Montgomery Canal Conservation Management Strategy (1.2MB PDF)

More documents

Recommendations

Info

30) Management will be by careful machine trimming, supplemented by a programme of hedge-laying, and retention of standard trees. In suitable locations a taller hedge or woodland fringe will be allowed to develop. Length specific proposals will be incorporated into maintenance plans and procedures. 31) Summer towpath mowing will be confined to a central walking strip, in order to continue to promote species rich grass margins. Full cuts will be undertaken in late summer and early spring. 32) Offside buffer zones will be encouraged, and used to develop wider marginal vegetation and new hedgerows or woodland strips. 7.3.6 Managing Undesirable Species Aquatic habitats are prone to sudden infestation of introduced plant species such as Floating Pennywort and Water Fern. 33) The canal will be regularly monitored by canal staff in the course of their normal work regime to enable a quick response to any occurrences of undesirable species. 34) Steps to eliminate Japanese Knotweed along the canal will be taken, through a planned spraying programme. Elodea species are generally a sign of poor water quality, out-compete the ecologically valuable species, and are a major hindrance to navigation. 35) Annual weed cutting of the canal will continue, and expand if necessary, with removal of cuttings. Steps to investigate better collection systems will be pursued. This will help remove nutrients from the system, and further optimise habitat conditions. Fish introductions will not be allowed. Partnership with local angling clubs will provide a mechanism for ensuring this. Measures to control mink will be reviewed if the water vole populations appear to be declining. 7.3.7 The Wider Corridor It is a continuing theme of nature conservation in canals that management is seeking to protect a habitat that is both man-made, and subject to rapid ecological succession if unmanaged. Modern propeller craft are more damaging than the original horse-drawn traffic, and management is therefore often a compromise between conflicting aims. Looking to the wider canal corridor is an increasingly important way of addressing these issues. This is not to negate the value of the canal, or its protection, but does point a way forward for the long term development of a complementary strategy to seek to re-create suitable habitats for these species beyond the canal system. Creation of new off-line habitat areas is a start to this process, but it is pertinent to review a range of other initiatives in the local canal corridor, which have links to both this strategy and shared interests with the Montgomery Canal Partnership. A summary of these schemes is given in Table 7.5. 36) The Montgomery Canal Partnership will actively support wider environmental schemes which have shared or complementary objectives. 107
Table 7.5. Complementary Environmental Schemes in the Canal Corridor Organisation Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust Shropshire Wildlife Trust Ruralscapes (working jointly with British Waterways) RSPB Environment Agency DEFRA English Nature Countryside Council for Wales Ness Botanic Gardens, University of Liverpool Llanymynech Partnership Description Land acquisition along the River Severn for reversion to semi-natural habitat. This includes land at Glanhafren, adjacent to both the river and the Montgomery Canal. Financial support for lapwing and wader habitat creation and management • Funding through Environment Agency for several major pond creation schemes, within Shropshire canal corridor. • Stewardship advice and applications • Extended area of operation into Powys (2004) Severn Washlands proposals • Enforcement of pollution legislation, and improved water quality. Dealing with point source pollution. • Severn CAMS • Wetlands for Wales Environmental Stewardship This can include creation of wetland areas, but also buffer zones with low stocking levels and fertiliser inputs. Wildlife Enhancement Scheme; a scheme to support management of SSSIs. Potential use for water quality improvement issues. Shropshire Meres and Mosses; natural habitat area, in Shropshire, for much of canal fauna and flora. SSSIs; Morton Pool and water meadows adjacent to canal. Tir Gofal Proposal to develop a Waterplant Conservation and Research Unit Development of heritage area, nature reserve and environs, under Shropshire County Council leadership. 7.3.8 Risk Management An important consideration in the Options Appraisal (see Chapter 4) was a review of the risks associated with each option. It should be noted that there are a number of proposals within both this section, and other parts of the Strategy, which reduce the level of risk to the nature conservation value of the canal. These, while not a direct enhancement, are important gains for nature conservation, over and above the enhancements listed above. The full risk analysis is available in the full Options Appraisal, but some points to note are: • Monitoring informs action – careful monitoring throughout the process. • Phased approach – enables monitoring, establishment periods and recovery times. • The off-line reserves protect the populations from major incidents such as pollution. • Enhanced structural stability reduces risks of major failure e.g. of an embankment or aqueduct. • Conservation measures are commitments, whereas navigation levels are targets. Navigation will be monitored, and adjusted to the maximum level consistent with always maintaining the conservation value of the canal. 108
