural Payments Agency © Crown copyright and database rights 2020 OS
LCM2019 25m Parcels Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Morton, D., Marston, C. G, O’Neil, A. W., & Rowland, C. S. (2020). Land Cover Map 2019 (25m rasterised land parcels, GB) [Data set]. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/F15289DA-6424-4A5E-BD92-48C4D9C830CC
LNR Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
MCZ Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
National Forest Inventory Forestry Commission Contains Forestry Commission information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
National Trails Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
NATMAPvector Cranfield University Soil data © Cranfield University (NSRI) and for the Controller of HMSO 2019
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones 2021 Combined Environment Agency
© Environment Agency copyright and/or database right. Derived in part from geological mapping data provided by the British Geological Survey © NERC. Derived in part from data provided by the National Soils Research Institute © Cranfield University. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database rights 2016. Derived in part from data provided by the Department for theEnvironment, Farming and Rural Affairs © Crown 2016 copyright Defra. Derived in part from data provided by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology © NERC. Derived in part from data provided by UK Water Companies.
National Parks Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
Organic Farming Scheme Agreements Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
OS Open Datasets Ordnance Survey Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2022
Permitted Waste Sites Environment Agency © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.
PM2.5 2020 UKAIR © UKAIR crown copyright
Pollution Incidents Environment Agency
Priority Habitat Creation and Restoration Projects Environment Agency © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.
Priority Habitat Inventory Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
Priority Habitats (Aquatic and Wetlands) Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
Priority Roads for Catchment Management of Runoff Highways England
Priority Roads for Catchment Management of Surface Water Highways England
Public Rights of Way Ordnance Survey Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2022
Ramsar Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
Recorded Flood Outlines Environment Agency © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2018. All rights reserved.
River Restoration Projects The River Restoration Center
Dataset Source AttributionStatement
RoFSW Extent 1in 1000 EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.
RPA Land Parcels Rural Payments Agency © Crown copyright and database rights 2020OS
SACs Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
SCALGO Live
Scheduled Monuments HistoricEngland © HistoricEngland2022. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022
SCIMAP Flow Pathways SCIMAP SCIMAP modelling system- SCIMAP was developed atDurham andLancasterUniversities as part of a NERCgrant
Slope TellusSW Ferraccioli,F.; Gerard,F.; Robinson, C.; Jordan,T.;Biszczuk,M.; Ireland, L.; Beasley,M.; Vidamour,A.; Barker, A.; Arnold, R.; Dinn, M.; Fox,A.; Howard, A. (2014). LiDAR based Digital Terrain Model (DTM) data for SouthWestEngland. NERC Environmental InformationData Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/e2a742df-3772-481a-97d6-0de5133f4812
Source ProtectionZones EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2016. All rights reserved.
SPAs Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
SSSI Units Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
SSSIs Natural England © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crowncopyright anddatabase right2022.
Vegetation Health Index Centre for Ecology and Hydrology © UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Water Resource Availability and Abstraction Reliability Cycle 2 EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.
WFD Monitoring Sites EnvironmentAgency
WFD River Waterbody Catchments EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.
WFD River Waterbody Status EnvironmentAgency
WIMS Locations EnvironmentAgency Uses Environment Agency waterquality data from the WaterQuality Archive (Beta)
WWNP Datasets EnvironmentAgency © EnvironmentAgency copyrightand/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.