The Somerset Levels and Moors project has
focussed on the Parrett Catchment, which
represents half of this area of highly engineered
floodplain. The area has a long history of
conflict between stakeholders and a number of
new challenges. As a result, the Wise Use of
Floodplains project (WUF) has targeted
creating a new consensus on how water is to be
managed, in particular looking at new ways to
achieve sustainable benefits for all stakeholders.
The project has worked very closely with the
Parrett Catchment Project (PCP), aiming to
encourage integrated catchment management,
and the Water Level Management Action Plan
(WLMAP), Environment Agency strategy for
the day-to-day management of water in the
Levels and Moors.
Somerset Levels and Moors Stakeholders
Environment Agency
English Nature
RSPB
Somerset County Council
Levels & Moors Partnership (LAMP)
The project aims:
to demonstrate methods to appraise the economic,
social and environmental effects of flood and coastal
plain wetland restoration and management options
to determine how European and national policies might
need to change to facilitate the restoration of flood and
coastal plain wetlands
to facilitate ‘on the ground’ floodplain restoration
across Europe through dissemination of guidelines and
project results
.The Parrett Catchment
The Parrett Catchment is the largest river system in
Somerset, covering 50% of the county and containing five
major rivers: the Parrett, Isle,Tone,Yeo and Cary.
The area is predominantly rural with 70% grassland and
30% arable (cereals and forage maize).The Levels & Moors
covers 64,000 ha and is the most important remaining
lowland wet grassland in England. It is a unique cultural
landscape with farmland criss-crossed by numerous ditches,
and its communities are located on ridges and ‘islands’ of
higher ground.The Levels are a coastal barrier of marine
clays, which lie about 6 m above mean sea level. In contrast,
the Moors are inland and ground levels can be as much as
6 m below peak tide levels.The Moors are prone to
frequent flooding and act as temporary reservoirs during
large flood events.About 10% of the area is designated as a
wetland of outstanding ecological importance in a European
context (a Special Protection Area).
The Somerset issues and focus
The new challenges for Somerset include recent severe
floods and the general crisis in agriculture, exacerbated by
global warming and sea level rise.There is also a drive to
sustainable development and integrated rural development,
as well as new legislation emerging from Europe, such as the
Water Framework Directive.All of these factors affect the
area in different ways.Add in the various interests of all the
stakeholders and the urgent need for an integrated
approach to sustainable water management is evident.
The project has generated the best debate on water
management in 30 years, creating a new consensus
between conservation, farming, drainage and rural
community views. Settlements and strategic assets must
be protected from flooding while securing a farmed
freshwater wetland environment that restores and
maintains biodiversity.
The project area looked at the common ground amongst
stakeholders:
Deep, prolonged floods benefit no-one.
Whole sectors benefit from better flood management.
Wetland habitats should be protected from tidal
inundation.
A combined approach is needed as no single solution
will work.Contacts and Further information:
The Wise Use of Floodplains project is a trans-national partnership, in six project areas
throughout England, Scotland, Ireland and France.The objective of the project is to
demonstrate how floodplain wetlands could contribute to the sustainable management
of water resources within river basins. It highlights the importance of organisations and
communities working together to create a holistic and sustainable approach to the
management of water at catchment level and an important aim is to assist Member
States on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. For further
information, please refer to the ‘Wise Use of Floodplains Overall Guidance Note’.
For further information regarding this project, please refer to the sponsoring
partners and organisations listed below:
Agence de l’Eau www.eaufrance.com
Birdwatch Ireland www.birdwatchireland.ie
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology www.nwl.ac.uk/ih
English Nature www.english-nature.org.uk
Environment and Heritage Service www.nics.gov.uk/ehs
Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Institution Interdepartmentale pour l’Aménagement du Fleuve Charente
LPO www.lpo-birdlife.asso.fr
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de l’Environnement
www.environnement.gouv.fr
Conseil Regionale de Poitou Garonne
Rivers Agency www.dardnt.gov.uk
RSPB www.rspb.org.uk
SEPA www.sepa.org.uk
SNIFFER www.sniffer.org.uk
Thames Water www.thameswater.co.uk
WWF www.panda.org/europe/freshwater
Disclaimer:
The project wishes to stimulate debate on the wise use of floodplains. However, the
views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the opinion of all the
Wise Use of Floodplain partner organisations.
Wise Use of Floodplains technical reports:
Hydrological Impact Assessment: Modelling the impacts of floodplain restoration
Participatory Processes: A tool to assist the wise use of catchments.
Policy Analysis:Analysing Barriers to Change: A tool to assist river basin planning
Options Appraisal: Lessons for floodplain appraisal
Further publications available from website or on CD
from partner organisations:
Beneficial use of floodplains: Identification of appraisal techniques (RPA)
Participatory techniques for land use planning – a review (Mark Toogood)
Identification of techniques for appraisal of floodplain wetlands (RSPB)
Analysing barriers to change methodology (WUF)
A review of twelve WWF river restoration projects across Europe
(Christoph Zockler)
Policy and economic analysis of floodplain restoration in Europe – Opportunities
and obstacles (Tim Jones)
Hydrological model scoping study (CEH)
Cherwell catchment restoration scenarios (University of Southampton)
Hydrology guideline: Summary report to modelling the impacts of floodplain restoration
For further information, please visit www.floodplains.org or refer to the partner
organisations listed above.
focussed on the Parrett Catchment, which
represents half of this area of highly engineered
floodplain. The area has a long history of
conflict between stakeholders and a number of
new challenges. As a result, the Wise Use of
Floodplains project (WUF) has targeted
creating a new consensus on how water is to be
managed, in particular looking at new ways to
achieve sustainable benefits for all stakeholders.
