Restoration of Durrow floodplain alluvial woodland, Ireland

General

National Id:

Ireland_02

Site name:

River Erkina floodplain

Summary:

This site was one of nine included in the LIFE05 project to restore priority woodland habitats in Ireland. The Durrow site is located on the floodplain of the river Erkina, and had been affected by planting of non-native conifers and associated drainage. A network of shallow drainage ditches covered the entire site, and was found to be adversely affecting the native alluvial woodland by reducing retention time of floodwaters on the floodplain. To counter this, a total of 350 dams were installed on ditches across the site.

Location description:

The site is located on the floodplain of the River Erkina, which is a tributary of the River Nore, in southeast Ireland.

NUTS Code:

Southern and Eastern

RBD code:

IESE

Transboundary:

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study:

Overland flow areas in peatland forests

Longitude:

-7.412983

Latitude:

52.8518

Site information

Climate zone:

cool temperate moist

Mean annual rainfall:

900 - 1200 mm

Mean rainfall:

1000

Mean rainfall unit:

mm/year

Average temperature:

Type:

Case Study Info

Light or indepth?:

Light

Average slope range:

0-1%

Vegetation class:

Alluvial woodland

Monitoring maintenance

Monitoring impacts effects:

Monitoring location:

Edge of Field/Plot

Monitoring parameters:

Water level monitoring in dipwells. Vegetation monitoring by quadrat surveys. No monitoring in adjacent river.

Performance

Performance impact estimation method:

Edge of Field/Plot

Performance impact estimation information:

Dipwells were installed at the start of the project, which were used to inform the requirements for measures, as a result of which coffer dams were installed on ditches. Dipwell monitoring was continued after installation.

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons:

Main lessons taken from this site (and the project as a whole included): - The value of pre-implementation monitoring, to inform the most appropriate actions to take - The value of public engagement, to ensure they understand and approve of the measures

Success factor(s):

Type	Role	Comments
Communication activities	secondary factor	Extensive communication activities were carried out throughout the project, to ensure public understanding and agreement
Attitude of relevant stakeholders	main factor
Financing possibilities	main factor	Half of the funds for the project were obtained from the EU-LIFE programme, with Coillte committing the remainder

Financing:

Type	Comments
EU-funds: LIFE+	Half funded by EU-LIFE05
Private funds	Remainder funded by Coillte

Barrier:

Type	Role	Comments
		In this case no specific barriers were identified, and the measures were successfully implemented

Driver:

Type	Role	Comments
Organisation committed to it	main driver	The project took place as a result of Coillte's commitment to restoring priority habitats

Financing share:

Share type	Share	Comments
European funds	50
Private funds	50

Socio-economic

Costs investment information:

The total project cost was 2.3 million euros, which was spread across 9 sites. No information has been obtained about the distribution between sites or the costs specifically attributable to the relevant hydrological measures

Costs operation maintenance:

Ongoing monitoring and maintenance was planned in an "After LIFE Conservation Plan"

Compensations annual information:

No compensation was required, as Coillte were the owners of the site

Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Along with other measures in the project (removing non-native species), damming the ditches will allow the alluvial woodland habitat to be restored

Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

No specific impact

Policy, general governance and design targets

Policy description:

The main driver for the work was deterioration of priority habitat, due to planting of non-native conifers and drainage. The drainage meant that floodwaters were not being retained on the floodplain.

Part of wider plan:

Policy pressure:

Policy requirement directive:

Policy impact:

Policy wider plan:

Wider plan type	Wider plan focus	Name	Comments
		LIFE project LIFE05 NAT/IRL/000182	The title of the LIFE project was "Restoring priority woodland habitats in Ireland". It covered 9 sites, with the NWRM installations at one site (Durrow)

Policy area:

Policy target:

Target purpose
Improved Biodiversity

Design & implementations

Application scale:

Field Scale

Installation date:

2009

Performance timescale:

1 - 4 years

Area (ha):

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

Design capacity description:

The measures are designed to hold back water and increase water levels in the alluvial woodland, increasing retention time on the floodplain. There is no specific design capacity.

Basis of design:

The measures are not designed for a specific storm event. They are designed to restore the alluvial woodland habitat by holding water on the floodplain for longer

Constraints:

Providing the desire/intention is to restore habitat upstream and there are no areas local to the drainage that should not be put at risk of higher water levels, there are no constraints to this type of measure

Favourable preconditions:

These measures could be applied anywhere that woodland or other habitat has been drained, although the details of the approach will vary depending on the soil type (in this case, alluvial deposits)

Management change from:

Drained forestry

Management change to:

Undrained, restored alluvial woodland

Design contractual arrangement:

Design consultation activity:

Activity stage	Name	Comments
Screening phase	Project website	Set up at project commencement and updated through the project and with final deliverables
Screening phase	Public consultation meetings	In total eight events in year 1, 20 in year 2, 14 in year 3 and seven in year 4
Implementation phase	Interpretation boards	Two interpretation boards at Durrow
Implementation phase	Production of project brochures	Introductory brochure produced early in the project, with a final results brochure on completion. Hard copies printed for dissemination locally and internationally
Implementation phase	Annual 'woodland walk'	Held annual during the project duration at three demonstration sites (although Durrow was not one of them)
Implementation phase	End of project conference

Design land use change:

Land use change type
Broad-leaved forest

Design authority:

Authority type	Role	Responsibility	Name	Comments
Forest owners	Implementation		Coillte Teoranta [The Irish Forestry Board]	Coillte is the commercial company responsible for Irish forestry. They were responsible for the initiation and implementation of this project, based on improvements they wished to make to forests on their own land.

Last updated: 12 Jan 2015 | Top

Miscellanous

Main menu

Restoration of Durrow floodplain alluvial woodland, Ireland

Partners