Description of Activity
Ricardo were commissioned by Thames Water Utilities Ltd to conduct Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60/EC; Annex V) compliant transitional water (TW) fisheries surveys within the Channelsea River, London, a small creek within the middle tidal Thames (GB530603911402), adjacent to the overflow system at Abbey Mills Pumping Station.To provide the necessary data and evidence to inform the fish population baseline at locations next to Abbey Mills Pumping Station within the Channelsea River, initial autumnal tidal fisheries community monitoring was completed in November 2022, in agreeance with the EA (caveated as outside of WFD autumnal best practice timing, but acceptable to the regulatory authority). The resulting Ricardo report recommended that repeat surveys at the same location should be completed both in accordance with TW WFD fish monitoring guidance (i.e., Spring 2023), and in Summer 2023. Spring data capture would accommodate an understanding of the seasonal changes in size-frequency distributions and fisheries compositions know to occur owing to the largescale migrations of both adults and fry within the tidal Thames and its tributaries, while Summer data capture would provision an understanding of the community present during the likely operational timings of commissioning works for the Thames Tidal Tunnel (July to September) at Abbey Mills. Following consultation with the EA and TWUL, it was agreed to extend the monitoring programme to complete repeat TW fisheries surveys in Summer 2023.
The Channelsea River fish population survey creates a baseline so that if a CSO spill were to occur at Abbey Mills during the tunnel connection period, the potential impact to the fish community can be assessed. Thames Water Utilities Ltd. (TWUL) are obligated by the Environment Agency (EA) to provide baseline data for the TTT evidence base, and the fish population surveys carried out during 2022 and 2023 allow for a better understanding the current state of health of the Channelsea River.This authored report evidences the Summer 2023 fisheries survey.
| Period | 2023 → … |
|---|---|
| Work for | Ricardo, United Kingdom |
| Degree of Recognition | National |