Goldsmith, B; (2016) River Thames Scheme lake surveys: macrophytes. (ECRC Research Report 176 ). UCL Environmental Change Research Centre: London, UK.

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Abstract

The proposed River Thames Scheme (RTS) is a major hydro-engineering scheme which aims to divert water from the River Thames at high flows through a number of the gravel pit lakes located either side of the river between Datchet (in the north) and Shepperton (in the south). There are 28 lakes of interest to the RTS and data is required to inform Habitats Directive risk assessments, WFD assessments and environmental impact assessments. Information collected through this contract will supplement a large body of water quality and biological data already held by the Environment Agency and is required as a data gap filling exercise. The lakes range in size from approximately 40 ha to less than 1 ha. Some are SPA and WFD lakes, others are “SPA relevant” and some are neither. The information requirements associated with a given lake are therefore not the same. For some lakes HRA and/or WFD assessments are required, for others it is simply necessary to understand the implications in terms of species movement of increased connectivity as they become part of the flood channel or are more frequently inundated. For the lakes which are SPA or SPA relevant the Environment Agency also hopes to get information on the overall extent of aquatic macrophyte beds, i.e. whether the plants are confined to a small area of the lake, or are extensive throughout the lake. The location and extent of macrophyte beds are important in terms of providing habitat for the SPA features as well as understanding potential impacts related construction of the flood scheme channels, bunds and other associated infrastructure. The list of lakes included with this project is detailed in Table 1 along with an approximate size in hectares and the requirement of each in terms of survey type. A map is also provided indicating the locations of the lakes (Figure 1).

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