Celebrating 25 Years of the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project

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WORKING WITH LOCAL RIVERS GROUPSHelping local river groups by providing river management advice, organising surveying activities to informriver management, and raising awareness through education, are all core activities to achieve our mission.Here, by way of example, John Pritchard (Chairman of the Ver Valley Society) provides some highlights ofpartnership working with the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project on the River Ver.We have been delighted toencourage and supportLaura on educational visits tothe schools of St Albans.And we are looking forwardto the 2022/3 season ofpractical work led by Allen,including replacing theDrop Lane structures withlarge woody debris andimproving the chalk streamcharacteristics at St Michael’sford.Drop Lane Restoration WorkIn the 1970s, around 2km of the Ver was moved to a continuous straight channel to facilitate gravel extractionfrom the original river course and surrounding farmland. The locals recounted that ‘the water became orangeand a thick layer of orange sand was deposited on the bottom of the river, with the result that aquatic life,both animal and plant, quickly disappeared.’In 2013, the Ver Valley Society’s volunteers were pleased to provide much of the labour to implementimprovements masterminded by Allen Beechey of the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project, with additionalguidance from the Wild Trout Trust.A key technique of the day was to build woody berms to narrow the channel, introduce some meandering andimprove marginal cover for fish and invertebrates. A number of flow deflectors were also staked in place toencourage clean gravel and flow diversification, all to the benefit of chalk stream biodiversity.This project was the Society’s first experience of working in-channel with woody materials. It inspired a cohortof volunteers and equipped them with the knowledge and skills to share with newcomers to the group infuture years.ARMI Riverfly monitoringA continuous thread of contact with the Chilterns Chalk Streams Partnership has been the training of ourchanging group of nearly 20 regular Riverfly monitors. The courses and field visits over the last decade tofacilitate this have been a notable success.30 | WORKING WITH LOCAL RIVER GROUPS
ACTIVITIESProject workand school visitsOur relationship with theCCSP continues to grow,strengthened by the mutualsupport given in 2019 as wewatched the Ver and its sisterChiltern chalk streams shrinkat a rapid rate.WORKING WITH LOCAL RIVER GROUPS | 31
Page 1 and 2: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF THECHILTERN
Page 3 and 4: FOREWORD2022 marks the 25th anniver
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTSIntroduction 4Milestones of
Page 7 and 8: THE REPORT HAS BEEN SPLIT INTOTHREE
Page 9 and 10: THE TIMELINE ALSOSHOWS HOW THECCSP
Page 11 and 12: 2001First watervole Survey2002Produ
Page 13 and 14: KEYChalk scarp andvale fringesPlate
Page 15 and 16: OVERVIEWChalk streams have not only
Page 17 and 18: The reasons for these chemicalfailu
Page 19 and 20: 5040Abstraction in the Ver Valley (
Page 21 and 22: WWF-UK, The Wildlife Trusts, The Ri
Page 23 and 24: OVERVIEWMISBOURNE‘Chalk Streams i
Page 25 and 26: RAISING AWARENESSOF THE NEED FORCON
Page 27 and 28: BEFORE DURING AFTERRIVER RESTORATIO
Page 29 and 30: WATER VOLE SURVEYSACTIVITIESWater v
Page 31: FESTIVALS, FAMILY EVENTSAND CONFERE
Page 35 and 36: The earliest river flow records fro
Page 37 and 38: River Chess Smarter WaterCatchmentT
Page 39 and 40: The Ewelme Brook is a small chalkst
Page 41 and 42: The River Gade is under pressurefro
Page 43 and 44: The Hamble Brook is an ephemeralstr
Page 45 and 46: The 3.5 km Hughenden Streamis sprin
Page 47 and 48: The Misbourne is an intriguingchalk
Page 49 and 50: 1. Source of the VerThe embryonic R
Page 51 and 52: The Wye flows 17 km fromWest Wycomb
Page 53 and 54: Scarp slope streamsHorsenden BrookH
Page 55 and 56: For the first time in its history,
Page 57 and 58: WAYS YOU CAN HELPRiverfly monitorin
Page 59 and 60: The River Chess at Sarratt BottomFo

Celebrating 25 Years of the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project

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