Nigel Holmes Chalk Streams Sussex Wetland Conference

1. Chalk Streams of Sussex:
Recognition, Protection &
Enhancement
Nigel Holmes & Fran Southgate:
January 2012

2. Planned Coverage
•What are chalk streams?
•Characteristics and Natural Variation
•What do they typically look like?
•Sussex chalk rivers – resource and
distribution
•What do Sussex chalk streams look like?
•Anything special about them?
•PROTECTION REQUIRED.
•REHABILITATION REQUIRED
•Examples of chalk stream rehabilitation

3. What are chalk streams? Official ‘BAP’ National Resource
Reflects Chalk
Geology
Ems & Lavant only
Sussex ones identified

4. Perennial Chalk Rivers
Chalk Geology = V V high BFI = V V Stable Flow

5. Non-Chalk Rivers
Impervious (Clay) Geology = low BFI = ‘Flashy’ Flow

6. Mixed Geology with Chalk - Perennial Rivers
Mixed Clay/Chalk Geology = high BFI = Stable Flow with Bigger Troughs and Higher Peaks

7. Natural Chalk Rivers/Stream often ‘Winterbournes’

8. NATURALLLY Winterbourne

9. NATURALLLY Winterbourne

10. NATURALLLY Winterbourne

11. NATURALLLY Winterbourne

12. NATURALLLY Winterbourne

13. NATURALLLY Winterbourne

14. NATURALLLY Winterbourne

15. NATURALLLY Winterbourne

16. Perennial Chalk Streams - Meon

17. Perennial Chalk Streams – Lambourn

18. Perennial Chalk Streams – Kennet

19. Perennial Chalk Streams – Itchen

20. Sussex Chalk Streams: Distribution &
Resource

21. Sussex Chalk Streams: Distribution & Resource

22. Sussex Chalk Streams: Are there more Fran asks!!?

23. Sussex Chalk
Streams: Bosham

24. Sussex Chalk
Streams:
Bosham

25. Sussex Chalk
Streams:
Bosham

26. Scarp
Streams -
Arundel

27. Scarp Streams –
many
woodedbanks and
woody debris
features

28. Scarp Streams - Dynamic

29. Scarp
Streams -
Sutton

30. Scarp Streams
– Special
Character:
PROTECT

31. Some Scarp Streams
– V Special
Character: PROTECT

32. Some Not So
Special
Character:
REHABILITATION
POTENTIAL

33. Key Quality Parameters

34. Rehabilitation needed and can be easy

35. Rehabilitation
needed and can
be easy: just
move bed
materials
around – Undo
Historical
‘Flattening’!!!

36. Rehabilitation
needed and
can be easy:
just
‘Un-flatten’

37. Rehabilitation
needed and
can be easy:
but need help
in promotion
through keen
& pioneering
landowners

38. Rehabilitation needed
and can be easy: need
keen & pioneering
landowners and
vision

39. Examples of
Rehabilitation
on Small
Chalk Streams

40. Examples of Rehabilitation on Small Chalk Streams

41. Examples of Rehabilitation on Small Chalk Streams

42. Examples of
Rehabilitation on
Small Chalk
Streams

43. Examples of Rehabilitation on Small Chalk Streams

44. Examples of Rehabilitation on Small Chalk Streams

45. Thanks & Keep up the Good Work