The project has worked very closely with the
Parrett Catchment Project (PCP), aiming to
encourage integrated catchment management,
and the Water Level Management Action Plan
(WLMAP), Environment Agency strategy for
the day-to-day management of water in the
Levels and Moors.
Somerset Levels and Moors Stakeholders
Environment Agency
English Nature
RSPB
Somerset County Council
Levels & Moors Partnership (LAMP)
The project aims:
to demonstrate methods to appraise the economic,
social and environmental effects of flood and coastal
plain wetland restoration and management options
to determine how European and national policies might
need to change to facilitate the restoration of flood and
coastal plain wetlands
to facilitate ‘on the ground’ floodplain restoration
across Europe through dissemination of guidelines and
project results
.The Parrett Catchment
The Parrett Catchment is the largest river system in
Somerset, covering 50% of the county and containing five
major rivers: the Parrett, Isle,Tone,Yeo and Cary.
The area is predominantly rural with 70% grassland and
30% arable (cereals and forage maize).The Levels & Moors
covers 64,000 ha and is the most important remaining
lowland wet grassland in England. It is a unique cultural
landscape with farmland criss-crossed by numerous ditches,
and its communities are located on ridges and ‘islands’ of
higher ground.The Levels are a coastal barrier of marine
clays, which lie about 6 m above mean sea level. In contrast,
the Moors are inland and ground levels can be as much as
6 m below peak tide levels.The Moors are prone to
frequent flooding and act as temporary reservoirs during
large flood events.About 10% of the area is designated as a
wetland of outstanding ecological importance in a European
context (a Special Protection Area).
The Somerset issues and focus
The new challenges for Somerset include recent severe
floods and the general crisis in agriculture, exacerbated by
global warming and sea level rise.There is also a drive to
sustainable development and integrated rural development,
as well as new legislation emerging from Europe, such as the
Water Framework Directive.All of these factors affect the
area in different ways.Add in the various interests of all the
stakeholders and the urgent need for an integrated
approach to sustainable water management is evident.
The project has generated the best debate on water
management in 30 years, creating a new consensus
between conservation, farming, drainage and rural
community views. Settlements and strategic assets must
be protected from flooding while securing a farmed
freshwater wetland environment that restores and
maintains biodiversity.
The project area looked at the common ground amongst
stakeholders:
Deep, prolonged floods benefit no-one.
Whole sectors benefit from better flood management.
Wetland habitats should be protected from tidal
inundation.
A combined approach is needed as no single solution
will work.Contacts and Further information:
The Wise Use of Floodplains project is a trans-national partnership, in six project areas
throughout England, Scotland, Ireland and France.The objective of the project is to
demonstrate how floodplain wetlands could contribute to the sustainable management
of water resources within river basins. It highlights the importance of organisations and
communities working together to create a holistic and sustainable approach to the
management of water at catchment level and an important aim is to assist Member
States on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. For further
information, please refer to the ‘Wise Use of Floodplains Overall Guidance Note’.
For further information regarding this project, please refer to the sponsoring
partners and organisations listed below:
Agence de l’Eau www.eaufrance.com
Birdwatch Ireland www.birdwatchireland.ie
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology www.nwl.ac.uk/ih
English Nature www.english-nature.org.uk
Environment and Heritage Service www.nics.gov.uk/ehs
Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Institution Interdepartmentale pour l’Aménagement du Fleuve Charente
LPO www.lpo-birdlife.asso.fr
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de l’Environnement
www.environnement.gouv.fr
Conseil Regionale de Poitou Garonne
Rivers Agency www.dardnt.gov.uk
RSPB www.rspb.org.uk
SEPA www.sepa.org.uk
SNIFFER www.sniffer.org.uk
Thames Water www.thameswater.co.uk
WWF www.panda.org/europe/freshwater
Disclaimer:
The project wishes to stimulate debate on the wise use of floodplains. However, the
views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the opinion of all the
Wise Use of Floodplain partner organisations.
Wise Use of Floodplains technical reports:
Hydrological Impact Assessment: Modelling the impacts of floodplain restoration
Participatory Processes: A tool to assist the wise use of catchments.
Policy Analysis:Analysing Barriers to Change: A tool to assist river basin planning
Options Appraisal: Lessons for floodplain appraisal
Further publications available from website or on CD
from partner organisations:
Beneficial use of floodplains: Identification of appraisal techniques (RPA)
Participatory techniques for land use planning – a review (Mark Toogood)
Identification of techniques for appraisal of floodplain wetlands (RSPB)
Analysing barriers to change methodology (WUF)
A review of twelve WWF river restoration projects across Europe
(Christoph Zockler)
Policy and economic analysis of floodplain restoration in Europe – Opportunities
and obstacles (Tim Jones)
Hydrological model scoping study (CEH)
Cherwell catchment restoration scenarios (University of Southampton)
Hydrology guideline: Summary report to modelling the impacts of floodplain restoration
For further information, please visit www.floodplains.org or refer to the partner
organisations listed above.
