Open Competition - Nature Based Solutions in the Wensum and the Bure

Tender description

Open Competition - Nature Based Solutions in the Wensum and the Bure 1. INTRODUCTION The Environment Agency (EA) and Water Resource East (WRE) wish to commission a project for the siting and monitoring of nature-based solution (NbS) runoff attenuation features in the upper Wensum catchment in Norfolk. This is to enable the delivery of an NbS monitoring programme which aims to provide further evidence of the benefits of NbS measures and allow the ground truthing of the EA’s NbS for water availability mapping and modelling conducted in 2022-2023 for the Wensum catchment. 2. PROJECT BACKGROUND The EA wish to support the creation of a national evidence base for chalk catchments, for use in Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) and other water resource considerations. The EA/WRE also wish to explore whether NbS can be used to increase water availability, to improve groundwater recharge and support low flows in rivers. Modelling and mapping have already taken place in the chalk river catchments of the Test, Cam, Wensum, and Bure to identify the types of locations which best enable recharge. More specifically in the Wensum, modelling showed that interventions such as soil improvements and run-off attenuation features at scale could improve low flows from 5% – 15% in the catchment. A project is now being developed to evaluate these outputs in the Wensum catchment, via a comprehensive monitoring programme, which may run for several years. 3. PROJECT DRIVERS The outputs from this work will help the Environment Agency and Water Resource East to deliver other pieces of work, which include: 3.1 Plan, projects, and strategies • Linking to the WRE’s Norfolk Water Strategy Programme on nature-based solutions, which is a collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, the Norfolk councils, and Anglian Water, • Aligning to the objectives of the Defra 25 Year Environment Plan - Primarily ‘Clean and plentiful water’ and mitigation of the impacts of climate change, ‘Thriving plants and wildlife’ and ‘Reducing risks of harm from environmental hazards’ (floods and drought), • Catchment licensing strategies by 2027 and Commitments in River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) to support implementation of the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017, • Contributing towards catchment measures as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), • Evidence to support the new Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), • Evidence to support the production of Local Nature Recovery Strategies, • Support the National FCRM Strategy. • Contributing towards achievement of the CaBA Chalk Stream Strategy, and the Environment Agency’s chalk streams programme. 3.2 Environmental outcomes • Providing groundwater that is more resilient to the impacts of climate change, droughts and mitigating the impacts of abstraction, • Assess water quality benefits including increased baseflow values (valuable from a water quality discharge perspective) and reduced sediment deposition, • Potential biodiversity benefits arising from the temporary storage of water in the landscape. 4. THE PROJECT 4.1. Scope The EA/WRE wish to commission the following pieces of work. The EA and WRE are also happy with the use of sub-contractors to support this work as this project does include a wide skillset and background knowledge. We are currently programming this work to complete in March 2026 but are actively searching for additional funds to continue through to March 2028. The overall long-term (FY2023 - 2026) objectives of this monitoring equipment are to assess runoff attenuation features (RAFs) for: A. Changes in seepage, groundwater recharge and evaporation processes to support water resources throughout the monitoring period, B. The identification of any changes in surface water flow regimes from sub-headwater catchments to support water resources throughout the monitoring period. 4.2. Project Objectives • By March 2024 we will have designed the detail of a multi-year NbS for water availability monitoring programme in the Wensum. • March 2024 – March 2025 we will have generated baseline data on soils, infiltration, and river flow to support the monitoring programme and understand the validity of the assumptions made in the NbS modelling. • By October 2024 we will have designed and delivered one runoff attenuation feature to meet the requirements of WWF’s funding. • By March 2025 we will have undertaken engagement with landowners and partners in the Wensum to understand the benefits, challenges and risks to them and the project with regards to securing land specifically for the use of nature-based solutions for water availability. • By March 2025 we aim to have delivered more than one runoff attenuation feature in the Wensum and tested the process and ease (or not) of delivering NbS for the benefit of infiltration /water availability. We will record the learning in a lessons learnt report covering legal, engagement, technical and financial activities. • March 2025 – Jan 2026 we aim to have completed a monitoring programme that can provide ground-truthing of the Environment Agency's modelling of nature-based solutions in the Wensum River catchment and easily lend itself to other locations. • By March 2026 we aim to have generated chalk landscape field evidence to support the decisions and activities of the water companies in using nature-based solutions in AMP8 and WINEP. • By March 2026, we aim this project will have generated evidence to support the business case for the Norfolk Water Fund (attracting private investment into nature-based solutions) with decisions on whether a Water Fund that focuses on infiltration and water availability will be feasible and attractive to funders or not.