Exmoor Mires peatland restoration, UK

General

National Id

UK_04

Site name

Exmoor

Summary

The Exmoor Mires project is part of a wider Upstream Thinking programme initiated by the local water company South West Water (SWW) to use land management to tackle problems of water quality and quantity across South-west England. The benefit to SWW is in potentially reducing the costs of water treatment. Demonstration of success will allow SWW to approach the regulator (OFWAT) for permission to develop PES schemes to deliver these benefits in future. The Exmoor Mires project involves peatland restoration through blocking historic drainage ditches with a target of restoring 2000 ha by 2015. The primary benefits of the project have been to reduce runoff (32%) and increase water storage (additional 364 m3/ha). The success of the project has been aided by the land ownership and public engagement by the Exmoor National Park Authority and support from other public agencies and research from universities.

NUTS Code

Dorset and Somerset

RBD code

UK08

Transboundary

Data provider

Alistair McVittie, SRUC

Source(s)

Upstream Thinking - Exmoor Mires Project

Initial changes in hydrology and water quality following restoration of a shallow degraded peatland in the South west

National River Flow Archive

UK Soil Observatory

Peat bog restoration work holds back water, scientists say

Assessing the impact of mire restoration on agricultural productivity: An interim progress report

Memorandum of agreement concerning the Exmoor Mires Project

Review of the Exmoor Mires Restoration Project Final Report

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study

Wetland restoration and management

Longitude

-3.757

Latitude

51.129

Site information

Climate zone

cool temperate moist

Mean rainfall

1581

Mean rainfall unit

mm/year

Mean runoff

1327

Mean runoff unit

450 - 600 mm

Average runoff coefficient

0,839999973773956

Type

Case Study Info

Light or indepth?

Light

Monitoring maintenance

Monitoring impacts effects

Monitoring location

Catchment outlet

Monitoring parameters

Discharge, water table, DOC, colour, pH

Performance

Performance impact estimation method

Catchment outlet

Performance impact estimation information

Water qunatity:
In-situ depth to water table measurements at >200 locations across 8 †œexperimental pools† and within 3 headwater catchments.
Discharge quantified for 7 drainage features and at 3 catchment outlets.
Meteorological variables are recorded at each catchment.
Water quality:
Storm-flow sampling using ISCO pump sampler
DOC measurements (UV spectrophotometer)
Colour: UV - vis Spectrometer (Abs 400nm; Fulvic/Humic ratio (E4/E6))
pH

Design & implementations

Application scale

Field Scale

Area (ha)

714

Area subject to Land use change or Management/Practice change (ha)

714

Constraints

None

Favourable preconditions

The project has involvement from a number of key stakeholder groups including South West Water (as part of its Upstream Thinking Programme), academic researchers, land owners (Exmoor National Park Authority). There has also been a history of re-wetting projects in the the surrounding area.

Design contractual arrangement

Arrangement type	Responsibility	Role	Comments	Name
Contractual agreement				Memorandum of agreement concerning the Exmoor Mires Project	View

Design consultation activity

Activity stage	Name	Comments
Implementation phase	Project website	http://upstreamthinking.org/index.cfm?articleid=8699	View
Implementation phase	Online, classroom and outdoor educational materials and activities	http://www.exmoormires.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=9633	View
Implementation phase	Outdoor events and activities	http://www.exmoormires.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=11396	View
Implementation phase	Volunteering opportunities	http://www.exmoormires.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=10819	View

Design land use change

Land use change type

Design authority

Authority type	Role	Name	Comments
Regional / sub-national water authority	Financing	South West Water	SWW is a private sector water company covering the South West of England. Its role has been to finance the project.	View
Other	Implementation	Exmoor National Park Authority	ENPA is a land owner within the National Park including project sites. ENPA is responsible for delivery of the project with funding from SWW	View
Other	Financing	Natural England	NE is the national agency responsible for agri-environment funding and advice. Their role in this project is to fund captial works through agri-environment scheme measures	View
Other	Other	English Heritage	EH will provide advice on matters relating to the historic environment and provide project steering	View
Other	Monitoring	Environment Agency	The EA will provide hydrological data and analysis and has a role project steering	View
NGO	Monitoring	University of Exeter	UoE is providing research and monitoring of hydrological and GHG impacts together with UoB and EA	View
NGO	Monitoring	University of Bristol	UoB is providing research and monitoring of hydrological and GHG impacts together with UoE and EA	View

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons

This is an ongoing project of moorland rewetting involving blocking of existing drainage ditches, as such monitoring of impacts on water quality, water flow, habitats and greenhouse gases has not been completed. However, preliminary results for water quality and quantity are encouraging with storm water run-off reduced by 32% and the average depth to the water table level reduced. The project is a continuation of an exiting partnership between the regional water company (South West Water), the Exmoor National Park Authority (also the landowner) and national agencies (Natural England, Environment Agency, English Heritage). There is also academic input (Universities of Exeter and Bristol) into monitoring of inputs.

