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Transforming the Trent Valley are working with Severn Trent Water to help enhance large areas of floodplain habitat in the shadow of Claymills Victorian Pumping Station
Living Floodplains Officer inspects floodplain lowering and reconnection to the River Dove
Severn Trent Water have signed an agreement with the Environment Agency in the form of a WINEP (Water Industry National Environment Programme) Agreement. They have agreed to deliver a range of habitat improvement works across Claymills to increase biodiversity and enhance priority habitats.
TTTV have been asked by Severn Trent Water to deliver these improvements.
Project overview
An extensive feasibility study was conducted between 2021 and 2022 with a range of opportunities to enhance priority habitats within the floodplain identified. The Living Floodplains team worked with landowners; Severn Trent Water, tenants and other user groups with an interest in this section of floodplain as well as the Environment Agency. Together a comprehensive suite of biodiversity improvements to the existing habitats was developed, which would fulfil the WINEP agreement, which is a statutory commitment to improve the natural environment.
The proposals would see the enhancement of UK Priority Habitats; Wet Woodland and Reedbed and and the creation of ponds and wetland communities within the floodplain. These enhancements have now been successfully delivered between August and September in 2023.
In addition to the statutory WINEP agreement Severn Trent Water has also funded, though its Great Big Nature Boost scheme, the restoration of 20 hectares of grassland across the wider TTTV scheme area via the introduction of locally sourced wildflower seed.
We have improved the diversity of twenty hectares of meadow within the wider TTTV scheme area using funding provided through the Great Big Nature Boost scheme. This was done through the introduction of locally sourced seed harvested from more diverse meadows on to the prepared meadows.
Wet woodland is a key habitat within the Trent Valley. Unfortunately, it is also increasingly sparse. Intensive land use, drainage, and flood defences have all contributed to its decline over the pervious century.
At Claymills we are providing space for the existing pockets of wet woodland to regenerate. As a predominantly transient habitat, wet woodland needs to be able to expand and develop as succession takes its course.
We aim to re-instate natural features within our water courses. These have often been removed over time, through changes to land use and the desire to artificially deepen and straighten our waterways. We have created features such as backwaters and point bars provide variation within habitats and create opportunities for fish, amphibians, and invertebrates to live and reproduce.
An area along the former Mill Fleam which joins the River Dove was identified as a potential site where bank re-profiling would be beneficial. We have carried out some bank reprofiling as part of this project and hope to continue exploring further options to do more of this type of restoration around Claymills, beyond the completion of the initial TTTV scheme this March 2024.
River Dove at Claymills
Thistle in meadow grassland
Wet woodland creation in Claymills pumping station
Claymills effluent channel
Substrate lowering, and pond reconnection with River Dove
Bank reprofiling at Claymills pumping station
Bathymetry to determine depth of lagoons, this was part of the feasibility study
Long-reach digger arrives on site to provide spoil movement across unstable wet ground
Distribution of spoil to create shallow bank margins to a pool in order to encourage the spread of common reed
Creation of backwater with woody material. This will provide a resting are for fish and additional invertebrate habitat and shelter
Ponds and scrapes with woody material
