Common Standards Monitoring Guidance for Ditches - JNCC

12. Appendix 5. Monitoring and assessing the condition of ditch systems: recording form for the structured walk.
Site name: Date: Recorder:
Attribute Assessment method Results for sub-section reviews
Overall
(Record required) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 result
Favourable
(Yes/No)
Extent of
feature
Water
availability
Water
quality:
1. water
clarity
2. algal
dominance
Indicators of
local
distinctiveness
Habitat
structure:
1. channel
form
2. inchannel
vegetation
3. bankside
Ditch length
(Tick if no loss, or
record length lost for
each sub-section)
Water levels
(Tick if target met on
average for each subsection.
Targets may
be modified)
1. - % length clear
- % slight turbidity
- % marked turbidity
(Enter % length to
nearest 5%)
2. Freshwater ditches
(Enter % cover to
nearest 5%)
Rare/quality species/
communities (name)
(Tick if present; x if
expected but absent.)
1. Channel form
(Enter % length nontrapezoidal)
2. In-channel veg:
- % length early
- % length mid
- % length late
(Enter % length)
No loss of channel
length caused by
active intervention
Water at least 0.5
m deep (minor
drains), 1 m (major
drains). 90% of
channel length
must conform
1. 90% of channel
length with clear or
slightly turbid/
discoloured water
2. Mean cover of
macro-algae in
freshwater ditches
no more than 10%
Named quality
indicators
characteristic of
site present
1. At least 25%
channel length
non-trapezoidal
(see Guidance)
2. Succession:
10-25% early
35-75% mid
10-25% late