What is a Water Level Management Plan?

What is a Water Level Management Plan?

Water Level management Plans (WLMPs)

The initial concept of Water Level Management Plans (WLMPs) was first suggested by MAFF et. al. (1991) in a publication entitled Conservation Guidance for Drainage Authorities which stated that WLMPs should be produced for areas where water levels are managed and that priority should be given to Sites of Special Scientific Interest, in particular those which incorporated internationally important sites.. 

This concept was reinforced in 1994 and 1999 with the publication of Water Level Management Plans - A Procedural Guide for Operating Authorities (MAFF et. al.1994) and Additional Guidance Notes for Operating Authorities (MAFF1999a).  As a result of these policy drivers, grant aid to implement water level management plans was made available to Internal Drainage Boards.

In 1999, MAFF also published High Level Targets for flood defence operating authorities which specifically tasked IDBs to produce Water Level Management Plans for national and internationally important wetland sites (MAFF 1999b).  These targets were revised in 2001 requiring the operating authorities to have in place a detailed programme for implementing and reviewing WLMPS for SSSIs, European and Ramsar Sites (MAFF 2001a; 2001b).

In 2004 further guidance was issued by Defra relating to sites designated under the Habitats Directive emphasising that the Directive and the Conservation (Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994 imposed a general duty on Internal Drainage Boards, as Operating Authorities, to take appropriate steps to avoid deterioration of European sites and consider this when reviewing WLMPs or maintaining their existing operations to ensure that these actions are compliant with the above legislation (Defra 2004).

References

Defra. (2002) Autumn Performance Report 2002. Norwich: HMSO.

Defra (2004) Guidance on Water Level Management Plans for European Sites. London: HMSO.

Department of the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Welsh Office (1991) Conservation Guidelines for Drainage Authorities 2nd Edition. HMSO.

EN (English Nature) (2003) England's best wildlife and geological sites The condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England in 2003. Peterborough: English Nature.

MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), The Welsh Office, Association of Drainage Authorities, English Nature, National Rivers Authority (1994) Water Level Management Plans A procedural guide for operating authorities. HMSO.

MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1999a) Water Level Management Plans Additional Guidance Notes for Operating Authorities. HMSO.

MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) (1999b) High level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence and Elaboration of the Environment Agency's Flood Defence Supervisory Duty. HMSO.

MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) (2001a) High Level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence. HMSO.

MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) (2001b) Guidance on preparing Plans for Review and Implementation of Water level Management Plans. HMSO.

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