habitat creation on the severn estuary lyn jenkins flood and coastal risk management south west...
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Habitat Creation on the Severn Estuary
Lyn JenkinsFlood and Coastal Risk Management
South west Regional Habitat Creation Programme
The Agency’s role on the coast
Overview of Flood risk management:
Consider our own defences and those of others including private landowners
Shoreline management plans FCRM strategies Build flood schemes on the ground
Making Space for Water
Storms and seal level rise = unsustainable sea defences
Cannot defend everywhere Focus on properties
Severn Estuary SMP and FCRM strategy
SMP sets policy: Hold the existing defence line Advance the existing defence line Managed realignment No active intervention
The FCRM strategy provides greater detail
Schemes built by the Agency and local authorities must meet economic, engineering and environmental needs
DEFRA targets for operating authorities:
No net loss of biodiversity
Habitat loss and gain balance sheet
Create 800 ha of new habitat over 2008 - 2011 300 ha of saltmarsh and mudflats
Legal obligations: Habitats Regulations
Apply to all Natura 2000 sites:
SPAs for birds, SACs for habitats
Regulation 61:Appropriate Assessment of plans and projects
Habitat Regulations Assessment
Required for SMP, FCRM strategy and individual schemes
• Agreed with NE and CCW
• Signed off by Sec of State
and WAG
• Formal process
• IROPI
Compensatory habitat needed
Legal duties - Compensatory habitats Maintain extent and integrity of international sites Mitigate effects where possible Compensate for direct impacts of flood defence work
and for coastal squeeze (sea level rise)
Direct effects 10’s hectares, indirect effects of coastal squeeze - 1000’s hectares
Severn estuary: FCRM strategy 140+ kms of flood defences Coastal squeeze on SPA, SAC and RAMSAR Legally required to safeguard European sites Compensate for coastal
squeeze losses
Identify managed
Realignment sites
through FCRM strategy.
Severn estuary: habitat lossSea level rise – 2600 ha loss over the next 100
years
2026 – 700ha lost 2056 – 1300ha 2106 –2600ha
Severn estuary: habitat loss
¾ mudflat and sandflat (10% of resource)
¼ saltmarsh (40% of resource)
Saltmarsh is priority for habitat creation
FCRM strategy: possible realignments
Identifying potential sites Unsustainable defences Topography Minimal impact on property and infrastructure Ecological suitability
Approximately 40 potential sites identified so far
but few large sites.
Role of the RHCP Habitat Creation programme in each EA region Work with Wales and Midlands to identify viable
sites Work out how they can be delivered
Current target is 650 ha 2010 -2030
Managed realignment or no active intervention?
Unpopular policies – protect at all costs Landowners unwilling to accept land loss Do we walk away or manage the process? Realising opportunities through purchase High Level Stewardship
Managed realignment: Incentives Agri environment schemes up to £700 /Ha for 20
years Can buy land/property for compensatory habitats Move freshwater marshes inland Build resilience Habitat creation
Steart Peninsula Bridgwater Bay, Somerset
Protected by a shingle ridge Less than 1 in 10 year
standard Could create up to 500 ha of
new habitat Adjoins Severn estuary SAC
and SPA Strategically important
New approaches: regulated tidal exchange
Allows controlled tidal inundation through a sluice gate
R. Exe at Goose moor Option at Steart Axe estuary wetlands
at Seaton
Delivering habitat creation
Not just the Environment Agency – all operating authorities
Risk if we cannot find sufficient compensatory habitat then flood defence schemes will be delayed
Strategic approach Partnership with Local authorities Links to Local Development frameworks
Habitat creation in practice
Work with partners
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust - Steart East Devon District Council - Axe estuary RSPB - Goose Moor National Trust - Living with a changing
coast
Making space for Water
Not just birds v people Allowing the coastline to move Building natural sea defences –
saltmarshes Increasing resilience Habitat creation