Strategic Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmein England

 

Cherith Moses

Wales Coastal and Maritime Partnershiphttp://www.walescoastalpartnership.org.uk/

Northern Ireland Coastal and Marine Forumhttp://www.coastalmarineni.com/

Marine Scotland Strategic Plan 2010-2013http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Directorates/Wealthier-and-Fairer/Marine-Scotland

IntroductionCoastal groups and shoreline management plans

Data requirements and strategic monitoring(Southeast England)

National strategic regional coastal monitoring programme

Data management centreNew Forest District CouncilUniversity of Southampton National Oceanography Centre

Coastal management.Coastal management in England and Wales: Shoreline Management Plans.

‘A Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) provides a large-scale assessment of the risks associated with coastal processes and presents a policy framework to reduce these risks to people and the developed, historic and natural environment in a sustainable manner.’ DEFRA (2001, p1).

‘A sediment cell is defined as a length of coastline which is relatively self-contained as far as the movement of sand or shingle is concerned and where interruption to such movement should not have a significant effect on adjacent sediment cells’ (MAFF, 1995).

Each Coastal Group has a lead authority and the membership includes:

SMPs are drawn up by a process of:consultationdata collectionanalysissetting overall objectivesplan preparation.

DEFRA

The subcell boundaries are ‘not definitive; they are based on best available knowledge of large scale processes’ (MAFF 1995, p1).

For example, major cell 5 is subdivided into the following subcells:5A SELSEY BILL TO PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR5B PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR TO SOUTHAMPTON5C SOUTHAMPTON TO HURST SPIT5D THE NEEDLES TO FORELAND, ISLE OF WIGHT5E FORELAND TO THE NEEDLES, ISLE OF WIGHT5F HURST SPIT TO DURLSTON HEAD5G DURLSTON HEAD TO PORTLAND BILL

Subcell 4d: Selsey Bill to Beachy Head (http://www.sdcg.org.uk/SMP1-main.html

Each subcell is then further divided into ‘management units’:

‘A management unit is a length of shoreline with coherent characteristics in terms both of natural coastal processes and land use’ (MAFF, 1995).

http://www.sdcg.org.uk/SMP1-MUD.html

Current status – 2008 onwardsCurrent status – 2008 onwards

• The Environment Agency’s Strategic Overview includes the intention The Environment Agency’s Strategic Overview includes the intention to strengthen the vote of Coastal Groups by establishing:-to strengthen the vote of Coastal Groups by establishing:-

• Fewer, bigger and more strategic groups.Fewer, bigger and more strategic groups.

• A review of Coastal Group boundaries having regard to River Basin A review of Coastal Group boundaries having regard to River Basin Management Plans and sediment cells.Management Plans and sediment cells.

• Clear and consistent terms of reference and membership.Clear and consistent terms of reference and membership.

• Coastal Groups influencing the annual programme of works via the Coastal Groups influencing the annual programme of works via the Regional Flood Defence Committees (RFDCs).Regional Flood Defence Committees (RFDCs).

• Consistent and strong Environment Agency input.Consistent and strong Environment Agency input.

Currently 7 Coastal GroupsCurrently 7 Coastal Groups

http://www.southerncoastalgroup.org.uk/coastalgroups.htm

Strategic coastal monitoringStrategic coastal monitoring• In England the strategic regional coastal monitoring programme In England the strategic regional coastal monitoring programme

commenced in August 2002; an initiative involving 31 Local Authority and commenced in August 2002; an initiative involving 31 Local Authority and Environment Agency partners in south-east England (1000 km). Environment Agency partners in south-east England (1000 km).

• The programme, which is grant-aided by Defra, has now extended across The programme, which is grant-aided by Defra, has now extended across England with the aim of providing a consistent, repeatable and cost effective England with the aim of providing a consistent, repeatable and cost effective method of monitoring the coast to inform coastal risk management:method of monitoring the coast to inform coastal risk management:

- - strategic shoreline management plans,

- coastal defence strategies

- operational management of coastal protection and flood defence.

• In December 2008 a project board for the national monitoring programme In December 2008 a project board for the national monitoring programme was established to develop and implement the programme from 2011 was established to develop and implement the programme from 2011 onwards.onwards.

Scales of monitoringScales of monitoring

1010

* Baseline topographic surveys of the whole region

* Baseline hydrographic surveys of the whole region,

* GPS control network

* Annual 1:5000 aerial surveys and photogrammetric profiling

* Production of digital orthophotos in years one and five

* LIDAR surveys of cliffed, estuarine and inaccessible beach coastlines

* Regular (annual or biannual) beach profile surveys

* Spot height surveys and digital terrain models at beach management plan sites

* Post storm surveys at selected sites

* Annual bathymetric profile surveys at selected hold the line sites

* Low level aerial surveys at selected sites

* Met-office offshore hindcast wave data at 15 sites and wave transformation of

offshore time-series to 35 nearshore sites

* Wave time series of Hs and Tz from 8 existing and new nearshore wave

recorders

* Tidal time series from 16 local tide gauges and five "class A" stations

The new national network will run 2011-2015 and will provide the following data:

a. Bathymetric surveysb. Topographic surveysc. Aerial surveysd. Lidar surveyse. Ecological mappingf. Hydrodynamic data collectiong. Analytical services

http://www.channelcoast.org/

The Channel Coastal Observatory (CCO) is the data management and regional coordination centre for the Southeast Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme.

Coastal groups and shoreline management plans

Data requirements and strategic monitoring

National strategic regional coastal monitoring programme

Data management centre

Strategic Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmein England