River Trust Research Articles

Profiling efforts to establish voluntary stewardship in a river catchment

River water quality in Ireland is in decline. The Maigue River in County Limerick exemplifies this decline with degrading chemical and ecological water quality. The most significant pressures are agriculture, and to a lesser extent, hydromorphology, urban and domestic wastewater systems. Because human activity is a main source of pressure on riverine systems and natural habitats, part of the solution rests in increasing local community interest, involvement, and cooperation in water and catchment management initiatives. This study profiles efforts made to foster engagement with residents of the Maigue River catchment. A devastating pollution event precipitated the formation of a community water group that provided initiatives to increase public involvement in events and projects focusing on river water quality and biodiversity. Most of the initiatives would not have been possible without the individual attributes of local participants, an organisational structure (Maigue Rivers Trust), and champion (Project Officer), and supporting funds, training, and resources. These bottom-up efforts demonstrate that voluntary engagement supported by core funding helped further the public participation aims of conservation legislation (Water Framework Directive and River Basin Management Plans) and expanded catchment stewardship. However, future sustainability, with meaningful improvements in water quality, requires time, a functioning structure, and adequate resources, as part of a coherent integrated catchment management approach, if trusting relationships with local communities are to be developed and maintained.

Simulating a reservoir on-site flood plan test: Operation Redbrook

The Canal and River Trust, undertaker for 71 high-risk reservoirs, has developed a schedule to conduct a desktop test annually and a full incident simulation exercise every five years. The paper covers the methodology for developing the desktop test, integrating international best practices and strategies from other industries. Practical insights for effectively conducting a desktop exercise, ranging from the selection of failure mode scenarios to debriefings, are provided. The importance of a full simulation was highlighted following the Toddbrook incident. The paper describes how to organise a simulation exercise and the considerations for selecting a suitable reservoir, based on access, location, stakeholders, failure mode and risk assessments on the backdrop of ‘Operation Redbrook’ conducted in June 2023. Pre-exercise arrangements include failure mode simulation, welfare, weather warnings, media responses and traffic management. The Trust also engaged the Local Resilience Forum, BT Emergency services and the contractor's supply chain. The challenges faced by contractors in deploying emergency pumps raises questions on proportionality of expenditure for crane pads, assessments for utilities, environmental impacts and traffic management. Strategies to disseminate lessons learnt and continuous improvement of the emergency response system within the Trust are covered.

Charitable purposes and the shaping effects of money

AbstractWe address a curious omission from both the literature on the law of charity and socio-legal studies – the effect of apparently extraneous factors, such as politics and ideology, as well as the searching for money on the charitable purposes and identities of the public who are to benefit from the charity. This is a curious omission because even the law accepts that the idea of public benefit in charity law is a sociological concept, albeit one that has developed a technical meaning. We argue that approaching charitable purposes and public benefit as sociological concepts enables us to appreciate the tensions that those external factors produce as they re-shape those purposes and refashion the public who are to benefit. We refer to these factors under the rubric of the shaping effects of money. We use a case-study of the Canal and River Trust (CRT) to develop this argument. The trust was set up by the government as a charity to manage and control 2,000 miles of inland waterways in England and Wales. We draw on interviews with households who live on boats and ‘continuously cruise’ those boats on the canals to illustrate how their interests have been marginalised as the CRT has re-shaped itself as a well-being charity.

Elton Reservoir slip

Elton Reservoir was built between 1804 and 1808 to supply water to the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. The canal is no longer open for boat traffic, but the reservoir does provide a sweetening flow. The reservoir is retained by a 600 m long embankment dam with a maximum height of 8.8 m, has a capacity of 923 000 m3 and a surface area of 22 hectares. Top water level in the reservoir is 87.70 mAOD (above ordnance datum). The Canal & River Trust (the Trust) is the reservoir owner. The reservoir has experienced a number of embankment slips in the past with the most recent being in 2012. The water level was subsequently reduced until repair works could be undertaken. A length of unlined spillway channel along the toe of the embankment suffering from erosion was repaired at the same time. The opportunity was taken to complete other remedial works including making the operation of the scour valve within the confined space of the outlet tunnel less onerous. This paper outlines the investigation works undertaken and the various options considered with respect to repairing the slip and providing embankment stabilisation, which led to the preferred solution of counterfort drains.

Mobilising sustainable, water-resilient communities in the UK: evidence and engagement across scales

How does society engage public and community support for and co-create action on climate and environmental change, resilient water management and sustainable critical infrastructure? The answer to this often-asked question, as expected, is not simple yet also not complicated – just a complex layering of scales and dimensions from engineering, environmental and social sciences, science communication and intergenerational recognition that there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach – just as with technical infrastructures. With these perspectives in mind, this paper shares best practice on mobilising the co-creation of sustainable water-resilient communities in the south-west of England, UK. Consideration of evidence and engagement across multiple scales and dimensions is positioned through exploration and evaluation of projects undertaken through the Westcountry Rivers Trust’s Water Resilient Communities programme in two counties (Devon and Somerset). The projects cover town-based sustainable drainage systems (Sudss) co-created with residents, school-based Sudss co-created with children and teachers and a Water Resilience Summit and associated hub co-created with communities and businesses. Over 400 people were directly engaged in exploring, planning and co-creating different aspects, which met the intended objectives. Learning points were uncovered and reflected on to take forward into future projects to enable further mobilisation of sustainable water-resilient communities.

Drivers for discontinuance: a multi-disciplinary approach to feasibility assessment

The UK dams and reservoirs community is experiencing renewed public attention following the Toddbrook incident of 2019, among several other recent global incidents. In light of this, many undertakers are now seeking to limit their liabilities through a reduction in the capacity of their reservoirs. In such situations, those undertakers have a responsibility to assess the benefit of retaining their reservoirs against a broad range of considerations, and a multi-disciplinary assessment is beneficial in understanding their intrinsic value. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges of reservoir discontinuance through an overview of some of the numerous – and often conflicting – constraints. Evidence is provided from optioneering workshops, feasibility studies and concept designs delivered by Arcadis for Canal & River Trust and Natural Resources Wales.

Governing canal life

AbstractThis article focuses on the governance of canals in England and Wales. The Canal & River Trust (CRT), the owner and manager of the waterways, has a statutory responsibility to grant ‘certificates’ or licences. The licence constructs a category called ‘continuous cruisers’ who live aboard their boat. Drawing on a sample of interviews with ‘continuous cruiser liveaboards’ (CCLs), we discuss how their governance by the CRT has gradually encroached on their everyday lives, leading them to reconsider their lives on the canal. We illustrate this through exploring how the CRT translated obscure legislation to make it legible through techniques of simplification, but did so in a way that had problematic effects on CCLs; and how apparently enabling and constraining regulation operates, paradoxically, in contradictory ways, both significantly affecting CCLs’ everyday lives. At heart, there is a simple story here of a nomadic way of life that is of relatively recent vintage but that is being (or perceived as being) sedentarized.

Impact of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and Catchment Sensitive Farming on Water Quality in UK: Case Study of Ingbirchworth and Scout Dyke Reservoirs

The rivers and water streams are considered as a source of fresh drinking water for the human being on earth. The main source of water entering to these reservoirs is surface run off, snow melting and underground water. The water at the river’s mouth is generally in the form of small streams which are considered clean but as they flow down the catchment, pollutants and nutrients start to enter in larger amounts due to anthropogenic activities and advanced land use by human beings. As per inspection of chief inspector “Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI)” in 2016, out of more than 4600 water bodies and 3700 rivers in England, only one sixth could get “good” status and two third could get “moderate” status as per European union standards. This is though a good achievement in Europe but alarming also, as all rivers are required to have achieved specified “good” standards by 2021 (extended to 2027 for some categories). This phenomenon is pronouncing more complications in drinking water reservoirs or compensatory reservoirs from where water is taken out to utility companies and treated for domestic water supply incurring an enormous cost on its treatment before human consumption. The clean water standards can be achieved only if a strict control is implemented on entry of pollutants/ nutrients from surface run off using thorough catchment scale sensitive strategies. UK has been implementing strict measures under Environment Agency (EA), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and other organizations like “Natural England”, “River Trust” and water utility/ supply companies to achieve desired standards of water quality in rivers by managing the whole catchment as per European union water framework directive (EU WFD) 2000.The catchment sensitive farming and nitrate vulnerable zones policies were started in 1992 and has been in full practice by implementing different stewardship schemes and fertilizers control measures in farmlands and arable lands. Ingbirchworth reservoir and Scout Dyke compensatory reservoir have been under catchment sensitive stewardship schemes to control quantities of nutrients especially nitrates and other pollutants since 2006 to maintain good quality water reservoirs for drinking and compensation to Don river. A partial success has been achieved in controlling the values of nitrates, phosphates, and suspended solids to enter from catchment farmlands by controlling the use of slurry/ fertilizers and implementation of good farming techniques. However, temporal and special variations show a variable result of presence of nitrates, phosphates and suspended solids at different streams in different times, more than specified limits of 11.3mg/L, 0.1mg/L and 25mg/L respectively. This requires more holistic efforts to control the bad practices in farming in adjacent farm/arable lands and improvements in stewardship schemes for catchment sensitive farming in Ingbirchworth areas.

