Partners

Environment Agency Wales
Monnow Fisheries Association
Brecon Beacons National Park Authority
Robert D B Denny MRICS

Introduction

The river Honddu is an important tributary of the river Monnow which flows wholly within Wales and the Brecon Beacons National Park. Up until around the 1970’s the river supported a good head of wild brown trout that were fished for by visiting anglers from all over the country. Indeed so good was the fishing that the greater proportion of the income of the Llanthony Priory Hotel was from visiting anglers, who often stayed with their families for several weeks, particularly in May and June. Other clubs and syndicates of fishermen from the Midlands in particular made this river a popular destination.

The record book of the Llanthony Priory Hotel shows that, in common with many other similar rain fed rivers, the population of trout plummeted in the latter part of the 20th Century to such an extent that the visiting fisherman became a thing of the past and an important source of revenue to this beautiful valley was lost.

The principal reasons for this disastrous decline appear to be because of: habitat loss, following the cessation of the once regular coppicing of the bank side alders, the increasing numbers of livestock that denuded and broke down the river banks and significant water quality issues, primarily connected to agriculture and the large areas of conifer plantation at the head of the river.

Surveys

In order to assess the current state of the river and its potential to once more become a sustainable wild trout stream a full Habscore survey of the Honddu was carried out in 2001 by the Game Conservancy Trust (now the GCWT) on behalf of the Monnow Improvement Partnership, a fore runner of the MFA. This was followed up in 2007 by an Advisory Visit from the Wild Trout Trust, carried out by Simon Johnson, their Director and supported by Fish Wales. A further habitat survey of the whole river was undertaken by the MFA, supported by EAW in 2008 to refresh the original Habscore survey.

These surveys confirmed that: trout of all age classes were present but in low numbers; aquatic insects were present but not in large numbers, indicating that water quality was improving; that there is a lack of; suitable spawning gravels and suitable habitat for juvenile and adult trout. The WTT report confirmed that the important areas to concentrate upon, to relieve the bottleneck to trout production, were the spawning and juvenile recruitment areas in the upper river, near and above Capel Y Ffin and small side streams where suitable spawning gravels are more prevalent. And that the main stem (along with the upper reaches) of the river, from Llanthony to Pandy was over shaded causing loss of bank side and in stream vegetation, which is so important for aquatic insect production. It also highlighted that the general, rocky substrate within the main river offered suitable habitat for juvenile fish but the lack of bank side vegetation, caused by stock access and over shading meant that the was a lack of suitable adult fish habitat and that the introduction of large woody debris (LWD), in the form of pinned logs and trees would increase the amount of this important feature and assist in the creation of further suitable spawning gravels. Subsequently there has been concern that the frequent high floods and force of water would make the introduction of LWD difficult to achieve.

Surveys also identified the Weir at Llanfiangel Crucourney as a considerable barrier to upstream and downstream migration of all fish species?

The river is also badly affected by Himalayan Balsam growing on or close to its banks from Llanthony down to the confluence with the Monnow. Two stands of Japanese Knotweed were also identified.

The surveys have allowed us to prioritise the areas of the catchment where work should be done.

Project Inception

Following the generous offer by the Environment Agency Wales (EAW) of £20,000 from their Sustainable Fisheries Fund to be matched funded by work in kind and used by the Monnow Fisheries Association (MFA) in a partnership project for the restoration of the habitat within the river Monnow catchment was agreed upon with Robert D B Denny MRICS acting as Project Manager. The EAW have and continue to provide invaluable practical, technical and voluntary support for this project.

Previous Projects within the Monnow catchment, carried out since 2002, had been focussed on the English tributaries of the Monnow system and it was agreed with the EA that the bulk of their money and work in kind from the Partners would be directed toward the river Honddu, which would enable the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority (BBNP) to kindly contribute technical support and a further £2000 and toward the Project.

Project Aims and Objectives

1. To restore the wild brown trout population.
2. Improve the habitat for trout and other species.
3. Increase the numbers of anglers fishing the river.
4.  
   Demonstrate best practice river restoration techniques and methods to the farming and local communities.
5. Attract further grant funding.
6. Commence eradication of Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed.
7. Identify any specific areas where water quality might be an issue and begin to address them.
8. Identify and begin to address the easing of any barriers to fish migration.
9. Meet with and raise awareness amongst the farming and local community and visiting public of the Project’s aims and objectives and the issues facing the river and how they might be addressed.