Page 1 and 2:
Montgomery Canal: Regeneration thro
Page 3 and 4:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document is t
Page 6 and 7:
1. INTRODUCTION Summary of chapter
Page 8 and 9:
1.1 THE PARTNERSHIP This Strategy h
Page 10 and 11:
1.3 COMPANION REPORTS Throughout th
Page 12 and 13:
Llangollen Canal Frankton Junction
Page 14 and 15:
2.1 INTRODUCTION Many of the conser
Page 16 and 17:
(Department for Culture Media and S
Page 18 and 19:
A key aim of the Shropshire Tourism
Page 20 and 21:
3.1 LANDSCAPE HERITAGE 3.1.1 Overvi
Page 22 and 23:
iv. The Canal The driving force beh
Page 24 and 25:
Table 3.1. Montgomery Canal Corrido
Page 26 and 27:
The country has been divided up int
Page 28 and 29:
Although there is little natural wo
Page 30 and 31:
References for further information
Page 32 and 33:
they have undergone extensive repai
Page 34 and 35:
xi. Water Economy The canal require
Page 36 and 37:
iii. Canal-related industry The nat
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
This Strategy seeks to further deve
Page 42 and 43:
The Shropshire Biodiversity Action
Page 44 and 45:
Mammals: Bats Pipistrelle Noctule D
Page 46 and 47:
Figure 3.9. Luronium natans (Floati
Page 48 and 49:
Page 50 and 51:
Overall the Welsh section is lightl
Page 52 and 53:
3.4.7 Paddlesports Currently the Ca
Page 54 and 55:
The invertebrate fauna is one metho
Page 56 and 57:
3.6 COMMUNITY AND VISITOR ACCESS 3.
Page 58 and 59: 3.6.2 Cycling Cycling is growing in
Page 60 and 61: References for further information
Page 62 and 63: 4. OPTIONS APPRAISAL Summary of cha
Page 64 and 65: Proposals for restoration in any fo
Page 66 and 67: 4.2.6 Option 3B: Option 3 + Additio
Page 68 and 69: OPTION 1 1B 2 2B 3 3B 4 4b 5 Archae
Page 70 and 71: 5. VISION Summary of chapter The pr
Page 72 and 73: In parallel to the engineering, and
Page 74 and 75: 6.1 LANDSCAPE HERITAGE 6.1.1 Existi
Page 76 and 77: 6.2.2 Local Implementation B) Briti
Page 78 and 79: 6.3.4 Monitoring Informs Action L)
Page 80 and 81: F) A transparent and impartial syst
Page 82 and 83: 6.6 COMMUNITY AND VISITOR ACCESS 6.
Page 84 and 85: 6.7.2 Visitor spend Visitor spend w
Page 86 and 87: 7. MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS Summary of
Page 88 and 89: Waterlogged sites, e.g. peat in the
Page 90 and 91: Suggested Canal gateway - enhanced
Page 94 and 95: 5) The Partnership will seek early
Page 96 and 97: Figure 7.5. Proposed Conservation A
Page 98 and 99: 7.2.4 Benign Neglect This is often
Page 102 and 103: Separate standards have been agreed
Page 104 and 105: See also Sections 6.4 (Navigation)
Page 106 and 107: 19) The Countryside Council for Wal
Page 112 and 113: 1. Establishment of compensatory ha
Page 114 and 115: Table 7.6. Private boat moorings an
Page 116 and 117: trip day hire private visiting 6,00
Page 118 and 119: Day hire boats offer particular opp
Page 120 and 121: Figure 7.12. Dutch design electric
Page 122 and 123: Paddlesports are popular on the Mon
Page 124 and 125: 9) It is proposed to keep the separ
Page 126 and 127: Urban areas and road run-off are im
Page 128 and 129: ii. Long Distance Routes 7) The Par
Page 130 and 131: Figure 7.16. Proposed Cycle Routes
Page 132 and 133: Upgrade path through school grounds
Page 134 and 135: ii. Commercial Fishing 24) Commerci
Page 138 and 139: These include: • Field Studies Co
Page 140 and 141: 7.8 ECONOMIC AND RURAL REGENERATION
Page 142 and 143: 7.8.3 Proposals 1) Local suppliers:
Page 144 and 145: 8. PHASED RESTORATION Summary of ch
Page 146 and 147: 8.1.1 Context Although this is a co
Page 148 and 149: 8.2 THE CRITICAL PATH: PHASING Time
Page 150 and 151: Timescale is an indication, and wil
Page 152 and 153: vii. Belan Locks Previous temporary
Page 154 and 155: 9.1 PHILOSOPHY The Montgomery is a
Page 156 and 157: Techniques and events included the
Page 158 and 159:
What do you want conserved or prote
Page 160 and 161:
4) A database of customer groups is
Page 162 and 163:
10.1 NATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY INDICA
Page 164 and 165:
EDUCATION BW-organised visits - num
Page 166 and 167:
Table 10.3 Summary Conservation Obj
Page 168 and 169:
AQUATIC VEGETATION - LOCAL DISTINCT
Page 170 and 171:
10.3.3 Other Biological Monitoring
Page 172 and 173:
Llantysilio Sluice Llantysilio Feed
Page 174 and 175:
Page 176 and 177:
Table 11.1 Commitments to Action. F
show all

Montgomery Canal Conservation Management Strategy (1.2MB PDF)

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?