Toddbrook: Anglian Water's response to the incident

Anglian Water is the undertaker for 44 large raised reservoirs which fall under the Reservoir Act 1975. The reservoirs are located within the East of England between the River Humber to the north and the River Thames to the south. Anglian Water's reservoirs are predominantly filled by pumping and consequently have small natural catchments. On 1 August 2019 a major incident was declared at Toddbrook reservoir, owned by the Canal & River Trust, and parts of Whaley Bridge, Furness Vale and New Mills were evacuated; 1500 residents were moved to safety after concrete slabs on the dam spillway partially collapsed following days of torrential rain. The Environment Agency (EA) issued a ‘danger to life’ warning in the area due to the possibility of the dam collapsing. Following the incident a review of Anglian Water reservoirs was undertaken to assess them. This paper describes the work undertaken by Anglian Water directly in response to the Toddbrook incident. This comprised an initial review of Anglian Water's reservoirs and then more detailed analyses for those reservoirs assessed to have greatest similarities to Toddbrook.

Toddbrook Reservoir cut-off trench site observations

Significant damage to the auxiliary spillway at Toddbrook Reservoir resulted in the evacuation of 1500 residents from Whaley Bridge for a period of 7 days. During this period, emergency works were carried out to minimise the risk of the embankment failing and allow residents to return to their homes and livelihoods. Since the emergency works, the Canal & River Trust have completed an interim project which includes a number of measures to improve the resilience of the reservoir until the spillway is replaced. This paper presents the site observations made during the construction of the in situ concrete cut-off trench located along the crest of the auxiliary spillway.

Hey Kids, Don't Feed the Wildlife: The Dark Side of Biophilia

Hey Kids, Don't Feed the Wildlife: The Dark Side of Biophilia

The Rolt Memorial Lecture 2017: Conserving the Waterways Heritage

ABSTRACTThis article describes the work of the Canal & River Trust in managing and conserving the heritage assets and the wider historic environment of the Trust's waterways in England and Wales. Various types of heritage assets are described, and the ways in which these assets are managed, including via archaeological recording, along with conservation-led repairs to historic engineering structures and other historic waterway-related buildings, are considered. New directions that offer effective and efficient ways of dealing with heritage assets are examined.

Civil engineering heritage: country profile – England

This paper is a review of the civil engineering heritage of England, one of the series of national profiles being published by Engineering History and Heritage. It is presented under four headings: ‘England’s major civil engineering achievements’, ‘National and regional recognition of engineering heritage’, ‘Exemplar conservation of engineering structures’ and ‘Information sources for engineering heritage’. This profile discusses engineering structures of heritage importance, including the following, all built before 1900: Eddystone lighthouse; Iron Bridge, the first major structure of cast iron; Ditherington Mill in Shrewsbury, the first multistorey building using beams and columns of cast iron; Saint Katherine’s Docks by Thomas Telford; the Thames Tunnel, the first tunnel constructed under water; the Royal Albert Bridge by I. K. Brunel; the Palm House at Kew Gardens; and numerous Victorian railway stations. The profile lists organisations in England active in helping conserve its engineering heritage, including Historic England, the Panel for Historical Engineering Works, the Canal & River Trust and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and concludes with a short list of websites and books giving further information about English civil engineering heritage.