Financing mechanism

Financing mechanism information

The measures are currently funded through agri-environment payments for moorland management. If benefits can be demonstrated the hope is to get regulatory approval to develop PES schemes with payments coming from water companies. The UK Peatland Code is also in development, this focuses on GHG impacts but water co-benefits may be important in developing the PES market.

Financing difficulties

Financing difficulties information

If agri-environment scheme funding was not available SWW would have paid for implementation

Success factor(s)

Success factor type	Success factor role	Comments
Successful coordination between authorities	main factor	The Exmoor Mires project follows on from previous rewetting of 313ha of moorland on Exmoor by a partnership of the same stakeholders between 2006 and 2010 - 'Exmoor Mire Restoration Project'	View

Financing

Financing type	Comments
EU-funds: Rural development funds	The capital costs of the measures themselves are funded through agri-environment payments.	View
Private funds	Project management is funded by SWW	View

Barrier

Barrier type	Barrier role	Comments
Legal obligations / restrictions	main barrier	SWW is subject to regulatory constraint (OFWAT) regarding investments such as NWRM. The benefits need to be demonstrated to secure regulatory authorisation to continue restoration work and develop PES schemes	View

Driver

Driver type	Driver role	Comments
Organisation committed to it	main driver		View

Financing share

Financing share type	Share	Comments

Policy, general governance and design targets

Policy description

Digging of drainage ditches over decades has resulted in drying out of blanket peat bog, re-wetting is being undertaken through blocking drains to increae retention of water and carbon

Policy target

Target purpose
Runoff control	View
Increase Water Storage	View
Pollutants Removal	View
Oher Societal Benefits	View

Policy pressure

Pressure directive	Relevant pressure

Policy area

Policy area type	Policy area focus	Name	Comments

Policy impact

Impact directive	Relevant impact

Policy wider plan

Wider plan type	Wider plan focus	Name	Comments
Regional	Water	Upstream Thinking	Upstream Thinking is an initiative run by South West Water in South West England that aims to improve water quality and quanitity through improved land management in upper catchments. The benefit to SWW is in potentially reducing the costs of water treatment. Demonstration of success will allow SWW to approach the regulator (OFWAT) for permission to develop PES schemes to deliver these benefits in future.	View

Policy requirement directive

Requirement directive	Specification

Socio-economic

Direct benefits information

South West Water report that reduced silt level in water could reduce treatment costs for drinking water by 20%.
Research is ongoing with respect to agricultural impacts. These include sward quality for grazing (potential for higher and more uniform water table to improve dry matter and digestability, metabolisable energy and crude protein levels) and levels of parasites (reduction in tick numbers at one restored site; reduced habitat suitability for the snail host of liver fluke). Impacts of re-wetting on cattle movements are to be studied

Costs investment information

The land is under Higher Level Stewardship scheme and would be eligible for measures including "Maintenance of Moorland†Ÿ (HL9) or "Restoration of Moorland†Ÿ (HL10) at £40/ha (€47.2/ha at £1 = €1.18) plus a £10/ha (€11.8/ha) supplement for "Moorland re-wetting†Ÿ (HL13). This would either be paid under the HLS agreement or by the project (i.e. no cost to the land owner)

Costs land acquisition information

Land is owned by the Exmoor National Park and tenanted for farming

Costs total

2600000

Costs total information

This is the total funding commitment (£2.2m at £1 = €1.18) by South West Water for the Exmoor Mires project between 2010 and 2015. This is part of the wider £9.1m Upstream Thinking programme in South West England. The Exmoor Mires project has a target of 2000ha of moorland restoration by 2015. The value relates to total project costs, not the installation of costs of the NWRM

Ecosystem impact climate regulation

Impact on GHGs (net emissions and storage) including soil carbon

Biophysical impacts

Increased water storage

364

Increased water storage unit

m3/ha

Information on increased water storage

Based on 260000 cubic meters of additional water storage in peat over a restored area of 714 ha

Peak flow rate reduction

Peak flow rate reduction unit

Information on Peak flow rate reduction

Storm flow production is reduced to approximately 32% of its pre-restoration level, following catchment restoration

Maintenance baseflow

Information on Maintenance baseflow

Base flow volumes vary between approximately 201% and 48% of pre restoration levels

Reduced depth to groundwater level

0,0184000004082918

Information on Reduced depth to groundwater level

Average decrease in depth to groundwater (during non rainfall-runoff event periods) with a range of 0.0103 to 0.0265 m

Ecosystem erosion control

Information on Water quality overall improvements

No significant effect of restoration on DOC and colour concentrations. The observed decrease in storm flow at the scale of the catchment would result in lower DOC fluxes

Soil quality overall soil improvements

N/A info

Partners