Managed realignment is an important soft engineering coastal defence technique which aims to achieve sustainable flood defence by recreating eroded saltmarsh and mudflat habitat. This is done by creating new defences further inland and allowing the existing defence line to breach and the land to be tidally inundated. Managed realignment is also known as setback and managed retreat.

The loss of saltmashes and mudflats in the Humber estuary due to future sea level rise is identified in the Humber Estuary SMP, and the creation of replacement areas is highlighted as a priority. Managed realignment schemes are currently in progress south of Paull at Thorngumbald and in the planning stage at a number of other sites including Welwick and Alkborough. These sites will create valuable new intertidal habitats for wildlife and ensure that environmental regulations are met.

First tide following the breach of the flood bank at Paull Holme Strays

The following links provide information on:

Managed Realignment in the Humber Estuary
General Links

Managed Realignment in the Humber Estuary

Paull Holme Strays

Paull Holme Strays (PHS) is the site of the first major managed realignment scheme on the Humber. Created by the Environment Agency as part of a flood risk management scheme, the site provides approximately 80ha of new intertidal habitat and is fronted by the extensive Paull Holme Sands mudflat.. The site is adjacent to the Humber Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA), Ramsar Site and possible Special Area of Conservation (pSAC). These designations form part of the Natura 2000 network of ‘European Sites’ and illustrate the international importance of the estuary for, amongst other things, intertidal habitats and the wildfowl and waders they support. The environmental monitoring report and associated appendicies can be downloaded below:

Halcrow Group Limited 2005. Paull Holme Strays Environmental Monitoring Report 2005. Report to the Environment Agency

Halcrow Group Limited 2006. Humber Estuary Flood Defence Strategy - Paull Holme Strays Environmental Monitoring Report 2006. Report to the Environment Agency

Halcrow Group Limited 2007. Paull Holme Strays Monitoring Report 2007. Report to the Environment Agency (Appendices available onrequest)

Appendices

Erosion / Accretion and Intertidal Vegetation

Boyes, S. & Mazik, K. 2004. Paull Holme Strays – Accretion/Erosion Monitoring. Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies, University of Hull

Brown, S.L. & Garbutt, A. 2004. Paull Holme Strays Monitoring Intertidal Vegetation, Accretion and Erosion Monitoring. NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Ornithology

Mander, L. & Cutts, N. 2003. Ornithological Monitoring, Thorngumbald: Annual Report #1 January to December 2002. Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of Hull

Mander, L. & Cutts, N. 2004. Ornithological Monitoring, Thorngumbald: Annual Report #2 January to December 2003. Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of Hull

Invertebrates

Burdon, D., Mazik, K., & Swig, B. 2004. Paull Holme Strays Monitoring Programme: Benthic Invertebrate Monitoring. Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies, University of Hull

Survey of Aquatic Macro-invertebrates in New Dykes and a Pond at Paull, East Yorkshire

Water Vole Survey Paull Holme Strays 10/09/2004

Sector Plan

Voluntary Data

	Sector Site Plan		Plant Species List for Winsetts Bank
	Final Grass Seed Mixes		Vegetation monitoring - EYBC results 2004
	Paull Holme Strays Breeding Bird Surveys 2004		Hull Valley Wildlife Group Bird Sitings 2004
	Invertebrate Survey Results 2004

Environment Agency Newsletters

Humber newsletter published by the Environment Agency providing information about the Thorngumbald and Alkborough retreat sites.

Tidenews 2005

Tidenews 2004.

General Links

Back To Nature

Article by Neil Punnett on Coastal erosion - Back to Nature. Geofile, September 2000. Addresses the issue of managed realignment. Link to article.

Tollesbury Managed Retreat

Flood and coastal defence research news - June 2001. DEFRA publication. Information on catchment flood management, Tollesbury managed realignment, flood defence information, CAMELOT - coastal evolution. Link to research news.

Managed realignment in UK and Germany

A report by Middlesex University on the comparison of managed realignment within the UK and Germany. General information on managed realignment. Link to report.

Legislation and Policy

DEFRA document addressing the legislation and policy behind the issue of managed realignment: "Managed Realignment: Land Purchase, Compensation And Payment For Alternative Beneficial Land Use". Link to report.

Success of Managed Realignment Schemes

English Nature report investigating the success of managed realignment schemes as good habitat for birds. "The success of creation and restoration schemes in producing intertidal habitat suitable for waterbirds" Atkinson et al , 2001.

Link to part 1.
Link to part 2.
Link to part 3.