Partnering for bioregionalism in England: a case study of the Westcountry Rivers Trust

Cook, H., D. Benson, and L. Couldrick. 2016. Partnering for bioregionalism in England: a case study of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Ecology and Society 21(2):38.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-08504-210238

Boddington reservoir feeder incident, February 2014

In February 2014, a leak through a subsidiary canal reservoir embankment at Boddington in Warwickshire was identified. A precautionary drawdown was started in accordance with the Canal & River Trust's On-site Emergency Plan. A temporary repair was carried out the same day. Trial excavations were undertaken under the supervision of a qualified civil engineer to investigate the leakage paths and a permanent repair was then carried out.

An overview of heritage and engineering on the canal system

This paper offers an overview of heritage and engineering on the Canal & River Trust waterway network by looking at the evolution of the canal system, the nature, meaning, value and importance of heritage and the types of problem and conflicts that current canal engineers have to deal with from a heritage and an engineering perspective. The need to devise ingenious and sometimes radical interventions on historic operational and non-operational structures is highlighted in conjunction with the pressure to devise cost-effective solutions in restricted, difficult-to-access environments. The use of both traditional and modern engineering techniques on a historic transport network is explained. The author is a civil engineer with the Canal & River Trust, a registered charity, managing over 3000 km of navigable canals, rivers and associated infrastructure across England and Wales on behalf of the nation. The Trust’s national network has approximately 10 000 principal assets and 15 000 non-principal assets and the third largest collection of listed buildings and structures in the UK with five UNESCO world heritage sites.

Going with the flow? Using participatory action research in physical geography

This paper critically appraises the idea and practice of ‘participation’ in scientific environmental research, arguing for the wider uptake by physical geographers of a more radical participatory approach. It proposes participatory action research (PAR), which offers an alternative mode of science, involving collaboration and co-production of research from question definition through to outcomes. We begin with a critical view of public participation in environmental research and policy-making to date. We argue that much rhetoric and practice of participation is shallow, focusing simply on including relevant publics and stakeholders, or having an underlying agenda of building trust in science or policy-making. Both orientations diverge drastically from the radical traditions in which participatory research and planning originate. In the rest of the paper, we illustrate an alternative process of knowledge co-production, reporting on a PAR project on farm slurry pollution conducted with a UK Rivers Trust. We evaluate the knowledge co-produced, the responses of participants and the scientific process. Suggesting that we reframe co-production as the circulation of expertise, we argue that PAR can enrich the learning, knowledge and skills of all those involved and lead to innovation and positive environmental outcomes. A number of structural and institutional barriers to deep participatory processes need to be addressed.

Wonderful waterways

Get back to nature by taking children on a trip to their local canal or waterway. The Canals & River Trust offers a wealth of resources, information and activities.

The history and replacement of lock gates

Wooden canal lock gates require routine replacement after around 30 years. From the 1960s in England, there was a move by the then waterway authority, British Waterways (now the Canal and River Trust), towards standardisation to make construction simpler and cheaper. Today, the conservation of the individual character of each canal has been identified as a way of encouraging greater use of canals. However, the return of lock gate design to its historic form is sometimes seen as unsuitable for locks that have statutory protection. Information about the original design and subsequent alterations of lock gate construction for individual canals should be an important factor in deciding what type of replacement gates should be used. This paper looks at the history of navigational locks, putting their development into an international context. It then considers the reasons for replacing lock gates with those of a traditional design, and the archive material available for the replication of wooden lock gates in England.

Canal breach risk assessment for improved asset management

Advances in inundation modelling software, computer hardware and national data sets mean that it is now practical to use full solutions of the two-dimensional (2D) shallow water equations (SWE) to undertake national-scale modelling of breach inundation. Such modelling enables much improved asset management activities, which lead to reduced risk to life, lower risk of damage to properties and a much better targeting of investment by asset owners. This paper describes how a 2D SWE inundation modelling system was designed and applied to the UK Canal and River Trust canal system as part of a quantitative high-level risk assessment framework. The framework includes a new approach for estimating breach probability and hydrographs in the canal system for potential embankment and culvert failures. An innovative automated model build-and-run process using Isis 2D software was applied to model inundation in urban areas. Predicted likely loss of life and property damage outputs were used to generate a risk chart to prioritise asset inspection and maintenance.