Methods

1. Survey work and previous experience have demonstrated that coppicing of riparian trees, especially previously coppiced alder (Alnus glutinous) together with the fencing out of livestock from the riparian habitat improves not only the  riparian and in stream habitat of the river it also makes the river more aesthetically pleasing.
2. The layering of bank side trees, such as hazel to form soft revetments: increases the light levels onto the banks and river; traps coarse woody debris and silt allowing eroded banks to reform and provides adult and juvenile trout habitat and to a greater extent mimics the effects of introducing LWD.
3. Talk to farmers and owners of fishing rights to encourage them to include their fishing in the WUF Roving Voucher Scheme or let their fishing to visiting anglers.
4. Because no similar habitat restoration work has been carried out in the Honddu Valley it was agreed that several demonstration sites would be carried out, spread up and down the valley so that farmers, locals, visitors, potential grant funders and other organisations with similar aims for their rivers would be able to easily view the work both during and after completion.
5. Use the demonstration sites to show grant funders the work done and the benefits to the river.
6. Identify spread of Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed. Spraying and hand pulling of Himalayan balsam with volunteers and encouraging and coordinating farmers and landowners to control himalayan balsam on their land.
7. In conjunction with the EAW’s Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer to identify problems and threats to water quality and arrange visits and work programmes to ameliorate or stop the problem.
8. Work with and support EAW in the easing or removal of the weir at Llanffiangel Crucourney.
9. Continuous liaison with the local community and attendance at the Llanthony and District Show at Llanthony in August 2008 and 2009.

Work Details

Demonstration Sites

Three demonstration sites on the main river and two on side streams were chosen for their ease of access and or the ease of viewing from a public right of way. These were at:

A. Stanton Manor, Near Llanfiangel Crucourney, OS Grid Ref. 212 215.

This site is close to and in sight of the public highway that runs through the valley and is easily accessed from the public footpath that runs alongside it via a footbridge that marks the downstream boundary of the work and provides a clear “before and after” view of the river by looking from the bridge upstream at the completed site and downstream at the river where no work has been carried out. This gives a clear indication of the benefits of reduced shading. This site is also on the top of the WUF roving voucher beat Lower Stanton and has an area of suitable spawning gravel.

The site was chosen because it is easily visible and inspected and in a part of the valley where all the traffic, from the South, must pass and it is easily accessible for farmers from the lower end of the valley. Because it is not a high priority area for trout recruitment within the Honddu only short section of work was carried out.

The work consisted of coppicing and layering of 350M of single bank side trees, installing 320M of bank side fencing (both banks) installing two water gates, to create a watering and crossing point for livestock and a field gate. In all 180M of river length has protected and enhanced.

Photos to follow

B.  Maes Y Beran, Near Llanthony, OS Grid Ref. 295 265

This site was chosen because: it is relatively easily accessed, having a public footpath to it from the road; it adjoins an organic farm that is already in the Tir Gofal with one bank of the river fenced already; the other bank is a BBNP Wildlife Site which is also partially fenced. BBNP agreed to contribute £2000 toward the fencing and coppicing costs. This meant that a long length of river could be coppiced and fenced, as required very cost effectively. In addition the 4 owners of the fishing rights on this beat agreed to place them in the WUF Roving Voucher Scheme allowing visiting fishermen to access to a new beat of ¾ of a mile of wild brown trout fishing.

This site lies within an area of the river recognised from the surveys as being of medium high value for brown trout recruitment.

Works carried out: 1300m of coppicing and extensive layering of hazel and other trees; erection of 418M of new fence and two water gates to provide a livestock watering point. In all over 670M of river has been protected and enhanced.

