Managed Realignment and Habitat Creation
We are market leaders in managed realignment and habitat creation having undertaken numerous schemes from inception through to post scheme monitoring for over a decade.
High profile example projects include the Defra Wallasea managed realignment site and the adjacent RSPB Wildcoast project in Essex along with the Environment Agency's Medmerry managed realignment on the south coast of England.
ABPmer recognises that it is vital for coastal managers and other specialists to be informed about the lessons learned from completed schemes. We therefore manage an online interactive database of tidal exchange and managed realignment schemes in North West Europe. OMREG at www.abpmer.net/omreg
Key Services:
- Strategic planning and site selection
- Scheme design and feasibility
- Scheme assessment
- Monitoring
- Outreach tools
Selected Project experience:
Medmerry Managed Realignment Scheme (2010) Environment Agency
ABPmer was commissioned by Jacobs to undertake the coastal process and modelling aspects of a proposed managed realignment of the Medmerry coast, West Sussex and lead on the production of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the scheme. Marine hydrodynamic modelling and GIS were employed to support production of the Environmental Impact Assessment.
Wallasea Island Wild Coast (2007) RSPB
In 2007, ABPmer was commissioned by the RSPB to provide an Environmental Impact Assessment and related planning application documents for the RSPB’s Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project, the largest wetland scheme of its type in Europe. Our work included both hydrodynamic and sediment modelling for the proposed scheme, visualisations and impact assessment. In 2009, the scheme was granted planning permission.
Wallasea Realignment (2006) Defra
ABPmer was commissioned by Defra to undertake a site selection review, scheme design, hydrodynamic modelling, Environmental Impact Assessment and marine consents work associated with the Defra Wallasea Island North Bank Realignment scheme, a nature reserve in Essex, adjacent to the River Crouch. We were subsequently commissioned by the Environment Agency to undertake a 5 year live monitoring study of the managed realignment at Wallasea Island.
Humber (Welwick and Chowderness) Realignments (2002) Associated British Ports
ABPmer was commissioned by ABP to investigate the potential impacts of proposed managed realignment schemes (at Welwick and Chowderness) on the hydrodynamics and morphology of the Humber Estuary. To inform the assessment, the computational modelling software Delft3D was used. This included a characterisation of the existing baseline conditions functioning within the estuary and then simulation of the conditions that would be expected following implementation of the managed realignment schemes.