Photos to follow

C. Above Half Moon Bridge, Llanthony. OS Grid Ref. 284 279

The bottom of this stretch is the main valley road bridge, close to the Half Moon Inn which gives a very good view of the work completed and a direct comparison between the this section and an uncoppiced and fenced section immediately downstream from the bridge. The owners of the river banks are happy for the work to be inspected by arrangement. A good fence existed on the left hand bank, which required minor repair. It is hoped that these owners, along with two further owners will agree to include their fishing rights in the WUF Roving Voucher Scheme.

This area of the river is a high priority area for brown trout recruitment.

Tree management was carried out on 470M of river bank and 260M of new fence was installed with 2 water gates for a drinking point and access to far bank, protecting and enhancing 240M of river and 65M of the Broadley Brook.

Photos to follow

D. Broadley Brook, Llanthony OS Grid Ref. 284 280

This stream enters the Honddu near the top of the Half Moon Demonstration site so benefits from the enhanced habitat created there. The stream has a high proportion of gravel suitable for trout spawning. Last autumn a blockages caused by roots encroaching into the stream was eased to reopen access for spawning trout. The stream benefited from an existing fence set well back from the left hand bank.

165M of single bank were fenced and the same length of riverside trees was limbed up to allow more light onto the banks.

Photos to follow

E. Siarpel Brook, Llanthony OS Grid Ref. 285 280

This stream has a high proportion of spawning gravel and surveys have shown it to contain trout fry and some 1+ brown trout in a high priority area.

250m of single bank coppicing of mainly hazel, 147m of canopy raising of alder, 615M of new fencing and two small water gates was completed, protecting 437M of stream.

Photos to follow

Works and Costings

Matched Funding

In order to secure the EA’s Funding the MFA agreed to match fund equally by means of “work in kind” on rivers within the Monnow catchment.

The MFA work in Kind has been carried out by volunteers from the membership and to a much lesser extent from interested members of the public and local community.

Works have included:

1. Spraying and hand pulling Himalayan Balsam (HB) and spraying of Japanese Knotweed (JK) on the Honddu from its upstream boundary. After two seasons the JK has been eradicated from one site and the results of HB control on the 3.5 miles of river and stream bank tackled to date are very encouraging with almost total control being achieved in one year by a combination of spraying large, dense stands, hand pulling lighter stands and returning to each site regularly after the first treatment to pull any missed or re-growth. The work has been carried out with the voluntary help of the MFA, EA, BBNP and Keep Wales Tidy.
   We have also encouraged all anglers to “Pull 50 A Day”; every time you visit the  river to pull at least 50 HB plants a day.
   The aim is to clear the Honddu of HB and demonstrate that it can be done!
2. Project management on the Honddu, Escley and Dulas Brooks.
3. Gravel jetting, using a back pack leaf blower. 4 side streams, on the Honddu,  Dore and Escley were targeted last year, with encouraging results.
4. Re-coppicing of alder, coppiced by the River Monnow Project and coppicing and  canopy lifting on side streams. A trial site was chosen on the Dore and  volunteers from the Countryside Restoration Trust trained to carry out coppicing  and layering in of living material.  MFA volunteers have carried out coppicing and canopy lifting on two spawning  streams and coppicing and clearing to make four WUF Voucher beats on the  Escley, and Dore, more fishable.
5. Liaison with the EA’s Catchment Officer and Pollution Enforcement Team to  highlight areas of concern.
6. The MFA have advised several land and fishery owners on management of their  riparian habitat.
7. Complete overhaul of the MFA’s website; www.monnow.org
8. The MFA are actively investigating the use of coppiced material for logs and  wood chips for local fuel supplies. This has recently included a demonstration by  a local contractor of a tracked “360” excavator mounted with a grab and shears,  supplying a tractor mounted chipper.
9. The MFA and EA Project Officer, George Woodward have taken three classes of  school children onto the Escley to show them spawning trout and the river habitat  and supplied back up educational material and we will repeat and expand this area  to other schools that have expressed and interest following our approaches to  them.
10.  The MFA have arranged with farmers on 6 additional beats to be let on the WUF  Voucher Scheme.

In all, between March 2008 and March 2009 the MFA has contributed over £25,000 of Professional, Skilled and Unskilled Labour, at EA Volunteer rates. Further details of this are available.

Robert Denny MRICS
September 2009